How a San Jose Corporate Magician Transforms Trade Shows (Magic Meets Engineering at DesignCon 2026)

I always have a blast working conventions and trade show floors, and this was no exception. I was just as excited when someone from the Informa team reached out to me regarding their participation in DesignCon 2026.

For those of you that don't know, DesignCon is a massive annual gathering of engineers who design chips, circuit boards, and electronic systems. It's been described as the primary gathering for engineers and technologists pushing the boundaries of chips and hardware for the past thirty years. And of course, what better place to hold it than in Silicon Valley, the heart of electronics innovation.

Spencer Grey on the keynote stage during the Magic Meets Engineering program, performing for a full audience of engineers

Hiring a Magician for Corporate Events in San Jose: How This One Started

Originally, the team at Informa reached out about having a San Jose magician perform at the convention on one of the keynote stages, as well as providing close-up magic at their booth. This was actually for three different companies, but Informa was my main contact, and I'd be working directly with them.

I couldn't have been more excited about the theme they had planned: innovation meets creativity. Their goal was to illustrate the intersection of creativity and logic. My program would be called Magic Meets Engineering.

It's always exciting when a client comes to me with a concept that's tailor-made for exactly what I offer.

The Keynote Stage: A Corporate Magic Show for Engineers

The keynote stage would be a 45-minute show for an audience of engineers. My show was taking place on the final day of a multi-day convention, towards the end of the day, so I knew energy would be on the lower side. I had to bring something creative and innovative to the show, in addition to speaking briefly on magic, creativity, and innovation, and how it can relate to innovation across different industries.

Because this is a mind reading and mentalism magic show, it still needs to be fun, engaging, and interactive. My goal was to include several participants throughout the performance, both on stage and from the audience.

Huge shout out to the Santa Clara Convention team where this event was held. I worked with an amazing AV team to make sure the show ran seamlessly. There's huge importance in making sure, especially for a performance on a stage, that all the logistics work out in advance. Everyone in the audience needs to clearly see and hear what's happening in order to lock in and be fully engaged.

We had a great crowd turnout. Magic always draws a big group, especially at a convention where this sort of thing is a unique element not seen anywhere else.

After a fun, fast-paced show, I had the opportunity to hang around and chat with members of the audience. I love talking about my show, especially with engineers, who are natural problem solvers. They get a real kick out of how much I'm willing to share in terms of how I do what I do, which isn't a whole lot. Being a magician, you also have to be a good secret keeper. But having these conversations about illusion and how the brain works really appeals to the engineer crowd.

Audience volunteers join Spencer on stage during the 45-minute keynote performance

What Clients Are Saying

Don't just take my word for it. Here's what clients and audiences have said about bringing me into their corporate events:

Spencer performed at a recent event I attended and he was fantastic. The magic was impressive and his showmanship was so much fun! His energy is next level. A great entertaining experience! He interacted with the attendees during his performance by joking with them and stopping for quick photo ops. My friends and I left the event trying to figure out what sorcery we just witnessed!

You can read more on my Google Reviews and Yelp pages.

Close-Up Magic on the Trade Show Floor

The show was an absolute blast, and then I quickly made my way over to the trade show floor, where I'd be moving through a couple of different booths to surprise guests with close-up magic.

This, by far, has to be my favorite type of entertainment to perform. Magic shows and mentalism shows are always great. It's a group activity and brings everybody together. But there's something special about when the magic happens in your hands. People freak out. It's close-up. It's personal. It just feels more impossible, because you felt it happen. You saw it happen mere inches away.

The strategy here was purely entertainment at the booth, while the stage show focused a bit more on the overall concept and theme.

Performing in a booth does a couple of different things. It draws foot traffic, gives the booth staff a conversation starter, and keeps people around. When I have a small group going, with people laughing and reacting to the magic, curious passersby tend to join. That builds the perception of something exciting happening at the booth. And it's not just perception, it truly is happening.

For Informa, the main goal was a cohesive addition to their preexisting theme. By providing the entertainment, we completed a full-circle moment combining entertainment with innovation and logic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfiCHqmtwS4

Booth or Stage? My Honest Take for Trade Show Planners

Trade shows and conventions can be drastically different from holiday parties or happy hours. At a convention, you're either educating or selling a product or service.

Networking is a huge key, so it's all about drawing visitors to your booth and gathering information, versus a happy hour, where entertainment is purely the focus.

You might be asking yourself: we're having a convention or a trade show, so what option do you recommend?

To be perfectly honest, about eighty percent of the time at a trade show, you're working directly with one company at their booth, because you're trying to draw leads. On occasion, a company is sponsoring a slot on a stage, providing a speaker, or is one of the main organizers of the event. That's when it makes sense to start a conversation about whether a formal presentation, show, or keynote would be best.

But usually, the booth is where the real magic happens, and where the most audience participation will occur.

Final Thoughts

It's always a blast performing at a convention, meeting so many wonderful people, and playing a key role in driving traffic to a booth, and in this event's case, bringing magic on a larger scale to a bigger group on stage. I'm always lucky to work with so many wonderful event organizers, both at the venue and through the company that hires me. Thank you to Informa and DesignCon for all of their hard work.

As a corporate magician in San Jose, these are the moments I really enjoy: a collaborative effort where everyone benefits, and everyone has a wonderful time working together.

If this sounds like something that interests you, or you're looking to increase traffic to your booth at an upcoming trade show or convention, please reach out through my contact page. I'd love to learn more and see if I can help.