Stolen Episode: How to Start a Show Hosted by Ben Train

While Jonah’s away in Spain, Ben Train has infiltrated Jonah’s computer (he really needs a less obvious password). Instead of his original list “10 Weird Facts About Jonah,” Ben has decided to give you some tips on how to start your own show. So, without further ado:  Build a Team: You can’t run a show alone! Find like minded individuals who want to help create and run the show.  Find the Show’s Purpose: Simply put, what is the show about? Are you putting on an open mic or a classy parlour affair?  Learn Your Audience You can’t please everyone. Learn who your audience is so you can better design and market your show.  Pick a Name: And make it memorable. You need a name that is interesting, expresses what the show is about, and is unique – you don’t want your audience to confuse you with other brands that have the same name. Find a Venue A free venue to be exact. Find a place that serves your show’s needs. A lot of venues will gladly welcome free entertainment.  Create Graphics Anywhere you advertise needs a graphic. Remember that some of the places you advertise on will require different dimensions.  Take Photos A picture is worth a thousand words! Take photos of visual magic and the audience to share on social media. Investing in a photographer i Invest in Production Value  Start with a mic. Not only will your audience be able to hear you, it’ll raise the perceived professionalism of your show.  After that you can consider purchasing lights, speakers, backdrops, etc.  Sell Tickets  You’ll probably rely on friends and family starting out. But, once you put together a good show and start advertising, you will start to draw the public’s attention. Just be realistic about your audience numbers! Produce a Good Show  Flashy graphics and photos will only get you so far. You want people to not only experience an amazing magic show, but you want them to tell their friends about it.  At the end of the day, you need to just go out and do it. You’ll learn as you go, and you might even find that some of Ben’s advice isn’t right for you. Just give it a shot! And let us know if you’re putting one on – Ben promises that Jonah will personally come down to perform on your lineup. Shout out to the Magic Lab in Boston which has its debut show December 5th!