“Marcel Oudejans has been a corporate magician since 1999, he is also a division director of Perform! Marketing Solutions, Co-Owner of Flow Finders International, the Vice-president of the Cape Town chapter of the Professional Speakers Assoc of Southern Africa 2009-2012 and the author of “The Serious Business Owner’s Guide To Creating Customers For Life”. That’s quite a list! We asked Marcel about his day job:

Between 10and5: Please let us know your official (or unofficial) job title.

Marcel Oudejans: I’m probably best known as a ‘Corporate Magician’ and ‘Infotainer’, but I’m also a speaker, consultant & author. I guess I’m a ‘curious entrepreneur’!”

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“Marcel Oudejans. South Africa’s corporate and team building David Copperfield! We had the very fun and exciting opportunity to meet up with Marcel and ask him a few interesting questions…”

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‘Corporate Magician’, Marcel Oudejans, will be performing at the Playhouse Theatre Somerset West on 17^th & 18^th June 2011 to help raise funds for the Hottentots Holland Dramatic Society (HHDS).

For over a decade, Marcel Oudejans has been requested to perform for CEOs, Presidents, Directors and VIP clients of over 100 companies and events all over Southern Africa, Nairobi, Trivandrum, London & Los Angeles . Now for the first time, after performing for more than 10 000 hours and over 35 000 people, the general public will be able to watch and participate in the show that features his favourite tricks, illusions and stories from his professional performing career.

Born and bred in Bellville, Marcel started performing from age 9 and by 23 decided to become a full-time performer. Besides travelling Southern Africa and abroad as an entertainer for corporate events, he’s also used his skills and talents to author a book, speak on customer service and motivation, and start a management consulting business. “As a ‘commercial performing artist’, I have a great respect and appreciation for amateur drama performers and this is the perfect opportunity for me to ‘give back’ to an enthusiastic group like HHDS,” says Marcel.

The show promises to keep audience-members of all ages captivated, enchanted and laughing with Marcel’s quick (and clean) humour, acts of ‘mind-reading’ and ‘metal-bending’, classic sleight-of-hand, and plenty of hilarious audience interaction where absolutely anything could happen!

Tickets are R60,00 per person (available through Computicket) and funds raised will be used for refurbishing and maintenance of the Playhouse theatre. The content of this performance, while 100% appropriate for families, has been designed for adults. To ensure that everyone enjoys the performance, any children under 16 must be supervised & remain with their parents at all times. Children will not be allowed on stage.

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Teaser Video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

UPDATE [20 June 2011]

Photographs from the event:

“Three of a Kind” Charity Hat Trick

10 February 2010 — Three of the country’s top magicians, Jacques le Sueur, the only person to ever successfully steal (and return) former President Nelson Mandela’s wrist-watch (twice), Andrew “Magic Man” Eland, one of the most experienced and well-travelled magicians in the country and Marcel Oudejans, recognised both locally and abroad as one of the busiest corporate event entertainment specialists in Africa, will delight audiences at a charity benefit hosted by the UPliftment Programme at the Grand West Casino on 20 February.

Established six years ago, the UPliftment Programme has trained more than 50 volunteer care clowns who share joy with over 3 500 children every month. Operating across the country, the NPO visits children in hospitals and homes, providing them with regular doses of fun and laughter. All proceeds raised from the event will go towards uplifting a further 500 children every month.

“The UPliftment Programme is committed to sharing the healing power of joy,” Nikki Jackman, joy activist and founder of the organisation, said. “Three of a Kind will be a magical evening and a spectacular show. It’s an opportunity for us to share what the UPliftment Programme does on a daily basis — joy activism – a powerful and necessary healing tool.”

Audiences will be treated to a world-class performance. Le Sueur, Eland and Oudejans have all independently built international profiles for themselves, with regular invitations all over the world. Their performances will be filmed and screened live by Enterstage who have come onboard to provide lighting, film and live edits on the evening.

“We will be pulling out all the stops. Thanks to Enterstage, Three of a Kind will be larger than life event with real time close-ups, special lighting and effects. It’s not often that three of the country’s top magicians unite, audiences are in for a really special treat and it’s all for a worthy cause,” Jackman said.

Tickets will cost R130 and can be purchased on www.theup.org.za.

For further information on the” Three of a Kind” event, email: up@lantic.net.

Special thanks to our sponsors:

• Grand West Casino

• Enterstage SA

• Nomu

• Hirt & Carter

About the magicians:

Marcel Oudejans:

South African Corporate Magician & “Infotainer”, Marcel Oudejans, is recognised both locally and abroad as one of the busiest corporate event entertainment specialists in Africa by his peers and clients alike. At age 28, he has performed professionally for over 150 companies over the past 10 years, and has been invited to perform, lecture and attend at exclusive events as far as Los Angeles and India. As a enthusiastic entrepreneur, and author of “The Serious Business Owner’s Guide To Creating Customers For Life”, Marcel specialises in integrating his amazing sleight-of-hand and engaging personality with compelling presentations on marketing, customer service and sales. Marcel serves as the current Vice-President of the Cape Town Chapter of the Professional Speakers Association of Southern Africa, and is a regular guest lecturer at the UCT Graduate School of Business.
Marcel is also one of the directors of the UPliftment Programme.

Jacques le Sueur:

Jacques le Sueur, South Africa’s Premier Corporate Magician and “Professional Adventurer”, gives demonstrations of powerful, dynamic magic at society parties and corporate events worldwide. Clients from Hollywood to Hong Kong call on Jacques when they need his fun-loving, direct personality to amaze and impress their most jaded guests. He holds the distinction of being the only person to ever successfully steal (and return) President Nelson Mandela’s wrist-watch on two separate occasions! A leader in his chosen field, most of his current shows are for global corporations and high-end celebrity parties, but he has also performed in ludicrously extreme places: from nightclubs in Europe, the jungles of Central Africa, theme parks in Korea, and even inside the Pyramids of Cairo. Jacques has published two internationally acclaimed books on building a career as a professional magician.

Magic Man:

World-class performer Andrew “Magic Man” Eland is one of the most experienced and well-travelled magicians in the country. He has been touring North America, Canada and Asia for the past 15 years building an impressive list of achievements. Magic Man performed at the Edinburgh Festival and headlined at top nightspots across Europe, Canada and South Korea — entertaining the rich and famous — from the Rolling Stones at the Sticky Fingers restaurant in London to the ”wrap-up” party in Vancouver for U2′s Zooropa Tour. Since 1999, Magic Man has been a hit at comedy clubs nationwide and has appeared on M-Net‘s “It’s a Funny Country”, SABC 2′s “Chuckle and Chat Show”, and the 1998 Smirnoff International Comedy Festival in Durban and Cape Town. He currently performs regularly at Joe Parker’s “Comedy & Jive” comedy club in Monte Casino, Johannesburg, where he is considered to be a crowd favourite!

Distributed on behalf of the UPliftment Programme, for further information contact:
Beverley Houston beverley@mediaspot.co.za 082 824 8671

We’ve received an AWESOME sponsorship from Grand West Casino — we’ll be able to seat 750 people in their Market Hall — and from Enterstage SA — a full compliment of stage, lighting, sound and live video & projection! This production will be of world-class quality, and your R130 ticket not only goes to assisting the Upliftment Programme, but you’ll also experience an unforgettable evening of laughter, fun & magic … I truly hope that you’ll join me in making a real and sustainable difference to the youth of South Africa …

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS VIA CREDIT CARD, EFT BANK TRANSFER OR uKASH VOUCHERS NOW!

Marcel Oudejans has been a professional entertainer for over 10 years: due to his extensive experience (both internationally & in Southern Africa) & intuitive ability to understand each individual audience, he has gained the respect of both his colleagues & clients as a leader in the marketing presentation industry. As an entrepreneur & one of the few full-time magicians in South Africa, he has the exceptional entertainment talent & magic skill required to leave his audiences amazed & laughing, but also a thorough understanding of the challenges facing companies today – particularly in sales & marketing.

At age 8, Marcel received his first magic trick and discovered his passion for performing.  As he grew up, he started performing professionally for the hospitality trade, starting at family restaurants. By 2000, it was clear that he had sufficient talent and passion to take this career further! After being employed on long-term engagements for several restaurant chains, Marcel started a full-time career as a professional magician and speaker in 2003. (Read more here)

Marcel has spent over 5 years developing & performing shows that convey his clients’ messages in a fun, personal & engaging manner that have attracted their clients’ attention & left them with an indelible memory of the event. Having recently published his first book, “The Serious Business Owner’s Guide To Creating Customers For Life”, Marcel will understand your company’s event goals & prove that his exclusive marriage of Magic & message delivery will ensure that the key-points of your marketing message will be remembered. His dedication to providing effective business presentations lead him to receive personal training in the U.S.A. with one of the world’s most highly-respected & demanded trade-show marketers, Joel Bauer. After this invitation-only event, Marcel was certified as Africa’s only “Infotainer”: a master practitioner in persuasion & psychological sales techniques & speaking skills, that combined with engaging entertainment, has consistently proven to deliver positive results for clients worldwide.

Marcel believes that the key to effective communication & a successful event is to give the audience the opportunity to actively take part in the “show” so that your guests feel that they’ve been involved in the experience: encouraging them to talk about your event & your company for a long time after the event is over. As Marcel’s client, you’ll experience professional service & personal attention that will make you feel confident that he will provide an unforgettable performance that will be more fun, more personal & more memorable than any before.

Take the opportunity to view his list of previous clients & consider whether you wish to experience the same results for your event. Once you’ve experienced laughing guests & clients that rave about your event, you’ll understand why Marcel is the most requested Corporate Magician in Southern Africa.

Send us your brief today & allow Marcel to work with you to get your guests to participate in your fun, informative & memorable experience.

Accomplishments:

• Over 10 000 hours of professional performance experience, for over 100 corporate clients, for all types of events and audiences.
• Marcel took an interest in the Art of Magic at age 9 and started performing professionally from age 15.
• Performed at family restaurants until 2001.
• Over 3 years of performing 6 nights per week for “Cubaña” Bellville, where Marcel established his reputation as a talented performer.
• 6 months of performances for “Maestros on the Beach”, Milnerton.
• Over 3 years as the in-house magician for the infamous original “Madame Zingara”  and “Cara Lazuli” restaurants in Cape Town.
• Part of the performance crew for the first Cape Town run of  “Madame Zingara’s Theatre of Dreams“, 6 nights per week.
• Specially requested to perform for the IBM “100 Club” international sales conference dinner party at the Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town.
• Two VIP performances for international companies, including a presidential dinner, at Polana Hotel, Maputo Mozambique.
• Magic and entertainment performances throughout Southern Africa and Kenya.
• Retained as the hotel magician for Sun International “Zambezi Sun” hotel at Victoria Falls, Zambia, for Christmas and New Year entertainment, 2006 and 2007.
• Performed in London, UK, and part of the “Marvin’s Magic” staff at “Harrods” in Knightbridge in 2004.
• Invited to attend an exclusive conference for ‘Corporate Magicians’ as part of Joel Bauer’s “Infotainment” training, in Lost Angeles, CA. in 2007.
• Visited and performed at the world-famous “Magic Castle” in Hollywood, CA., in 2007.
• International guest performer and lecturer at “Vismayam 2008″, India’s largest ever magic convention.  Over 1 000 local and international performers attending this prestigious event in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, hosted by the Magic Academy of Kerala.  Marcel lectured on ‘close-up’ magic and performed on stage for over 1 000 people. He was awarded a trophy by the tourism council of Kerala.
• Guest lecturer at the 2009 South African Magic Convention, on the subject of “Magic and Marketing”.
• Currently the youngest registered Professional member of the Professional Speakers Association of Southern Africa, a member of the Global Speakers Federation.
• Current serving Vice-President of the Cape Town Chapter of the PSASA.
• Current serving director of the Upliftment Programme, an NPO providing care and attention to children in hospitals and disadvantaged communities across Southern Africa.

I really do enjoy these presentations because the class & I have a lot of fun being amazed by magic, but also connecting the experience to simple but important marketing tactics.  But I must admit … I was a little intimidated by the list of respected experts who were also speaking during this course.

“Presenters that I would like to give prop’s to are Dave Duarte (programme founder and much more), Mike Perk (MD at World Wide Creative), Rob Stokes (founder of Quirk eMarketing — check out their text book licensed under the creative commons agreement), Marcel Oudejans (Magician and Marketer, I kid you not!) and Allan Kent (Group Head: Saatchi & Saatchi @Play). I found what they had to say especially interesting (Dave and Allan took the time to chat to me over lunch regarding my development in the field, which was not necessary, and which i really have respect for), so if you want to find out more, follow their links.”

Source: markpretorius.com

Unfortunately, due to scheduled meetings, I was only able to be there for my own presentation so I was unable to watch all the speakers.  But Mark Pretorius, who works at Old Mutual, wrote a blog post with some of his highlights:

“My most important out-takes from the course for me were:

• Strategy embraces trends, and tactics use applications
• Be relevant, authentic, succinct and immediate
• Think like the client (this is the most “duh” item, but it really does take someone to remind you to do this when you get into the daily grind of things)
• Sell the advantages, not the features
• Talk to people in the common ground between what i believe to be true and what they believe to be true, or they won’t understand me or care
• Create a media neutral campaign and use that across mediums, don’t create something for TV and adapt it to other media.”

Source: markpretorius.com

Although I didn’t know it, Mark was filming one of my demonstrations with his cellphone camera, which he was kind enough to share on Youtube.  Apologies for the quality of the sound, but it was a great attempt nonetheless. Thanks Mark!

Click here to view the embedded video.