Year-end functions are back baby! After colossal and unprecedented slumps due to COVID-19, South Africa’s entertainment industry is rebounding strongly, and 2022 is expected to close with a bumper last quarter. Having been robbed of human connection for almost two years, business and ordinary families alike are revelling in the chance of being able to gather again. As well as craving the chance to have some much-needed fun, celebrate life and be entertained, the prospect of having in person, as opposed to virtual gatherings also spells the return to a dazzling, pre-pandemic past.
“We have noticed a significant influx in bookings as the year ends. The moment restrictions were lifted on masks and gatherings in June this year, we saw an immediate shift to in person bookings. It was like the industry completely changed overnight,” says Larry Soffer, the leading mentalist in Africa.
Perhaps because the pandemic took away so much joy so abruptly, the desire to reinvent the entertainment wheel is now top mind. “It is almost as if entertainers and their audiences are reclaiming what once was – like the old days. I have seen other artists booking tours and venues in the same fashion as before with posters stating that they are back,” continues Larry.
Yet being different and doing something memorable and out of the ordinary has always been central to the entertainment industry. Without making things bigger, better, and brighter than previous years, event organisers and entertainers’ risk being upended.Here are Larry’s top three tips to creating a truly unforgettable year-end function for your guests:
- Choose something special and extraordinary
People invest their time and money to come to an event, usually organising childcare, and splashing out on new clothing so you want them to feel special and that it was not an entire waste of time. Choosing the right entertainment can be a gamechanger, exceeding their expectations tenfold. Replacing long speeches and other formalities during a gala dinner with something like a mentalist show for example is completely out there. Mentalism is a very niche market and there are only a handful of mentalists so it would be a rare experience. The real pleasure is not knowing what to expect – it’s not a typical comedy show and it’s so much more than a magic show – adding to the fun and having guests talking about the event for a long time afterwards. That tends to be a first for usually dull dinners.
- Keep the overall experience in mind
Themed events are becoming quite a thing lately, which can really put a spin on things. Make sure your venue and its décor, the entertainment and even the food complement this theme and think about how you want your guests to feel when they leave. Mentalism essentially blurs the lines between reality and the impossible and I always try to inspire my audience to leave feeling that they are capable of anything. I want them to walk away from my show feeling spiritually enlightened, more powerful, and more alive.
- Interaction is key
Finally, no one wants to spend their evening talked at. They want to have fun, be uplifted, and mingle with others. An interactive show is so much more captivating and the great thing about mentalism is that it is quite sophisticated so perfect for the most prestigious crowd, but equally enjoyable by families. I especially enjoy having audience members come join me on stage and then see how they react when I read their mind. Witnessing a tough guy in the audience try to untwist a fork with his muscle power that I already twisted using my mind is another favourite.
There is amazing energy at an event when people start coming alive. They love being transported to a place that is unexpected and unforgettable, and entertainment does that for them.
So, make the entertainment at your year-end function a show-stopper.
Larry inspires his audiences to believe in the impossible so that they can achieve their dreams. Follow @LarrySoffer or visit his website for more information at www.larrysoffer.com.
Larry Soffer – The leading Mentalist in Africa, widely and globally regarded as one of the best in Mentalism (magic of the mind) for acts of mind-reading, metal bending and telekinesis. Having conducted performances for over 27-years, Larry is an extremely popular live show and corporate event performer.
He is locally in high demand and his exceptional reputation is spreading fast across the globe. Larry’s unique corporate and private shows are a highly interactive combination of mind reading, thought prediction, mentally moving objects – with a touch of side-splitting humour.
Larry regularly showcases his skills at booked performances and on television and radio – where he makes spoons and forks bend across these platforms, affecting people in their own homes, this includes fixing broken watches, making light bulbs burst, reading thoughts, and making TV’s and even cars switch on and off.
Every year, many companies across the world turn to South Africa’s best mentalist Larry Soffer for memorable corporate entertainment from audiences of 50 to 6,000. The combination of separate performances allows guests to experience the best of both stage and close-up entertainment, at small or large gatherings.
He inspires his audiences to believe in the impossible so that they can achieve their dreams. Follow @LarrySoffer or visit his website for more information at www.larrysoffer.com.
