"Is there a minimum on hours, and how much per hour?"
I get some version of that on a lot of calls. It's a sensible question. DJs often quote by the hour. So do photographers and bartenders. So it's natural to expect a magician to work the same way.
Short answer: I don't charge by the clock. I price by what the night needs. Here's why, and what that looks like in real numbers.
Why not hourly?
Because the clock isn't what you're paying for.
During cocktail hour, my goal is to meet everyone. The last thing I want is a guest saying "wait, there was a magician here?" If your reception runs a little long because dinner is late, I don't want to be checking my watch. Whatever the cocktail hour is on your agenda, that's what I stay for.
Hourly pricing also pushes you toward the wrong decision. It makes "just one hour" look like the smart buy, when one hour in a room of 150 means most of your guests never see a trick.
How it's priced instead
By format and guest count. All prices are plus GST, and travel around the Lower Mainland is built in, never a separate line.
Corporate events, 50 to 200 guests
- Close-up mingling, 1.5 to 2 hours: $2,000
- Stage show: $3,000
- Full evening, mingling plus show, MC hosting included: $4,000
Corporate events under 50 guests
- Mingling only: $1,500
- Show only: $2,500
- Both: $3,000
Over 200 guests, and every date in November and December: the full evening at $5,000. During the holidays I have one rate, because once you book me I'm there for the whole night and not going anywhere else.
How long should the magic run?
A useful rule of thumb: close-up magic reaches roughly 50 guests an hour, one small group at a time. So for 100 guests, plan on about two hours of mingling if you want everyone to get a moment.
The stage show is different. It reaches the whole room at once. Most shows run 45 minutes, and anywhere from 15 to 60 to fit your run sheet.
What you're paying for
The hour on the floor is the visible part. Behind it is building the night around your agenda, a lightly themed finale for your company or occasion (included), insurance, and 25 years of reading rooms. Plus the part nobody prices in: a performer who keeps an eye on the plus-ones and the new hires who only know three people in the room.
If you're comparing quotes, compare what each one covers, not the hourly figure.
Frequently asked questions
Do magicians charge by the hour?
Some do, but Kel prices corporate magic by format and guest count instead. For 50 to 200 guests, close-up mingling is $2,000, a stage show is $3,000, and the full evening with MC hosting is $4,000, all plus GST. Whatever the cocktail hour is on your agenda, that's what he stays for.
How long should a magician mingle at a corporate event?
Plan on roughly one hour for every 50 guests. Close-up magic happens one small group at a time, so a 100-guest reception needs about two hours for everyone to see it. For bigger rooms, add a stage show to reach everyone at once, or a second performer.
Is there a minimum booking for a corporate magician in Vancouver?
Corporate bookings start at $1,500 plus GST for close-up mingling at events under 50 guests. In November and December, every booking is the full evening at a flat $5,000 plus GST, because Kel is there for the whole night.
Do you charge extra for travel?
No, not around the Lower Mainland. Travel is built into every quote, never a separate line item. Dates further afield, like Whistler or Vancouver Island, are quoted all in.
