Posts in Corporate Events
The 2023 Bay Area AMAZING Holiday Event Guide

Venues

The Battery

I have been fortunate enough to have been involved with The Battery since the beginning. First, I was booked to perform at their opening night and I have been the Resident Magician there since 2015, entertaining members and guests in The Musto Bar.

The Battery features a wide variety of event spaces, both indoor and outdoor, as well as hotel suites. The Penthouse is a great place to host an event with stunning views of downtown San Francisco.

It’s one of my favorite places to visit.

www.thebatterysf.com

The Bridgeyard

Formally a maintenance facility for the Bay Area’s ubiquitous street cars , The Bridgeyard is now a dedicated event space with panoramic views of Oakland and San Francisco it’s a “blank canvas” waiting for you add your vision.

Having visited countless event spaces, The Bridgeyard is a breath of fresh air.

www.thebridgeyard.com

Claremont Club & Spa

What can you say about The Claremont Club & Spa.

Stunning. Iconic. Historic resort charm in the heart of Berkeley with sprawling spaces and incredible attention to detail everywhere you look.

And I hear they have an amazing magic show happening there every month!

www.fairmont.com/claremont-berkeley

Odette Estate Winery

Odette Estate Winery is run by my friends at PlumpJack Group and their hospitality is second to none.

If you’re looking for a venue in Napa to host your holiday event you can’t go wrong with Odette Estate Winery.

www.odetteestate.com

Press Club

One of the first planners I met when I arrived in the Bay Area was Ashley Guillory and we ended up working a handful of events together. Ashley is now Director of Private Events at Press Club, a sophisticated and social wine bar in the heart of downtown San Francisco. If your group enjoys seasonal small plates and thoughtful pairings, Press Club is your spot.

www.pressclubsf.com

Catering

Carrie Dove Catering & Events

Our mission is simply stated – “to work hard to create comfortably elegant events in partnership with our clients”.

From your first inquiry to your last bite everyone you meet from Carrie Dove Catering & Events will exemplify hard work, humility, happiness, team work and a good attitude.

www.carriedovecatering.com

Day Darmet

Day Darmet provides a catering experience with a tailored handheld feel.

From client meetings, product launches, all day conferences, and more… we create menus to fit your exact catering needs providing end to end customer service.

www.daydarmet.com

Hugh Groman Group

Call us saucy, but we think gatherings should be fun–fun for guests and fun for the people who host them. Comfortable. Easy. Surprising. Delicious. You could say we are full-service caterers and event planners. Or, you could say we make magic happen. Let us delight you.

www.thehughgromangroup.com

Off The Grid

From outdoor office lunches or team happy hours to corporate holiday parties—we bring the lively atmosphere of our Off the Grid market experiences to every catered event. Curbside, inside or outside, we curate moments that are as diverse and thoughtful as the local, small food businesses we work with.

www.offthegrid.com

Tonic Beverage Catering

From humble beginnings in a questionable garage to our position as an independent brand within a highly regarded hospitality group, our team has put in the literal blood, sweat and tears to make Tonic what it is today. We produce hundreds of events per year across the Bay Area and Beyond from the most intimate gathering to the grandest experience.

www.tonicbeveragecatering.com

DJs/Music

DJ Airsun

It’s not a party if people don’t dance. DJ Airsun has been putting people in the mood to groove at private parties, events and clubs since 2011. Airsun’s experience spinning for diverse groups with different tastes means the dancing at weddings and private parties is always a blast and always curated for the people of the hour.

www.djairsun.com

Denon & Doyle

While there is no secret formula to our success, there is something special about the way we approach each event. There is a fusion of tradition and innovation, experience and youth, charisma and calm, that exists at D&D.

www.djay.com

Gatsby Event Studios

An elevated level of production focused events with all the great entertainment services you know and love.

www.gatsbyeventstudios.com

Photographers

Kevin Meynell Photography

Kevin Meynell is a good friend and a trustworthy event partner. He has an innate ability to make you smile and ensure “you” shine through.

And he’s a damn good guy.

www.kevinmeynell.com

Misti Layne

Misti and I have crossed paths at a number of events and her charm and charisma behind the camera always puts me at ease.

www.mistilayne.com

The Vanity Portrait Studio

I always feel like a ROCKSTAR anytime The Vanity Portrait Studio takes my photo and you will too.

www.thevanityportraitstudio.com

The AMAZING Bay Area Holiday Guide 2022: DJs/music

DJs / Music

DJ Airsun

It’s not a party if people don’t dance. DJ Airsun has been putting people in the mood to groove at private parties, events and clubs since 2011. Airsun’s experience spinning for diverse groups with different tastes means the dancing at weddings and private parties is always a blast and always curated for the people of the hour.

www.djairsun.com

Denon & Doyle

While there is no secret formula to our success, there is something special about the way we approach each event. There is a fusion of tradition and innovation, experience and youth, charisma and calm, that exists at D&D.

www.djay.com

Gatsby Event Studios

An elevated level of production focused events with all the great entertainment services you know and love.

www.gatsbyeventstudios.com

The AMAZING Bay Area Holiday Guide 2022: Catering

Catering

Carrie Dove Catering & Event

Our mission is simply stated – “to work hard to create comfortably elegant events in partnership with our clients”.

From your first inquiry to your last bite everyone you meet from Carrie Dove Catering & Events will exemplify hard work, humility, happiness, team work and a good attitude.

www.carriedovecatering.com

Day Darmet

Day Darmet provides a catering experience with a tailored handheld feel.

From client meetings, product launches, all day conferences, and more… we create menus to fit your exact catering needs providing end to end customer service.

www.daydarmet.com

Hugh Groman Group

Call us saucy, but we think gatherings should be fun–fun for guests and fun for the people who host them. Comfortable. Easy. Surprising. Delicious. You could say we are full-service caterers and event planners. Or, you could say we make magic happen. Let us delight you.

www.thehughgromangroup.com

Off The Grid

From outdoor office lunches or team happy hours to corporate holiday parties—we bring the lively atmosphere of our Off the Grid market experiences to every catered event. Curbside, inside or outside, we curate moments that are as diverse and thoughtful as the local, small food businesses we work with.

www.offthegrid.com

Tonic Bererage Catering

From humble beginnings in a questionable garage to our position as an independent brand within a highly regarded hospitality group, our team has put in the literal blood, sweat and tears to make Tonic what it is today. We produce hundreds of events per year across the Bay Area and Beyond from the most intimate gathering to the grandest experience.

www.tonicbeveragecatering.com

The AMAZING Bay Area Holiday Guide 2022: Venues

Venues

The Battery

I have been fortunate enough to have been involved with The Battery since the beginning. First, I was booked to perform at their opening night and I have been the Resident Magician there since 2015, entertaining members and guests in The Musto Bar.

The Battery features a wide variety of event spaces, both indoor and outdoor, as well as hotel suites. The Penthouse is a great place to host an event with stunning views of downtown San Francisco.

It’s one of my favorite places to visit.

www.thebatterysf.com

The Bridgeyard

Formally a maintenance facility for the Bay Area’s ubiquitous street cars , The Bridgeyard is now a dedicated event space with panoramic views of Oakland and San Francisco it’s a “blank canvas” waiting for you add your vision.

Having visited countless event spaces, The Bridgeyard is a breath of fresh air.

www.thebridgeyard.com

Claremont Club & Spa

What can you say about The Claremont Club & Spa.

Stunning. Iconic. Historic resort charm in the heart of Berkeley with sprawling spaces and incredible attention to detail everywhere you look.

And I hear they have an amazing magic show happening there every month!

www.fairmont.com/claremont-berkeley

Odette Estate Winery

Odette Estate Winery is run by my friends at PlumpJack Group and their hospitality is second to none.

If you’re looking for a venue in Napa to host your holiday event you can’t go wrong with Odette Estate Winery.

www.odetteestate.com

Press Club

One of the first planners I met when I arrived in the Bay Area was Ashley Guillory and we ended up working a handful of events together. Ashley is now Director of Private Events at Press Club, a sophisticated and social wine bar in the heart of downtown San Francisco. If your group enjoys seasonal small plates and thoughtful pairings, Press Club is your spot.

www.pressclubsf.com

Pinch me, I'm dreaming

Wanted to share some exciting news...

Last night, after 15 months of virtual performances, I had my FIRST IN-PERSON EVENT! An intimate company team building dinner at Taplin Cellars, the oldest family owned vineyard in Napa.

The entertainment portion of the evening was a surprise for the team, so the folks at Taplin put me up in their cottage which doubled as a greenroom. After a fantastic meal prepared by The French Laundry, I was introduced and performed al fresco overlooking the vineyard.

What a joy to be back!

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Meal.jpg
Taplin Event Space.jpg

Is this the end of virtual performances?

Well, only time will tell. But calls are coming in fast-and-furious for in-person events and it's looking good.

That's all for now. Be well.

Check out the LIVE INTERVIEW!

Ghabrana Nahi is a web show hosted by Rafea Moshin of Evenement, an Event Management and Solutions Company based in Pakistan.

Honored to be featured on their 20th episode as their first international guest!

 
 

Discover what sparked my interest in magic, the challenges faced and surmounted when moving west, and how I’m currently making adjustments to meet this moment.

And of course, there’s a bit of magic as well.

We had a fantastic time and hope you’ll have a look!

Case Study: The Elios Society Dinner and Virtual Magic Show
 
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History

After arriving in the Bay Area in 2012, I challenged myself to make as many connections as I could to rebuild my business. Sometime in 2013, I connected with The Elios Society, A Company of Friends for Hellenic Heritage. I joined one of their meetings and performed after their meal. It was great to connect with that many Greeks under one roof. It felt like home!

As we sheltered-in-place and my business pivoted to performing virtual shows, I began reaching out again to past clients and The Elios Society was on my list.

Planning

I approached with the idea of putting together a virtual magic show where members can connect over cocktails and an evening of entertainment.

But it was on the very first call with the Executive Director when the idea began to expand.

The owners of The Argentum Project, and Elios Society members, would put together a fabulous menu that included mezedes (that’s Greek for appetizers!) dinner, glyko (Greek sweets!), and a bottle of wine to everyone who RSVP’d for the event. 

 
 

Execution

A total of 108 meals were delivered to 40 households across the Bay Area and a handful were even overnighted to the east coast arriving just in time for the show.

On Saturday, August 8th, attendees simply heated and enjoyed their meals with family in the comfort of their own homes. And at 7:30 PM everyone logged onto Zoom for the show. 

 
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Each meal also came with a deck of playing cards, generously provided by the Eldorado Reno. Yet another member of The Elios Society stepping up to make the evening a success!

Why did each member need a deck of playing cards?

Well, VIRTUAL DECEPTIONS, is a highly-interactive experience with guests participating directly in the show!

It was a fantastic time and we had a blast!

Virtual Magic Show Dennis Kyriakos
Virtual Magic Show Dennis Kyriakos

Are you looking for a virtual magic show to create a truly unique experience for your association, organization, or group? Let’s find a creative solution that will suit your needs.

Branding Magic: A Case Study

Recently, I was approached by a division of Thomson Reuters that was launching their new brand at a financial services conference in San Francisco.

 
San Francisco Magician Cocktail Reception.jpg
 

The newly named division, Refinitiv, sponsored the evening’s networking reception and they asked me to help with two things:

First, it was long, two day conference and they wanted to provide the cocktails, entertainment, and fun for the evening.

And second, they wanted to ensure attendees were aware of the transformation, why they changed, and what their new capabilities were.

After gathering information via phone conversations, emails, and their marketing materials for the event, I set upon connecting the dots.

Combining the powerful visual metaphor inherent in magic with some of the big ideas Refinitiv wanted to get across — transformation, re-branding/re-birth — is the most creative part of this process and I love it!

And here is the result that evening…

San Francisco Magician Dennis Kyriakos

See those faces? That’s genuine wonder, excitement, and surprise attendees are experiencing and in that moment they are incredibly receptive to Refinitiv’s message.

Are you planning to sponsor a cocktail reception, hospitality suite, or kick-off meeting? Launching a new product or making an announcement? Perhaps you want to create an experience that will effortlessly open the minds and hearts of your audience to your specific message or brand?

Well then, let’s talk.

PS - And if you’re curious to see a “down-and-dirty” rehearsal of the piece I came up with for Refinitiv, let me know.

RSA 2018

We just wrapped up the 2018 RSA Conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. RSA brings in nearly 50,000 attendees and 500+ exhibitors, so competition for mindshare is fierce on the show floor.

San Francisco Trade Show Magician.jpg

We helped Checkpoint Software stop traffic at VM World, AWS re:Invent, Blackhat, Microsoft Ignite, and twice now at RSA -- that's a total of 6 times in the past 2 years. We've triple their leads and have made their investors very happy.

San Francisco Trade Show Magician.JPG

Are you serious about making a change in the way you market at trade shows? Looking for a proven method that will...

  • BUILD CROWDS
  • GET YOUR MESSAGE HEARD
  • DELIVER RESULTS 

Visit Interactive Trade Show Marketing to learn more. And contact us today to schedule a free consultation and let's MAXIMIZE YOUR VISIBILITY.

The Gotham Club
The Gotham Club

One of my favorite corporate holiday events took place at The Gotham Club.

Located inside the out-of-town scoreboard -- that's right, INSIDE THE SCOREBOARD! -- at AT&T Park, The Gotham Club is an elegantly appointed bar and private dining area. 

Members gain easy access to the Club via a private entrance and are directly connected to The Bullpen. There's also a secret game room, with a billiard table and bowling alley.

The Gotham Club is members-only and you can learn more here. Can't wait to visit again!

Thanks to Rosecrest Special Events for having me there.