Hidden Agenda | Magic Guestbook

From Hidden Agenda, January 11th

---

On November 29 of my Secret Agenda, I described a beautiful idea that my friend Gaetan Bloom gave me at the beginning of my professional career in 1988.

Briefly, here is the idea: After a show, hand out a “guest book” and ask your spectators to write something in it. A nice leather-bound volume is classy, maybe with playing cards or other magical motifs. You can find such books in paper shops or have one made by a bookmaker.

This works very well with intimate shows, but also if you work in a hotel or restaurant. However, I have also used it for larger audiences - the book will be handed around and people will read what others wrote and be inspired to write something special.

In Secret Agenda I suggested the idea simply as a way to relate to the audience and to have a nice souvenir through which you could look years later. I have also suggested some marketing ideas and a way to get tips, although I never used it that way.

Here I would suggest using what your spectators wrote as a source of inspiration for a new trick or at least a new presentation for a trick you already do. Read through the book and you will find several written reactions that might inspire a totally different approach to something they’ve seen you do.

All entries from this series come from Roberto Giobbi's Hidden Agenda book.