Trade show magic
A trade show magician who brings people to your team.
Kostya Kimlat performs at your booth in short sets through the day, stops people walking past, and hands each conversation to your team while the person is still smiling. There is no stage to build and nothing to plug in.
Trusted by
Before the doors open
Promotion that starts before the show.
An invitation video, shot for one client ahead of one convention
What makes it different
A magician who starts conversations for your team.
- 01
He hands each visitor to your team.
Plenty of things will pull a crowd into a booth. What makes the line item worth it is the minute after the trick ends, when Kostya introduces each person to the right member of your team while they’re still smiling and happy to talk.
- 02
The promotion starts before the hall opens.
Kostya films a short invitation video for your company to post ahead of the show, ending with a QR code so people book a slot at your booth in advance. Attendees then turn up asking for the meeting they already scheduled.
- 03
Your product is inside the trick.
The material is built around what you’re exhibiting, so what people remember afterward is your message. Kostya works that out with you on a call before the show.
- 04
It fits whatever booth you were given.
No stage, no power, no rigging, no floor space beyond where he stands. Most of it works from a few objects in his pockets, which matters at shows where the organizer restricts brand activations and anything that draws a crowd has to look like it belongs on the floor.
- 05
Written for skeptical audiences.
Kostya performs mostly for technology, finance and healthcare audiences, and the material is written for them, analysts and engineers included.
One show
A booth that wasn’t allowed to look like a booth.
LTIMindtree at SAP Sapphire, Orlando
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01 The constraint
The organizer allowed no brand activations on the floor. Nothing that read as a stunt, nothing that pulled a crowd into the aisle. That rules out most of what a company hires to stand out at a show that size.
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02 Before the doors
A few weeks out, Kostya filmed an invitation video for LTIMindtree to post, ending with a QR code that let attendees book a slot at the booth before they flew in. The bookings also showed LTIMindtree how much interest there was weeks before the show, which nobody had planned for.
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03 On the floor
He worked the exhibit hall and the hospitality suite both, reading each person he sat down with and picking material to match. When someone arrived and the person they had booked was still finishing another meeting, Kostya was the reason they stayed.
The booth had meetings booked before the doors opened, and the people who booked them showed up.
What’s included
What booking Kostya for a show gets you.
- A planning call with Kostya about your products, your goals and your booth
- A booking team that answers within one hour during business hours
- Close-up magic performed in short sets across the day, five to fifteen minutes each
- Material built around what you’re exhibiting
- A handoff to your staff at the end of each set, while the prospect is still engaged
- Promotional copy and images to announce that there will be magic at your stand
Add-ons
- A personalized invitation video for your channels, with a booking QR code
- A workshop for your booth staff on first impressions and reading a room
- A second magician, so a large stand is covered through the busiest hours
Where it works
Shows he’s hired for.
- Technology conventions
- Financial services expos
- Healthcare and medical shows
- Industry association meetings
- Franchise expos
- Manufacturing trade fairs
- Hospitality and travel shows
- Regional business expos
Penn & Teller: Fool Us
He fooled Penn & Teller with a card trick.
14 million views
Kostya Kimlat is one of the best magicians we have in the world today.
Client reviews
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Valerie Lubeigt
LTIMindtree, SAP Sapphire Orlando
I hired Kostya Kimlat for LTIMindtree’s premium sponsor booth at SAP Sapphire Orlando and our VIP reception. … What truly set Kostya apart was his individual engagement with guests. He had a knack for connecting with each person, making them feel like the star of the show.
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Devinne Love
HR and talent conference, 500 guests
Kostya’s ability to engage individually with our 500 guests was impressive, especially with the addition of the strolling magicians during our happy hour who really got the room buzzing.
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Tony L.
Hyperscience
The team came out excited and have been talking about it since. I appreciate how you involved the audience and showed your knowledge of our company and our people.
Planning
How it works.
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01 · You send the show.
The dates, the city and your stand number. You’ll hear from Kostya’s team within one hour during business hours, with availability or the questions the team needs answered before quoting.
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02 · A call about the product.
What you’re exhibiting, who you want at the booth, and what a good show looks like for you. Kostya builds the material from this call.
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03 · We send the promotion.
Copy and images for your channels, and the invitation video if you want one, in time to post before anyone books their flights.
Book early for the big industry shows. Three to six months out is normal for those dates.
Questions
Your trade show questions, answered.
What is a trade show magician?
A magician who performs at your stand during an exhibition, to stop people walking past and start a conversation your team can finish. The magic is close-up, performed for a few people at a time at arm’s length, and the performance is built around what you’re exhibiting.
How long are the performances?
Short sets of five to fifteen minutes, repeated through the day, so there’s a steady flow of people instead of one crowd and then nothing. The schedule is set around your busiest hours and your team’s meetings.
How much does a trade show magician cost?
Fees vary with the dates, how many days you need, travel and whether you want the pre-show promotion. Send your show details and you’ll hear from Kostya’s team within one hour during business hours; a specific quote follows once those are clear.
Can he build the magic around our product?
Yes, and it’s one of the most useful things he does. On a call before the show, he learns what you’re exhibiting and what you want people to remember, then builds the material so your message is what the trick turns on.
What do you need from our booth?
Almost nothing. No stage, no power, no rigging, and no floor space beyond where he stands. Most of the performance works from small objects he carries, so it fits a ten by ten stand as easily as an island.
What if the organizer doesn’t allow brand activations?
That’s a common restriction at the biggest shows, and Kostya can work within it. Close-up magic for a few people at a time doesn’t read as a stunt, block an aisle, or need a structure. He did exactly this at SAP Sapphire.
How does the magic actually produce leads?
Two ways. Before the show, an invitation video with a booking QR code brings people to the stand with an appointment already made. During the show, each set ends with him introducing the person to the right member of your team before they wander off.
Can you help promote our booth before the show?
Yes. Kostya films a short personalized invitation video for your company to post on its channels, ending with a call to action so attendees can schedule a visit to your stand in advance.
How far in advance should we book?
Three to six months for a major industry show. The dates go early, and the lead time also leaves room to build the material around your product and get the promotion out before attendees plan their schedules.
Can he train our booth staff?
Yes. He runs a workshop for the people working your stand on first impressions and reading the person in front of them, using the same principles the magic runs on.
Does he travel for trade shows?
Yes. Kostya Kimlat is based in Orlando, which makes him an easy booking for conventions at the Orange County Convention Center, and he travels throughout the United States for shows elsewhere.
Is this the same as booking him for a reception?
The skill is the same and the purpose is different. At a reception he works the room and the point is that your guests enjoy themselves. At a booth he works the aisle and the point is that your salespeople get a conversation.
Let Kostya make the introductions.
You’ll hear from Kostya’s team within one hour during business hours.