With the holidays approaching many companies, churches and
charities are gearing up to host special events. My phone is already ringing
and my email inbox is filling up with requests for information on my shows.
Some people are looking for entertainment for the company Christmas party.. er,
um..I mean holiday party.  Some want to
provide some Christmas cheer for children that are suffering from disabilities or
life threatening diseases or are less fortunate in some way.

I work with several charities and companies during this time
of year.  One of my favorite charities is
the Nello Memorial Foundation. I have been with them for over 5 years now.  The kids are awesome and treat me like a rock
star!  Some have physical disabilities, others
have Down syndrome, or as I like to call it, UP syndrome- as any one who has a
child or has met a child with Down syndrome knows, they are really special
kids!

Another group I perform for is the National Hemophilia Foundation.
I have been with them for many years and it is truly amazing that I get to be
part of this fun day for the kids.  They
get to watch my magic show and I get to watch their faces light up with sheer
joy and laughter!  It’s a no wonder I
love what I do for a living — being a magician.

There are also some big companies that hire me for their
Christmas parties to perform for the employees and their spouses. Again,
another awesome time entertaining either with my big show or my award-winning,
close-up walk around magic.

As I think about helping companies and organizations make
their events spectacular and how I can add to it as a magician, I have several pieces
of simple advice to help you in the decision-making and planning process.

First and foremost decide on the purpose of your event and the
budget. These are the two most important considerations when getting any kind
of entertainment. The great thing about what I do as a magician is that I can
entertain several age groups at once.

So you need to decide, is this an all adult event, a family
event, or just for kids?  How much do you
want to spend?  What’s this year’s
budget?  The best part of hiring a
magician is that most full time professionals have different packages to choose
from to meet your needs.

I myself offer shows from a spectacular solo show that runs
50-55 minutes, to a full evening illusion show with my beautiful assistant,
Christine.  We have performed our shows
for many giant corporations as well as many local businesses. I strive to not
only meet your budget needs, but to exceed your expectations with my show!

There are a few keys to getting the right magician for your
event.  Let’s take a look at some things
you should be checking out and asking.

1. Decide who your event is for – adults only- family-
   kids only.  Now you know what to look for
   in a magician.
2. Choose a magician that specializes in the area you are
   looking for.  If you’re holding a family event,
   then look for a family/kids magician.
3. Set your budget. Price should not be the driving force
   but I understand it is a major factor. It is also true that “you get what you
   pay for.” If you just want to, as we magicians call it, “fill some space,” then
   book whoever you want. But if you are looking to create a lasting, wonderful
   memory for your audience then take note of the suggestions and find the right magician for your event.

Of course you already
found him and I am waiting for your phone call or email to book your
event.  Call soon though as the holiday
shows book up fast! 610.287.4123!

1. Start hunting down the right magician (but you already
   got him, right?) Ask questions to learn about his/her qualifications.

• Do they have a website? Read through it, not
  just the homepage.
• Is this their full time job – meaning are they a
  professional magician?  Odds are a
  professional will provide a better show than an amateur since the pro does this
  full-time, therefore performs more frequently and has honed their skills in
  front of an audience. They have a better understanding of your needs and most
  likely have experienced many different situations and have a vast understanding
  of how to handle the possible “hiccups” that occur with live shows. I have
  performed over 6,000 live spectacular shows across this country. I hope that
  speaks volumes as to the quality and professionalism I bring to each and every
  show.
• Do they have videos on the site?  Watch them!
• Is there a contact form?  Contact them.
• Better yet, is there a phone number? There
  should be!  This is the best advice I can
  give you.  CALL ME, um I mean call
  them.  Talk to them.  In this computer/smart, phone-driven age with
  emails and text we have lost the personal touch.  Call them and ask your questions.  You can tell a lot about a person during a
  brief conversation. I always look forward to speaking with you and answering
  your questions.

So to review: Take the time to hire the right magician – one
who will meet your needs and provide spectacular entertainment that will be
enjoyable for the whole audience.

Everyone will magically smile, cheer and be amazed.

Till next time,

Sam

Welcome to my new blog.

I know you’re thinking, why in world do you need to read another
blog? Well I will try to answer that here in my first post.

WHAT THIS BLOG IS:
This blog will be sometimes informative and sometimes personal, sometimes
funny, ok many times funny, but always surrounding my magic, my show, and my
deafness.

WHAT THIS BLOG IS NOT:
political, boring, or waste of time- at least I hope:)

So what in the world do I write about now…hmmm I have so many
great topics to write about but left better for 2nd or 3rd entries not my first
time out of the cage? I guess I will share a small dream with you. Over the 20
some years of working my show in many different locations across this I have
been honored and humbled that so many people invite me into their homes, place
of business, churches, schools and many other locations. It’s amazing that I
get to travel and meet so many different people across this country. That you
allow me to not only entertain you but share in the laughter, and joy that
comes from my show. Just as you say I inspire you – you, my audience, have
inspired me.

So what’s the dream- the dream is this, to continue to move
forward and expand and improve my show. To inspire more and especially the
little ones, yes your children. I have always loved entertaining children. My new school
shows http://www.samsandler.com/school_programs.htm
have been met with great excitement from not only the kids but the teachers,
and PTOs. So I hope that as I expand that I will be able to inspire more and
more kids to believe in themselves and never give up. Being a full time deaf
illusionist has been difficult in many ways, but every time and I really mean
every time I perform a show and I see the smiles beaming across each child’s
face it is the source of my inspiration and my energy to continue and work even
harder. I don’t hear the laughter or the applause any more but seeing the
smiles and watching the kids reactions to my craziness on stage, well words
really can’t describe the joy I get from these moments.

So there it is my first entry to my new blog. I hope to have
suggestions for making great parties or activities you can do at your parties.
tips to make them more successful. Whether it be for your kids birthday party
or a company picnic or your church family night or outreach program.

I also hope that my sharing some of my personal tragedies and
triumphs will inspire you.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.

Sam