The Price of Magic: Understanding What Goes Into Professional Event Entertainment

Cassie Wilson
Oct 1
2 min read

Did you know that the average party entertainer spends 2-4 hours on your event beyond the actual performance time? What you see is just the tip of the entertainment iceberg.

We get it. You've got a budget to stick to. We all do! And we've heard it countless times: "But someone else is offering the same thing for less..." Let us take you behind the scenes of what actually goes into bringing the magic to your event:

The Invisible Hours: What You Don't See

Preparation Time: Each event requires fresh materials, sanitized equipment, and sometimes customized planning*. For a 2-hour party, we typically spend 30 minutes to an hour getting everything ready, cleaned and packed.
Travel Reality: That 45-minute drive? It's actually a round trip. Plus, city traffic can turn a quick journey into a 2-hour adventure. Gas, vehicle maintenance, and travel time add up fast!
Setup & Teardown: We arrive early to set up our station (you don’t pay for this time), then stay late to leave everything spotless. That's often an extra 30-40 minutes not included in your service time.
Storage Solutions: Many of us pay $150-300 monthly just to store our equipment. Those giant bubble machines, tables and craft supplies don't fit in our apartments!

The Investment Behind the Scenes

Every good face painter you meet has spent hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on professional-grade supplies. Every balloon artist has practiced for countless hours to perfect those designs. We're constantly learning new techniques, buying fresh materials, and upgrading our offerings.

How to Work With Your Budget (Without Asking for Discounts)

Be upfront: Tell us your budget from the start, and we can suggest what services fit within it. You can also see our direct pricing right on the website!
Book early: Last-minute requests often come with premium pricing due to scheduling challenges.
Value local talent: Hiring someone nearby can reduce travel costs. Of course we want to come to your party, but if the travel fee is something you don’t want to take on, there’s likely someone in your area who might have a listing on a local directory.

The Truth About "Cheaper Options"

Not all entertainers are created equal. That dramatically lower price often comes with dramatically lower quality, reliability, or safety standards.

We've rescued many parties after budget entertainers canceled last minute or showed up unprepared. Trust us, the tears and disappointment aren't worth the savings!

Finding Your Perfect Match

The best approach? Match your budget to the right entertainer, not the other way around. What we promise is honesty, transparency, and never compromising on quality. Because your child deserves it.

BONUS LAUGHS: Our Biggest Time Eaters

Cleaning up glitter!
Sorting through construction paper and foam to separate the pieces with colouring and mega cuts from the ones that are salvageable
Testing markers to make sure they're in working order
The aftermath of the slime bowls!!
Removing random things from the LEGO bins (chips, garbage, toys and more)
Wiping down the tables and chairs
Sorting our beads by colour and type