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Elvine Assouline - Founder
Table of Contents
Introduction
Toronto has no shortage of talented performers. Magicians, face painters, balloon artists, clowns, science educators, DJs, character actors. If you work kids’ events in this city, you already know the competition.
We run The Fun Master, a kids’ event agency right here in Toronto. Over the years we have worked with a lot of entertainers, watched a lot of gigs, and paid attention to who gets booked back and who fades out. The difference is rarely raw talent. It is almost always everything around the talent.
Here is what actually separates the entertainers who build careers in this city from the ones who struggle to get the next gig.
1. Have a signature act
Generalists get fewer bookings than specialists. A magic show with three strong signature routines lands more work than a grab-bag of party tricks. A face painter with a distinctive style gets remembered. A science educator with a clear character outlasts the one in a plain lab coat.
Pick something. Own it. Build your brand around it. When a parent is choosing between you and three other performers, a clear identity wins.
2. Invest in real photos and video
Clients book based on what they see. Phone footage from a friend’s birthday will not land premium gigs.
Spend the money on one good shoot. Then keep your library fresh with short clips from real events (with parent permission, always). Three minutes of a tight highlight reel will outperform any written bio. If your website or Instagram does not show you working with actual kids, you are leaving money on the table.
3. Know your age ranges
A four year old’s birthday is a completely different show from a nine year old’s. The best entertainers read the room fast and adjust on the fly. Language, pacing, humour, the kind of participation you ask for, all of it shifts.
If a client asks what ages you are best with and you say “all of them,” you sound like a beginner. Be specific. “Five to eight is my sweet spot, but I run a scaled-down version for the three and four year old crowd.” That answer gets you hired.
4. Communicate like a professional
This is where most entertainers lose bookings before the show ever starts.
Respond within hours, not days. Send a confirmation a few days before the event. Show up fifteen minutes early. Dress the part when you arrive, not when you unpack your gear in the driveway. Send a thank-you after the gig, and ask if there is anything you could have done better.
Parents are paying for peace of mind as much as for performance. If you make them feel handled, they book you again and they tell their friends.
5. Build social proof relentlessly
Every happy client is a testimonial you did not collect. Fix that.
Ask for a Google review the day after the event, while the smiles are still fresh. Ask for a short written quote for your website. Ask if you can tag them in a social post. Most people will say yes if you ask politely and quickly.
A newer entertainer with fifty strong reviews will out-compete a veteran with six. Reviews are the closest thing to a shortcut in this business.
6. Keep your paperwork ready
Agencies, schools, camps, and corporate clients will ask for certain documents. Entertainers who have them ready close faster and get repeat work. Entertainers who say “let me look into that” lose the gig.
At a minimum, keep these handy:
- Liability insurance. Non-negotiable for corporate events and most venues.
- A recent criminal record check. Increasingly expected, especially for school visits, camps, and community events.
- A clear cancellation and rescheduling policy. Written down, easy to send.
- A simple contract. Even one page. It sets expectations on both sides.
On the criminal record check piece, we want to share something. We are not background check experts, but we do need our entertainers and staff to keep theirs current, so we have tested a few options. The one we land on and genuinely like is MyCheck by Credibled.
They are a Toronto company, fully online, and when we looked around, they were the most affordable platform we could find for Canadians ordering their own check. We also love that they are local. The Fun Master is big on supporting other Toronto businesses, and MyCheck has returned the favour.
They have given us a promo code to share with our staff and our friends in the entertainment community. Use TFM at checkout for 10% off. No affiliation beyond us liking what they do and wanting to pass the discount along. Check out MyCheck here.
7. Keep sharpening your craft
The entertainers who work the longest are the ones who never stop learning. Take a workshop. Watch other performers (live and on YouTube). Join a local magicians’ or face painters’ association. Swap notes with other performers in your circle.
The industry shifts. What landed in 2022 can feel stale now. The ones who stay current, stay booked.
Put it all together
Standing out in Toronto is not one big thing. It is a stack of small ones.
A clear signature act. Photos and video that sell your work. Professional communication. Paperwork ready before anyone asks. Reviews rolling in. A craft you keep refining.
Do the stack, and the bookings follow.
Are you an entertainer in Toronto?
We are always open to meeting new talent, especially performers who take this craft seriously. If any of the above sounds like how you already work, have a look at our we’re hiring page and drop us a line. We work with magicians, face painters, balloon artists, science educators, and character performers across the GTA.
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