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With the holiday season fast approaching, we wanted to make a post about how far in advance to book your fun corporate holiday party/private event. While any time is fine, we recommend about two months in advance, because it will be enough notice to locate even top magic entertainment before their schedules book up, while being close enough to the event that your plans are likely not to change in that interim, and same goes for the performer. (Halloween magic is in VERY high demand throughout September and October, for example.)
Booking Party Entertainment Too Far In Advance
For those over achievers that would prefer to book talent a year in advance, that can definitely work, but there are some downsides. First, most performers will ask for a deposit of half up front, and that may not be possible depending on your personal/your company's financial team. Budgets may not be set in place that far ahead of time. Even for weddings, where a date and venue is locked in very far ahead of time, overall budget for vendors may still be something to be determined closer to the special day. If plans change on your end, you could lose out on some deposit money, and also the chances are more likely that some vendors need to change plans. In our case, in the very rare occurrence when we have needed to cancel a magic performance, we are sure to give plenty of notice, return the deposit immediately, and offer to find a replacement of equal quality (no easy task, considering we are pretty damn good at what we do!). With other vendors, though, they might not be as professional as we strive to be.
Booking Los Angeles Magicians At The Last Minute
On the other hand, waiting until just a few weeks before an event is going to severely limit the quality of talent you can find. When offers come our way at the last moment, we are always happy to accept if we happen to be free, but quite often we have filled our schedule with personal obligations or other work. Particularly around the holiday season, starting in September and through the end of the year, top talent will likely be unavailable. If your needs are specific and niche, like you want a strolling magic show and stage show, or you are specifically seeking a female magician, you may simply not find the sort of act you are looking for without proper notice.
Final Thoughts
All that being said, two months ahead of time is just our suggestion. We are always flexible and happy to hear from potential clients any time, but do be aware of the pros and cons of booking too far in advance or with too short of notice. While we are gig workers, we magicians, jugglers, comedians, singers, etc still prefer to plan out their weeks and months ahead of time, so it is a gesture of good will to respect these standard timelines. With adequate time given to your talent search, you are more likely to find the right performer for the right event, and your guests will have a more memorable experience, and at the end of the day their happiness is our top priority, as well as yours.
We here at The Cosmic Romantics wish you a happy and healthy holiday season. Happy event planning, everyone!
Cosmically,
Elizabeth Messick and Eric Thirstin
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