Performing at La Manga: My First International Corporate Event
There are certain moments in your career that quietly change the way you see everything.
For me, one of those moments happened in 2015 when I was invited to perform at a corporate event in Spain for Intrinsic Financial Planning at the renowned La Manga Club resort.
Up until that point, I had travelled overseas to lecture and perform within the mentalism world, but this was different.
This was my first international corporate booking.
And somewhere between the airport transfers, the Mediterranean heat and performing for delegates overlooking one of Europe’s most famous luxury resorts, I remember thinking:
“This career can genuinely take me anywhere.”
Arriving at La Manga Club
The event itself took place at La Manga Club, a sprawling five-star resort in the Murcia region of Spain known for its golf courses, luxury accommodation and corporate retreat facilities.
The entire experience felt surreal from the very beginning.
A taxi collected me from home before dawn and took me directly to the airport. After landing in Spain, another driver was waiting holding a sign with my name on it.
It might sound like a small detail, but as someone who had spent years building a career within a niche form of entertainment, it was one of those moments that suddenly makes everything feel very real.
I wasn’t travelling as a tourist.
I had been flown out specifically to perform.
The Psychology of Destination Corporate Events
One thing that immediately stood out about the event was the atmosphere surrounding the delegates.
Intrinsic had brought together employees and members of their wider financial network for an all-expenses-paid company retreat, and the energy reflected that from the very beginning.
The weather was glorious.
The setting was relaxed.
The venue was beautiful.
People were excited to be there.
That combination creates the perfect environment for interactive entertainment.
Corporate events often succeed or fail long before the entertainment even begins. When guests feel comfortable, valued and genuinely engaged in the wider experience, they naturally become more open, social and responsive throughout the evening.
La Manga had exactly that atmosphere.
Drinks Reception Entertainment
I had been booked to perform during the drinks reception prior to dinner, moving between groups of around 90 guests throughout the evening.
Mix and mingle mentalism works particularly well in these environments because it allows conversations and reactions to spread naturally around the room.
One moment a small group experiences something impossible, and minutes later people across the venue are already discussing it amongst themselves.
Throughout the evening I performed a combination of psychological demonstrations, thought influence and people-reading routines, including one particular piece involving revealing childhood friendships which quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of the night.
The reactions throughout the reception were fantastic.
At one point I completely ran out of business cards, which is always a very good sign at a corporate event.
The Performance That Almost Didn’t Happen
After the drinks reception had finished, the guests moved through for dinner while an acoustic music duo performed live throughout the evening.
My own performance commitments had technically finished by that point.
I’d already returned to my room, changed out of my suit and made my way downstairs to the hotel restaurant to finally relax and order dinner for myself when my phone buzzed.
It was a message from the client.
One of the company’s senior directors had unfortunately missed the drinks reception and had specifically asked if I would return upstairs after dinner service so they could experience the performance themselves.
Of course, the suit went straight back on.
Moments like that are incredibly rewarding as a performer because they tell you far more than polite applause ever can. It means the experience itself created enough conversation and intrigue throughout the room that someone who missed it genuinely didn’t want to leave the event without seeing it first-hand.
Why International Events Feel Different
There’s something unique about destination corporate events that’s difficult to fully explain unless you’ve experienced them.
People behave differently.
The pressures of offices, commutes and daily routines temporarily disappear, and audiences become more engaged in the moment. Conversations last longer. Reactions become bigger. The overall atmosphere becomes far more social and connected.
As a performer, that creates incredible opportunities for memorable audience interaction.
The La Manga event became one of the first times I truly appreciated how live psychological entertainment could adapt to completely different environments and cultures while still creating the same shared human reactions:
surprise
curiosity
disbelief
laughter
conversation
Client Feedback
Following the event, Intrinsic Financial Planning shared the following feedback:
“Looch went down a storm at our corporate event. He successfully entertained 90 guests during our pre dinner drinks and between servings at dinner. Looch genuinely left our guests stunned. It really helped break the ice at the table as it gave our guests something to ponder on the rest of the evening.
Looch was extremely professional and very keen to ensure that all our guests enjoyed the same experience. He was very accommodating to our requirements. We will definitely book him again in the future.”
Planning an International Corporate Event?
Whether it’s a destination retreat, incentive trip, luxury corporate gathering or overseas conference, interactive psychological entertainment can create shared experiences that guests continue discussing long after they return home.
If you’re planning an upcoming corporate event in the UK or internationally, feel free to get in touch to discuss how bespoke mentalism and audience interaction could become part of the experience.
