London events agency Evolve Events has partnered with The Magicians Table to launch The Art of Influence, a new series of masterclasses using the psychology and technique of close-up magic to develop communication, influence and leadership skills in business.
The programme launches this autumn, timed for conference, away day and incentive season, and is designed to sit naturally within existing corporate event formats. Sessions range from high-energy keynote slots that teach the entire room a magic trick as a live masterclass in communication, through to 90-minute workshops and half-day or full-day programmes exploring attention and decision-making, the art of persuasion and how shifting perspective unlocks strategic thinking. Groups of between 20 and 200 can be accommodated, with content tailored to a company’s specific objectives.
The thinking behind the concept is grounded in a straightforward business problem. Poor communication is estimated to cost UK businesses £257 billion annually in lost productivity, disengaged teams and missed opportunities, according to Learnlight (2025). The average business loses £470,000 a year through increased staff turnover and absence alone. Yet, as Evolve Events sees it, most communication training fails because it feels like training.
The sessions are delivered by an extraordinary line-up of performers, including Richard McDougall, a former world open champion for close-up magic and member of the Inner Magic Circle with Gold Star who has performed for the late Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III, and Pete Heat, the magician who taught Jude Law sleight of hand for his role as Dumbledore. Also part of the faculty is Guy Hollingworth, a recipient of the Magician of the Year award from the Academy of Magical Arts in Hollywood and a practising barrister who has appeared twice in the Supreme Court.
Sessions can be delivered at The Vaults, the underground venue beneath Waterloo station and home of The Magicians Table, or brought to a client’s own conference venue or offsite location. For a complete day, planners can combine The Art of Influence masterclasses with a full Magicians Table show in the evening, keeping training and hospitality under one roof in a single seamless booking. The Vaults can accommodate standing receptions of up to 350, seated dinners of up to 150 and conferences of up to 200 theatre style.
The Magicians Table has been praised by Derren Brown as “beautifully realised and huge, huge fun” and described by London Theatre Reviews as “an absolute triumph and London’s must-see immersive night out.”
Gary Peters, director of Evolve Events, said: “The skills these magicians use every night are exactly the skills companies are desperate to develop in their people. The Art of Influence delivers them in a way that’s engaging, memorable and nothing like a training day.”
The Art of Influence is available now for conferences, away days, leadership offsites, incentive experiences and retreats.