Pikkujoulujen järjestämisen pika-opas.

Jos ette ole koskaan järjestäneet pikkujouluja tai muita yrityksen juhlia voi se urakkana tuntua valtavalta. Olen tähän pieneen oppaaseen koonnut asioita jotka huomioon ottamalla säästyy monelta vaivalta ja päänsäryltä.

Yritysjuhlia ja pikkujouluja voidaan järjestää moneen tarkoitukseen; palkitsemaan työpntekijät hyvästä työstä, moraalin nostattamiseksi, koulutustilaisuutena, tuotteen lanseeraukseen yms yms. Mikä tahansa syy onkin on olemassa muutamia selkeitä vaiheita yritysjuhlien järjestämiseen.

1. Teema/tyyli - Huolimatta siitä miksi tapahtuma järjestetään on sillä hyvä olla selkeä teema, jonka näette sopivan juuri teidän yrityksellenne ja tarkoitukseenne. Teema pitää koko homman helpommin kasassa ja antaa vieraillekin helpommin lähestyttävän ympäristön.

Teema johdattelee helposti muita suunnittelun osa-alueita ja päätöksiä.

Coctail-tilaisuudet ovat hyvä esimerkki teemasta joka sopii erinomaisesti

moniin tapahtuma -tarpeisiin.

2. Budjetti - Asettakaa tapahtumallenne karkea budjetti. Teidän ei tarvitse budjettia luodessanne miettiä jokaista asiaa sentilleen, mutta teillä tulisi olla jonkinlainen ajatus siitä kuinka paljon kukin kohta budjetissanne maksaa, kuten ruoka, kuljetukset, tilavuokra, viihde ja muut isot tapahtumanne osat.

3. Tilat ja palvelut - Katsokaa kuinka ison tilan tarvitsette tapahtumaanne varten ja käykää läpi vaihtoehdot. Onko yrityksellänne omia tiloja juhlien järjestämiseen vai tarvitseeko tila vuokrata jostain. Lisäksi asioita jotka kannattaa miettiä on ruoat, kalusteet ja audio-visuaaliset tarvikkeet (äänentoisto, valot ja muut).

Monet paikat vuokraavat tarvikkeita jopa yhden päivän tapahtumiin.

4. Catering - Luokaa cateringin kanssa teemaanne sopiva menu josta löytyy jotain syötävää riippumatta siitä minkälaista ruokavaliota kukin noudattaa (laktoositon, gluteeniton, vegaaninen)

5. Musiikki - Musiikki on tärkeä osa tunnelman luontia. Voitte palkata bändin tai DJ:n soittamaan tapahtumaanne. Joissain tilanteissa on erittäin sopivaa olla ensin bändi ja sitten DJ soittamassa loppuillasta levyjä.

6. Viihde - Jokainen tapahtuma tarvitsee viihdettä, jotta se jäisi ihmisten mieleen. Taikuri kiertämään ihmisten joukkoon luomaan ihmetystä ja keskustelua, stand-up koomikko, vatsastapuhuja, taikuri tai joku muu vetämään show. Jos teillä on paljon ohjelmaa kannattaa harkita seremoniamestaria pitämään koko homma kasassa

7. Koristelu - Hankkikaa koristeet jotka sopivat teemaan tai palkatkaa somistaja tekemään se puolestanne, mutta tehkää tämä vasta kun olette päättäneet tilanne; koristeiden ja kalusteiden on sovittava myös siihen,

8. Kutsut - Lähettäkää kutsut. Päädyitte sitten paperisiin tai sähköiseen kutsuun tehkää siitä huomiota herättävä. Pelkkä kahden rivin sähköpostiviesti ei riitä. Ja muistakaa pyytää ihmisiä ilmoittautumaan ajoissa, jotta saatte cateringille tiedon osallistujamäärästä.

9. To-Do -lista - Tehkää lista kaikesta mikä pitää saada tehtyä ennen tapahtumaanne. Kirjatkaa ylös deadlinet jolloin näiden asioiden tulee olla valmiina, kenelle mikäkin asia on delegoitu tehtäväksi ja seuratkaa asioiden toteutumista ja, että kaikki kantavat oman vastuunsa. Viikkoa ennen ja päivää ennen tapahtumaanne käykää lista läpi, tarkistakaa ja varmistakaa, että kaikki on varmasti tehty.

10. Tapahtuma koordinaattori - Määrittäkää joku henkilö joka hoitaa kaiken tarvittavan tapahtuman aikana. Tämä on äärimmäisen tärkeä tehtävä joka oikein tehtynä ei näy kenellekään. Jos jossain tarvitaan mitä vain on se tämän henkilön tehtävä toimittaa. Suuriin tapahtumiin kannattaa nimetä useampi henkilö hoitamaan tätä tehtävää.

Juhlien järjestäminen voi olla erittäin hermoja raastavaa ja stressaavaa, mutta näillä ohjeilla selviätte hieman helpommalla. Suunnitelkaa hyvin, kantakaa vastuunne ja järjetäkää huikeita tapahtumia!!!

Kauan kadoksissa ollut inspiraatio.

Miten tässä näin pääsi käymään? Viimeisestä kirjoituksestani on jo vuosia.

Olenko muka oikeasti ollut niin kiireinen, etten ole ehtinyt kirjoittaa mitään vai eikö minulla vain ole ollut mitään sanottavaa?

Sanottavaahan on paljonkin, mutta onko se sellaista mitä joku (eli siis minä) haluaisi lukea?

Valmistuin Kelloseppäkoulusta Mikromekaanikoksi, eli olen käytännössä minun pitäisi osata suunnitella ja valmistaa prototyyppi melkein mistä vain. Muutamille taikureille olenkin tästä mahdollisuudesta kertonut ja sen enempää asiaa valottamaan on minulla ollut hieman töitäkin tuolla saralla. Olen myös työskennellyt omatoimisesti jo kahden vuoden ajan 3D-tulostuksen parissa ja se on ala joka minua suuresti kiehtoo taikuuden ohella.

Ja nyt kun pääsin aiheeseen; taikuuden saralla olen yrittänyt uusiutua ja luoda uutta, mutta se tuntuu siltä kuin juoksisi pää edellä seinään ja huomaan palaavani aina takaisin vanhoihin rutiineihin ja tapoihin tehdä asioita.
Inspiraatio jonkun oikeasti oman tekemiseen on ollut minulta kateissa jo kauan, kunnes viime yönä en saanut nukutuksi. Kaikenlaiset asiat pyörivät päässäni ja yhtäkkiä huomasin luoneeni muutamista kauan päässä pyörineistä puolikkaista ideoista rungon mahdolliselle uudelle ohjelmalle, joka tuntui siltä kuin se olisi omani. Kuin se olisi juuri se mitä minun pitäisi taikuuden saralla tehdä.

Makasin sängyssä miettien kaikkea joka oli loksahtanut ajatuksissani kohdalleen ja huomasin haaveilevani taas kilpailemisesta, mutta tällä kertaa lavalla. En ole koskaan kilpaillut lavalla...
Muistaakseni Pojoismaiden Mestaruus-kilpailut tulevat suomeen pääsiäisenä ja minulla riittäisi aika vallan mainiosti rakentaa ja harjoitella ohjelmani esityskuntoon.

Siinä minä makasin omien ajatuksieni kanssa ja tajusin, että jos nukahdan saatan unohtaa jotain. Siispä en ole nukkunut viime yön aikana lainkaan, vaan kirjoitin kaiken minkä vain kerkesin ylös. Eli minulla li melkein valmis käsikirjoitus esityksestä joka pitää vain hioa lopulliseen muotoonsa ja varmistaa ettei se ylitä tuota 10 minuutin kilpailurajaa.

Ajatukseni paperilla sain vihdoin rauhan päässäni sekoilleista asioista ja nukahdin. Sinä aikana kun olin höyhensaarilla tyttöystäväni luki ohjelmani läpi je kertoi herättyäni mielipiteensä.

En ollut miettinyt asiaa tarkemmin, mutta esitykseni oli suunnattu vain taikureille. Tuskin kukaan muu siitä saisi niin paljon irti. Ja vielä ennemmin miehille kuin naisille saatikka lapsille. Esitykseni käsitteli kyynisesti taikuuden kuvaa ja ennakko odotuksia joita taikurina oletin tavallisilla ihmisillä olevan.

Voiko menestyvä esitys olla suunnattu vain mies taikureille? Ja jos sellaisella esityksellä voisi voittaa kilpailun, niin miksi? Eikö taikuuden tarkoitus ole viihdyttää kaikkia?
Toisaalta Abraham Lincolnin sanoin: Kaikkia ihmisiä ei voi miellyttää kaiken aikaa.

Olen hieman aina halveksunut taikuutta jota tehdään vain taikureille ja vitsejä jotka toimivat vain taikuripiireissä, mutta onko silti mahdollista luoda esitys, joka toimisi sekä tavalliselle yleisölle, että miellyttäisi taikureita samoilla jutuillaan? Minun on ilmeisesti vain kokeiltava rajojani ja muiden ihmisten rajoja siitä mitä he pitävät viihdyttävänä...

It's been awhile..

It has been awhile since my last update..

I haven't had a lot to update about. Sure I've done some improvements on my stage- and close-up -shows but nothin worth mentioning about, and I've been busy with some corporate christmas parties that I've been doing.

Most important things about the last few months; a lot of gigs, a few improvements in my current close-up work and even fewer things on my stage show.

The biggest thing that has been keeping me busy is my long lost interest for the weird and bizarre world of magic.

I'm currently working on a totally new stage show that reflects my passion for the freaky side of magic. I've always been interested on doing things that are weird and bizarre, and for that reason more real things and not until now have I found that there could be an audience for such a show.

My newest project is to put together a show that is directed at college and university students.

Stuff like hammering a nail in my nose, eating razor blades or escaping from a straitjacket.

So not my average show that could be performed in any venue to any kind of audience.

I have a pretty good idea of what people my age would like to see when they go out to have a good time and have added it to the big picture. My goal is to get this new show on the road with the help of a fiend who would be taking care of things when I'm onstage.

The idea is to film the whole show and project it on a screen so that everybody can see it.

This means that I need the help of a camera man and in addition this person would be in charge of the musics and videostreaming that is involved in the show.

Right now I'm putting together the promotional materials, the show and the whole setup so I can get this show on the road. I just need a few photos taken and a few more tweaks to the show and hopefully next time I write I will be announcing a new website and facebook- page that promotes the new show.

Untill then!

-Sami

TEDxLasPalmas

TEDx LasPalmas was held on the 15th of September.
What an amazing event and I must say that is was a privilege to be a part of it!

Here is my travel story.

I left for the Canary islands on the 13th of September at 02:30 (yes in the middle of the night). I was so exited to go that I couldn't sleep on the plane. We arrived at Barcelona 3 hours later at approximately 05:30. Nothing else is open at 05:30 on Barcelona airport than McDonald's... After finishing my burger it's 05:55... I still had 5 hours before the connecting flight to LasPalmas.
At 6 am. everything else in the airport opened so I had the possibility to wonder pointlessly around the place. (And I have to say. There is something seriously wrong with the cleaning products they use on the toilets because it smelled like cotton candy gone bad in every one of them...).
After the other flight I had been on my way for 13 hours and was picked up from the airport by Said Muti and we also picked up TwitBoy aka. Iván Rodríguez.
I was taken to my hotel on the north side of the island and told that I had a day off.

Alone in LasPalmas after being awake for more than 36 hours and still not tired...
I didn't know what to do so I did everything I could. Went to the pool, tried the hotel restaurant, went to the city to buy shorts and sandals (because I left mine at home), enjoyed the weather, enjoyed the culture, saw a lot of beautiful women, went to the hotel bar, saw a fashion show, saw a voiceover musical show of Grease and finally got to bed.

14th of September. After breakfast (08:00) and being taken to the event location at around 11 am. (we got lost a few times on the way there but I took it as a tourist route around the island) I met lots of people who were apart of the organisation. I did not have a lot to do that day so I mainly just were sitting and looking at other people rehearsing their parts and building the place up. After not doing anything for 6 or 7 hours I took a roll of toilet paper and started folding it to make paper roses (thank you Avner Eisenberg). My origamis were put on display on the lobby of the conference room. At some point we all went to have lunch. It was interesting to realize that at some point I started understanding a little of the things that were discussed in Spanish.
After the lunch I rehearsed my part of the speaking and that was the end of the day there for us. We picked up many people on the way back to the hotel. The other speakers came to stay in the same hotel as me and we decided to go and get dinner together in the city.
Iván Rodríguez, María Infante, David Alayón and I wen't to get some Japanese food. We had a great time eating and talking both in Spanish and English (it gets a lot easier after a few beers).
Julien Fourgeaud flew from Las Vegas the same evening and joined us after we finished in the restaurant.
We got Julien some food and got back to the hotel with Said and Akram Muti. María went to bed but we guys stayed in the hotel bar for a few more beers, some good discussions and some magic.

The day of TEDxLasPalmas. After breakfast with the group I went up to my room to practice some more on my presentation. I rewrited some parts of it to make it better in my opinion. A few hours into my rehearsing Julien called me and sain we should go to the beach. It was at 13:00. The ride to the conference was leaving at 14:30... We still went.
I took a quick shower and we got going. 600 meters to the beach and the time was already 13:55. Julien insisted on going swimming and after a 7 minute stay on the beach we had to go back. 14:15 we got to the hotel and another shower later we were on our way to the event.

More information on the event is available on TEDxLasPalmas website and Twitter .
I can't remember much about my presentation but I hear it was good. The show -part went well and everybody liked it.

The presentations ended and it was time for the party. First there was an event called "Wine and Sex" so we had a wine tasting and were watching pretty girls in sexy dresses at the same time. Felipe Monje was the mastermind behind this idea (and also one of the speakers). We tasted white-, red- and portwine and some amazing cookings by Fabio Santana.

The party on the venue ended and most of the people got in taxis to go to the afterparty at Lasal Gin Club. David Horat took me Julien and David Alayón in his convertible and drove us to the party with style!
And what a great party it was. Great place, great music and above all great people.

I was woken up by Julien by telephone at 10:50. The ride to the airport was due to leave at 11:00 and I had not packed... I don't know how but I got everything with me and made the deadline.

It was a 9 hour trip back to Finland and now I'm finally home. Writing this with fresh memory of most of the things that happened made me want to go back as soon an possible...

Than you all who were a part of the event. I can't stress enough that the people involved were amazing! You guys are great!


Some pictures from my trip can be seen on my facebook page and on TEDxLasPalmas Twitter.


-Magician Sami Paavola

Out with the old and in with the new.

It's been a while since my last post and a lot has happened since.

School has started again, gigs are getting booked and I was invited to talk at TEDx Las Palmas...

Summer is finally over for me. That means going back to school right when things started getting interesting considering my career. I would have so much to figure out, work on and practice but instead I'm sitting at school trying to get something done.
Don't get me wrong. I like being in school. Especially the Finnish School of Watchmaking. I get to do and make some really cool stuff. Be involved in an industry that many people have never even taught about. (Like magic wasn't enough) But right now I'd rather focus on more important subjects than school.

And my summer is also over because companies are no longer having their vacations. This means work for me. More and more events are being held the closer we get to the end of the year and it all culminates on October when the corporate Christmas parties are being held. This is a welcome change in my calendar after almost 10 weeks of vacation (excluding a few gigs).
It seems that this might be my busiest Autumn so far. Good for me.

I have been working on new things in close-up magic and came up with a great original (or at least I think its original) peace of magic. Coins trough the table from under a clear glass and with no possibility of manipulating the coins. I hope I can get it on film and post it here some day.

Oh yes.. I was invited to talk at TEDx Las Palmas about magic on the 15th of September. I'm really nervous about the whole thing and I'm hoping to give people what they came for. I only got 10 minutes for the whole thing so lets see what happens. I'll be posting something from Spain as soon as I get a chance on site or at leas when I get back.
I still got a lot to do before the event. I need to update my website so it is also readable in English, I need new business cards and I need to work on my presentation (a lot). Who knows what will happen to the me afterwards... The whole thing will be filmed and possibly shown all over the internet.
I just hope I don't screw up... :P


Stressed and exited:
Magician Sami Paavola

Bachelorette party.

Hello again.

I had the best time last night performing 40 minutes of solid close-up magic at a bachelorette party in Helsinki. The theme of the night was vampires and boy did I give them a treat with stage blood, vampirism and witchcraft.

It all started with the sucking of blood of the bachelorette and spitting it out into a glass so everyone could see it. After some analysis of the great vintage of it I went into describing the person just by the smell and taste of the blood.

We continued with a discussion about what vampires and witches can do and demonstrated how a curse is cast and lifted with the help of a few Tarot cards.

This is the point where it gets grim. I had the 15 girls (I love my job!) to divide a few black and white photographs of women from the 19th century into two piles just by looking at the pictures. The piles were marked normal life and killed by unnatural causes (vampires, murderers etc.).
After the cards were dealt the pictures were turned over to see that all the backs of the "killed by unnatural causes" pictures were stained with blood and the others were plain.

We ended with a demonstration on how a vampire effects on other peoples minds and can actually read them as well.
This was the most talked about thing after the show. I won't go into detail about it, I just want to say that you need to see this!


It was a great night and it was a lot of fun to get to re-script my magic to fit a certain theme and just let my dark side take control.


Embrace your inner freak!
-Magician Sami Paavola

Time for a Change

Due to some interest I will be doing my best to write this blog in english from now on.

The previous texts might be translated at some point if I think I have a reason for doing so.
If not, you may use Googletranslator to try to make sense of them.

But now to the point. What's this blog all about? It's about being a magician in modern day Finland and about magic in general as well. Mostly I write for my own amusement but all of you guys are welcome to join me on this bumpy ride.

So put on a song called "You haven't seen the last of me" from the movie Burlesque and listen to this.


I'll be 25 on the 24th of July and I consider magic my profession, as in I do it for a living. Sure I study a little in a school that I think will be beneficial for me magic vise.

I have been having a tough summer cause I spent a little too much of my time thinking about shool and not trying to get a few gigs to make it trough these three months of unbearable heat.

And then there are the people in my life. My father for example. In my opinion he did a wonderful job raising me on his own but now he suffocates me with the advice he wants me to follow. He knows that I am a magician but still thinks that it is not enough. I in his opinion need to study my ass off to get me a decent job and settle down. This to me is the same as if I was put to prison. Chained down, forced to obey the rules of society.
I won't do it!
Sure I've had a few money problems when thinking my way but a t least I'm free.
This reminds me of the times I had a few rather intense conversations with my girlfriend about why I won't get a job now that I don't have gigs.
The answer is quite simple. It would feel like quitting the first time something doesn't go as planned on my career as a magician.


A poet called Holderlin once said
"Man is a god when he dreams and a beggar when he thinks"

Think about it..


Hope you enjoyed this new style of writing and I'll be back soon with real talk about magic and not just my whining about life.

Yours truly:
Magician Sami Paavola