Client: Beem Wealth Venue: Delta Hotels, Grand Villa Casino, Burnaby Date: October 21, 2026 Entertainment: Close-up mingling magic as an icebreaker, then a full-hour stage show
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Before I was a magician, I was in this room
Not this exact ballroom. But this room.
Before I went full-time with magic, I worked as an insurance agent. I've sat in the conference seats, worn the lanyard, and done the networking hour where everyone holds a drink and waits for someone else to start the conversation.
So when Beem Wealth booked me, I knew who I'd be walking up to before I'd met a single one of them. They'd be smart and a little skeptical, and they'd want to have a good time without anyone being made to look foolish.
That's the crowd I know best, and it's the crowd I most want to perform for.
The icebreaker: magic in their hands, not on a stage
The night opened with close-up mingling magic. No stage, no mic, just small groups with drinks in hand.
This is the part of the evening most events leave empty. People arrive, find the two colleagues they already know, and stay there. The room never warms up on its own.
Close-up magic changes that fast. A card turns up somewhere it can't be, someone gasps, and the group next to them leans over to see what happened. Within a few minutes people are pulling over colleagues from other teams so they can see it too.
The main event: a full-hour stage show
After the mingling, the room sat down for the stage show. It ran a full hour, built to be interactive, with volunteers from the audience up front.
The best moments in a corporate show usually come from the volunteers. Once their colleagues see someone they work with every day standing on stage in total disbelief, the whole room is in on it.
The result
The room was loud and laughing by the end of the night, and two five-star Google reviews from the Beem Wealth team came in the next day.
"Wild show! Love it!!!" — Suzanne Pasjack
"Fantastic! Kel put on a great show! So entertaining!" — Rod Castellanos
For a financial services team, that's what a good evening is for. These are people who spend their days earning trust one conversation at a time. Giving them a night where they laugh together, away from the numbers, is worth more than one more speech.
Planning an event for an insurance, wealth or financial services team?
This is my favourite kind of room to work. I know the industry from the inside, I know how the evening tends to run, and I know how to get a skeptical crowd laughing without putting anyone on the spot.
Fall and holiday dates fill months out. If you're planning a client appreciation night, a conference evening or a team celebration in Vancouver or Burnaby, reach out here before your date is locked.
Kelvin Ng is a corporate magician based in Vancouver, BC, with 25 years of experience and three 2026 PCAM awards: Gold Medal in Comedy Magic, Most Novel Magic, and People's Choice.
Frequently asked questions
What's a good icebreaker for a corporate networking event?
Close-up mingling magic is one of the fastest icebreakers there is. At Beem Wealth's night at the Delta Hotels, Grand Villa Casino, I opened with magic for small groups with drinks in hand. No stage, no mic. One reveal gets a gasp, the next group leans over, and within a few minutes people are pulling over colleagues from other teams to see it too.
Will a magician embarrass guests at a financial services event?
No. Volunteers are made the stars of the show, never the punchline, and there's no humour at the audience's expense. I worked as an insurance agent before going full-time with magic, so I know how to get a smart, skeptical room laughing without putting anyone on the spot. At Beem Wealth, the volunteers on stage were some of the best moments of the night.
How long is a corporate stage magic show?
Most corporate stage shows run 45 minutes, and up to 60. Beem Wealth booked the full hour, built to be interactive, with volunteers from the audience up front, right after the close-up mingling. For the stage show, the venue needs a performance space around 8 by 8 feet and basic stage lighting. For sound, Kel plugs into the venue's mixer, or brings a speaker if there isn't one.
How much does close-up magic plus a stage show cost in Vancouver?
For 50 to 200 guests, the full evening of close-up mingling plus the stage show is $5,000 plus GST. Mingling alone is $2,000 plus GST and the stage show alone is $3,000 plus GST. In November and December, the full evening is the only package, and travel is built into the quote.
