Magicians often get hired for corporate conferences or conventions to amuse, lighten the tone, and allow attendees to blow off steam and bond. Sometimes the gig is strolling magic at a cocktail event. Other times, a stage show after dinner. And those gigs can pay well. They can pay very well. But the white whale of the corporate conference is the keynote speaking gig. Keynote speakers can charge enormous amounts of money. Five, even six figures for a single speech. They don’t have to bring props, they just have to talk. Maybe bring a Powerpoint presentation. It’s no wonder I’ve been hearing a lot of magicians are interested in moving into keynote speaking, which led me to write this column. What I learned is that, while I hate to be negative, this is probably not the right path for most magicians. Being a good public speaker does not make you a good keynote speaker. Being a good magician is not enough. The product has to be more than a magic show with a motivational message, and most magicians do not have the expertise and credentials required. Let me explain.
At the apex of the keynote speaking business, there are marquee names like former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, world wide web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee, athletes like Alex Rodriguez (baseball) and Carl Lewis (track and field), and actors with internationally famous brands, like Ben Affleck. Household names on the program of an event help fill the room with attendees who want to hear the celebrity speak, shake their hand, and get a photo with them. The appearance fees listed on their agents’ websites can run north of $100,000. I say with love, this is probably not your category.