Keeping 450 People Awake After 10 Hours of Conference: The CSNA Banquet

Quick Stats

• Client: Colorado School Nutrition Association (CSNA)
• Event: Annual summer conference banquet
• Location: Embassy Suites, Loveland, CO
• Date: June 17, 2026
• Audience: 450 attendees
• Entertainment: Two-magician strolling reception, emcee duties, 30-minute stand-up show

The Brief

By the evening of day two, CSNA attendees had sat through ten hours of sessions. The organizers wanted entertainment that would wake the room back up and give people something to talk about the next morning: fun, interactive, impactful, and different from previous years.

Braden was already on CSNA's shortlist when a board member's recommendation sealed the decision.

The Night

With 450 people to cover during the pre-dinner reception, Braden brought in fellow magician Ben Young so strolling magic could reach the whole room instead of a fraction of it. Attendees sat down to dinner already buzzing.

From there, Braden ran the rest of the evening: a game of Heads or Tails for the full room, the student video showcase award, and a 30-minute stand-up show.

The finale: a signed dollar bill, sealed inside a lemon, revealed in front of all 450 attendees alongside a prediction of the organizer's dream vacation, correct down to the departure time. For a room that had been sitting all day, it was exactly the "wait, how did he know that?" jolt the brief asked for.

What CSNA Said

"We hired Braden for our annual summer conference evening entertainment. Braden was amazing to work with and our attendees loved the show! We had around 450 attendees so the addition of the roving magic during the reception hour was a fantastic addition to the evening show. The feedback has been 5 star and I would highly recommend Braden for your next corporate event!" — Jodi McKinney, Colorado School Nutrition Association

"We hired Braden to work at our corporate event (professional conference dinner entertainment for 200-300) and it was so much fun! They started with wandering magic, interacting with guests face to face during happy hour, then the stage show. It was so much fun to hear the chatter in the room change from 'wait, we're having a magic show?' to 'OMG DID YOU SEE THE MAGIC SHOW!?!' I won't give any spoilers, but the finale was still being talked about during work sessions the next day." — Kris Simmons, CSNA Board Member

Why It Worked

Two strolling magicians solved the math problem. One performer can't meaningfully reach 450 people in an hour. Bringing in Ben Young meant no table felt skipped.

One host carried the whole night. Instead of handing the evening off between an emcee, a DJ, and separate entertainment, Braden ran the reception, the game, the award, and the show, so the night had one consistent energy instead of disconnected segments.

The finale gave the whole room one story. A trick on one volunteer fools a table. A prediction verified in front of 450 people, tied to someone's dream vacation, gives everyone the same moment to talk about the next day.

Braden Carlisle Magic specializes in interactive entertainment for conferences and corporate events of any size, from strolling magic to full-room stage shows and emcee duties.