Any magicians will tell you they are perfect for every event. It says it on their business cards and websites. However, sometimes it really isn’t the case and I will pass on the event to someone else.
A few years ago, a corporate client phoned me as they were having a private dinner for 12 of their clients. They wanted entertainment during the evening. This is not usually a problem but in this Instance, it was. The reason? Their clients were 12 Japanese businessmen who did not have a good grasp of English. This was not good for me as my presentations mainly rely on interaction with people… or at least them understanding what I am saying.
I pointed out the inherent problems but came up with a solution. I have teamed up with the best silhouette cutter and caricaturist in the UK to form The Eventertainers. Neither of them need people to speak English in order to do their job. However, as Charles Burns (silhouette cutter) takes about a minute or so to cut a silhouette, he would be finished in about 15 minutes. Not good planning.
However, Sara-Louise (caricaturist) takes around 10 minutes to draw a caricature. 12 x 10 = 120 minutes! A perfect fit. I called Sara-Louise from my mobile while the client was still on the office phone to check she was available, which she was. I told the client that she would call after I had put the phone down so they could make the necessary arrangements direct. (We do not charge commission on jobs we pass on to each other.)
Everyone was happy, especially the client who thanked me for helping them find the right entertainment. I’d much rather give a job to someone else better suited to it than risk not being able to do a decent job for the client.