My first performance in Las Vegas
My first performance in Las Vegas
WOW! It was an incredible experience to perform in the fabulous city of Las Vegas!
The iconic song of Elvis Presley is still playing in my head…
29-05-2024
It’s been about two weeks since I returned from a memorable trip to the fabulous city of Las Vegas. With a big smile, I reviewed all the photos and videos. Looking back, I can say that it exceeded all my expectations in every possible way! I showed my tricks on the plane, at different places on the strip, and provided an interactive intermezzo with Johan for 800 conference attendees. It was an absolute blast and something I love sharing with you in this blog post. Put on the song of Elvis Presley (Viva Las Vegas) and enjoy!
Arriving in Vegas
On May 5th, we touched down at Harry Reid International Airport. Uhm.. We? I did not travel alone to deliver a week full of magic in Vegas. Together with my fiancé (Linda), videographer (Dwayne), graphics designer (Christina), and one of my dearest friends (Rutger), we all flew about 8.700 kilometers. And let’s not forget another star of the show, my dear friend and subject-matter expert Johan West, with whom I kick off the second day of the conference. After disembarking the aircraft, we went through customs to pick up our luggage. The first thing that caught my eye?
Slot machines are everywhere at the airport. Why wait for your luggage by standing at the belt when you can play slot machines simultaneously? It is a fun and crazy thing to see. However, it was helpful in our case because something was not coming. The bag with specific magic devices was refused departure from the airport in Germany. That was a pity and a bit stressful. Nevertheless, the show must go on, so it was time to improvise how to fill the gaps in our act. Luckily, we had 48 hours to do so.
MEET THE TEAM
By taxi, we went to the M-Resort Spa & Casino, our hotel and venue, where I performed for a couple of days. On the interstate, we pass by the fabulous Las Vegas sign, and after a drive of 15 minutes, we arrive at the resort. A beautiful Black Ferrari awaits in the lobby among several references to the Las Vegas Raiders (American Football Team). After checking in, we went to the conference organizers to show that we had arrived in Vegas and were ready to hit the stage. Speaking of we took a glimpse at the room where Johan and I would perform on day two of the conference, which was BIG! Very BIG!
Exploring and preparing in Vegas
The first two days in Vegas were about exploring the city and preparing the main act. Walking along the 6.8-kilometer strip, we visited several highlights, such as the Luxor, New York, New York, MGM Grand, the Bellagio Fountains, the Mirage Volcano, and many more. There is so much to see, and to do that, by the end of our first day, we walked 25 kilometers throughout the city. We also took small breaks to gamble and get into the Vegas vibe. We started with $20 and ended up with $120. That was very nice, but at the end of the trip (spoiler alert), we lost some money, just like most people do in Vegas. As a magician, I unfortunately have no tricks up my sleeve for winning with gambling. I need to pray for a bit of luck, as well.
In parallel to enjoying the city, I was still thinking about how to solve the gaps in our performance, especially since the headline trick was not present. Luckily, I always have extra tricks and experiments so we could work out a replacement strategy. During our rehearsals, we noticed that the light in the room did not play in my favor and that some parts of the script still required some practice. However, we still had about 24 hours to get ready. So… practice, adjust, practice, adjust, and so on.
Three performances in three days
My first performance in Las Vegas
DAY
1
During the gathering party on Monday, I entertained the guests with my walk-around magic in Hawaiian style. With a beautiful Vegas sunset, Hawaiian decorations, and live music, all attendees experienced magic from up close. The best part of this theme was that I could wear my colorful outfit that had been catching dust in my closet for a few years. The crowd noticed that this Dutchie had arrived to entertain the scene. With my walk-around magic, I mingled among the attendees and brought a magical touch to the opening part. It was a nice warm-up for the three days of the IT Asset Management conference that is to come.
DAY
2
During the first official day of the conference, I focussed on practicing the keynote with Johan in the morning. We had to overcome some technical difficulties and lighting issues and adjust our script based on the missing illusions. It definitely was not easy, and I still felt disappointed that our headline trick was not present. In the meantime, other packages arrived at the hotel for the interactive element of our keynote. Luckily, this was good, and with the help of Chistina and Linda, all 800 packages were just in time, ready for the big show.
It was time for my second show in the evening, a walk-around act on the trading floor between all exhibition booths. This time, I was in my magical show outfit, and my special Vegas-themed shoes, created by my partner Lureaux. It was a lovely evening with a lot of laughter and amazed faces. After 3 hours of magic, it was time to watch others perform. We went to the New York New York Hotel and witnessed a beautiful show: Mad Apple by Cirque du Soleil. I was a bit jealous of the magician who had the privilege to perform on such a gorgeous stage. It is a fantastic show with an electrifying atmosphere. It’s worth the money, and I recommend visiting these incredible artists in Vegas.
My first performance in Las Vegas
DAY
3
The last and final show was the big one. After spending a couple of days in Vegas, we recognized where to play and where to stay away. That became the theme of our keynote. Together with Johan, we translated our (Vegas) experiences to the field of IT Asset Management by using real-life examples, anecdotes, movie quotes, impersonations, and (mind-blowing) tricks. We are confident that after our 75 minute performance, the audience now really understands where (ITAM) illusion meets reality. With big applause, we entered the stage and left the stage. That gave me an excellent feeling. Johan and I were not fully happy with our performance, as we saw room for improvement and were perfectionists; however, the conference organizer gave us a 12 out of 10, which was the most important thing. A happy and proud customer. There was only one thing to do: celebrate and close off our final night in Vegas with a good drink! And we did!
Goodbye Vegas,
see you soon?
While the conference’s third day was still in progress, we had to say goodbye to catch our flight at 4 in the afternoon. We could not stay longer because I already had shows planned for the next day in the Netherlands. From a timing perspective, our flight was perfect because we had a night flight to The Netherlands and would arrive at 11 in the morning. During the flight, I got some sleep because I needed to recharge myself for my show at 2 p.m. What? Yep, you read it correctly. There was no time to get used to the time difference of 7 hours. I took our bags from the belt and went straight to the car. I returned to the show location and refreshed myself in the parking lot. 13:30 we were at the location, and at 13:55, I was ready to perform.
My first performance in Las Vegas
The timing of our return trip was crazy but absolutely magical and timed to perfection; however, after the show, I was quite tired, but there was another performance waiting for me. Yep, another one, I love it! I left Vegas about 20 hours ago and already performed twice. The rest of the crew was coping with the jetlag, but for me, the energy of a crowd cannot be ignored. They instantly made my jetlag disappear and get back into my Dutch rhythm. I admit that I was utterly done once I was home at 22:00, but it was worth it. Vegas was now almost 24 hours behind, but it still gave me chills. Unfortunately, this wonderful trip came to an end. BUT … I feel we will be back again sooner than you think. Let’s see. Cheers, y’all, and enjoy the Vegas after-movie.
