Checklist for Booking a Mentalist

If you plan to book a mentalist, the following checklist can help everything at your event run smoothly. As the quote goes, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

• Can the mentalist provide proof of liability insurance to your venue? Venues sometimes do not mention this requirement until last minute. If the mentalist does not have a copy of liability insurance to show the venue, the venue may forbid the performance. In practice, not all venues always enforce the requirement, but most large hotels (e.g. W Philadelphia and Element Philadelphia) prefer entertainment vendors have liability insurance. 
• Will there be any off-color jokes? Many mentalists include comedy in their shows. Before you hire a mentalist, it is worth confirming whether or not there will be any profanity, sexual content, or anything else that might offend audience members. 
• What is the mentalist's cancelation policy? I don't mean your ability to cancel the show. I mean the mentalist's ability to cancel you if another client offers more money. You want to make sure your calendar date is locked in and there won't be unpleasant surprises. If you plan to have an outdoor event in Philadelphia, consider renting a venue with a protective structure. Fairmount Park Horticulture Center has an indoor glass greenhouse. If you can't secure a venue with a protective structure against weather, then your next best option is to rule out mentalists who schedule events on a non-cancelable basis. To be transparent, I am one of the mentalists who schedules all events on a non-cancelable basis, so I would not be a good fit for outdoor events without a protective structure.  
• How will the mentalist dress at your event? If you want the vibe at your event to be casual, you can check to see if the mentalist can dress casually. If you have a formal leadership event, or an event at a venue with a dress code like Union League of Philadelphia has, then you may want the mentalist to dress in a suit and tie. As a mentalist, I bought a specific shirt just for one event at the Union League. Tonight, I have an event at a more casual venue in the Philadelphia suburbs (The Great American Pub in Conshohocken). I bought a sky blue polo shirt because my client requested a more specific version of business casual. 
• Does the mentalist need anything from you? You may want to see if there is a Technical Rider that you should pass along to your event venue (or an A/V vendor). An event room at one of the Commerce Square buildings is usually very easy to set up a portable audio system in. However, an event with a stage show at Sheraton Downtown Philadelphia or Loews Philadelphia Hotel will almost certainly make use of a Technical Rider. 
• Is the mentalism show modular? This means that the duration of the show can be trimmed or expanded to fit your agenda (event schedule).