Three ways I work a Wilmington room
The firm's client evening
Wilmington's corporate audience runs heavy on lawyers, compliance officers and risk people, which is a room that listens for the catch. That is the right audience for close-up work rather than a stage act. I move group to group, a few people at a time, and the thing happens in their hands rather than across a room. No stage, no sound, nothing for the venue to set up, whether that is the Hotel du Pont's ballroom or a private dining room at a club. Best for firm client evenings, partner dinners and practice group receptions.
The night half the room flew in
Delaware has more than two million registered entities and most of them are headquartered somewhere else, so a Wilmington evening often mixes local counsel with directors who landed that afternoon. They do not arrive together and they do not all know each other. Strolling magic and mind reading are built for that. I start with the first few people in the room and keep going while it fills, so the guest who walked in alone is in a conversation inside a minute. Best for board dinners, annual meeting receptions and client appreciation nights.
The after dinner set
Thirty to fifty minutes once the plates are gone. Wilmington's calendar has two peaks rather than one, the December holiday season and then January, when the Chamber's annual dinner alone puts more than a thousand people in a room. I have comfortably worked audiences up to four hundred. Magic and mind reading both, written for adults. I bring a microphone and speaker where the room needs it, I work to whatever slot the run of show gives me, and I finish on time. Best for galas, chamber dinners and awards nights.
See Mike in action
About
A room that is paid to be skeptical
The audience here is unusual and it is worth building for. Lawyers, auditors, compliance officers and risk teams spend their working lives looking for the thing that does not add up, and in my experience they enjoy being fooled more than most people do, as long as it still holds up when they replay it on the drive home. Nobody is planted, nothing depends on a stooge, and there is no point in the evening where a guest is asked to take my word for something.
Wilmington is also a small city with a very large corporate register, which means you see the same guest list more than once a year. The chamber dinner, the bar association evening, the bank's client night and the museum gala draw on the same few thousand people. It is one of the reasons I keep two bodies of material, magic and mind reading, rather than one set I repeat.
I am about forty five minutes away and I drive. No flight to miss, no connection to lose. I arrive forty five minutes early and I am set up before your first guest walks in, largely because there is nothing to set up. I bring everything and I need nothing from the venue beyond the room itself.
I spent more than twenty years inside corporate America, which matters more than it sounds. I read a run of show without needing it explained. I do not perform over the speeches. I know the schedule slipping is normal and not a crisis. Nothing in the act will embarrass your firm, the material is clean and appropriate for a mixed audience, and nobody gets made into the punchline. Standard dress is a dark suit.
The paperwork is handled. Performer liability insurance, a certificate naming your venue on request, which the hotels and clubs will ask for, a real contract, and an invoice your accounting team will accept without a conversation.
Magic and mind reading both. Some rooms want one, some want the other, most want some of each, and I will tell you which I think yours is once I know the date, the venue and roughly how many guests. Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley are standard for me, along with Philadelphia, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington DC, New York and Connecticut.
Proof
Real rooms, real reactions
"We brought Mike in as a nice complement to a cocktail reception, but instead, he became the main event. The whole room followed him around, chasing the next trick, because once people saw one they wanted more. Mike is genuinely talented, has great energy, and is a crowd-pleaser in a room that's not easy to win over; we'll definitely be bringing him back."
Christine R. Felice, SVP, Mitchell & Ness Commerce
"Mike is magic! We hired Mike for my 40th at a winery and all I can remember is random screams of amazement among the crowd. He is flawless in his execution and left us all in awe. My family and friends talked about his performance for weeks!"
Ankur Patel, 40th birthday celebration
"Michael was absolutely incredible! We had him at our end-of-summer carnival party, and he completely captivated the entire crowd. With a big party, it's not easy to hold everyone's attention, but he had people gathered around, laughing, amazed, and genuinely trying to figure out how he was doing what he was doing! Our guests were talking about him all night and even afterwards."
Kejal Bhatt, end of summer party
Below, photographs from real events, taken on the night, with real guests reacting in real time. Ballrooms, cocktail receptions, hotel function rooms and convention stages across the East Coast.
Volunteers from the room
Two guests who walked in as strangers, now standing next to me in front of a full house. Nobody is planted and nobody is the punchline.
A full room
Cocktail hour at a black tie gala, guests closing in on both sides. No stage and no microphone, just a room full of people who came over to see what everyone was looking at.
Black tie season
Arriving for an annual charity gala. One case, no setup, ready before the doors open.
Partial client list
Vanguard · Insight Partners · Alimera Sciences
New American Funding · Fox Chase Cancer Center
Mitchell & Ness · Marriott · Wyndham · AtlantiCare
Mohonk Mountain House · Borgata · Harrah's
Ocean Casino Resort · Live! Casino · SugarHouse Casino
Disney Cruise Line
Questions I get asked
How long do you perform?
Once I know a bit more about your event, I will come back with a recommendation on the length and the format that fits it best.
What do you need from the venue?
Strolling needs no stage, no sound and no setup. I simply start. For a seated show I need somewhere the whole room can see me, and a small riser helps past about 80 guests. I bring my own microphone and speaker if the venue has none.
Where do you travel?
Philadelphia and the surrounding region are standard: NJ, DE, MD, DC, NY and CT. Further afield is possible, just ask.
Is it right for a mixed audience?
Yes. Nothing in the show is off color, nothing embarrasses a volunteer, and nothing needs explaining to the client's boss afterwards.
Insurance and dress?
I carry performer liability insurance and can send your venue a certificate on request. Standard dress is a dark suit. Black tie or a costume brief is no problem if your evening calls for it.
Contact
Tell me about your event
Send the date, the venue and roughly how many guests. You'll hear back the same day with what I'd do and what it costs.