After Dinner Entertainment for Corporate Events in Nashville

When the room is ready for after dinner entertainment

There's a useful moment after dinner when everyone is already together. The meal has finished, people are comfortable, and the evening can move into something they experience as a group.

A magic show fits that moment well, as long as "after dinner" means more than a line near the bottom of the schedule.

One of the most common misconceptions I hear is that magic during dinner gives guests something to enjoy while they eat. It's actually the worst time. People are locked into their meals, and the show ends up taking a back seat.

I've seen it happen. An event planner once told me I had to go on during dinner. I got the room's attention for a moment, but about half of it stayed on the meal. I finished the show and did my full time, but it wasn't what it could have been.

So when I book a stage show, I book it as an after dinner show. Before you set a start time, ask the venue when the main clearing will be finished and whether anything else is due at the tables during the performance.

Where speeches and awards belong

Company remarks and awards deserve their own attention. Give them a defined place in the program, and let the person introducing the show know how the handoff will work.

For awards banquet entertainment, I usually perform after dinner and right before the awards. The room is settled, and the program still has its biggest moment ahead. A simple introduction tells guests the next part of the evening is beginning and gives them a reason to settle in together.

Build in some flexibility too. If a speech runs long, the planner and performer should already know who makes the call about timing. That conversation is much easier ahead of the event than from opposite sides of the room.

A sample timeline for a corporate dinner

Every event is different, but this running order works well for a lot of corporate dinners. Treat it as a rough guide. The right timing depends on the room and your schedule.

• Cocktail hour: about an hour of strolling close-up magic while guests arrive and mingle.
• Dinner: no magic. Let the meal and the main clearing finish.
• Remarks and introduction: a short handoff so the room knows the show is starting.
• The show: 30 to 45 minutes on stage.
• Awards: the program continues with the room's attention intact.
• After the awards (optional): more close-up magic if guests want it.

As for length, I've performed stage sets as short as 10 or 15 minutes and as long as 45. I recommend 45 minutes as the maximum, so guests see plenty of magic without it overwhelming the evening.

What a stage magician needs from the room

The stage doesn't have to be elaborate, but every guest needs to see and hear the performance. A room that works well for dinner can have awkward angles for a show, so think about columns, long tables, lighting and where the sound comes from.

For larger shows, these are my usual starting points:

• A platform, with about 10 by 10 feet as a comfortable minimum
• A double-ear headset microphone, so I can move around and do the magic while I talk
• For audiences over roughly 400 to 500, a camera team projecting the show onto screens

Raise these with your venue or production team early. For a smaller team, a seated close-up magic format can suit the room better than a stage.

Pairing strolling magic with an after dinner show

Strolling magic during the reception and a stage show after dinner do different jobs. The first brings small groups together while the party is forming. The second gives the whole room a shared performance.

I do this combination all the time at corporate events: about an hour of strolling magic during the cocktail hour, then a 30 to 45 minute show after dinner, before the awards. If guests want more close-up magic, it can follow the awards.

You can read more about hiring a corporate magician in Nashville. If you're planning after dinner entertainment in Nashville, send me your date, venue, guest count and a rough running order, and we'll decide where the show belongs and what the room needs.