Strolling Mentalism for 350 at The Omni Homestead Resort
There are venues where you show up, do your job, and leave. And then there are venues that make you stop for a second before you start working because the room itself is doing something to you.
The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia is the second kind. One of the oldest resorts in the country, it recently completed a $150 million renovation and the ballroom where Davenport held their cocktail reception was stunning – freshly redone, with large paintings of iconic Virginia locations spanning the walls. Standing in that room with 350 guests milling around, it felt less like a hotel event space and more like somewhere history was supposed to happen.
I was there alongside fellow performer Kourosh Taie. He was working close-up magic, I was working mentalism, and between the two of us we covered the room for the full cocktail hour. With a group that size, two performers isn’t a luxury – it’s the difference between every guest getting a personal experience and half the room never seeing anything at all.
The evening had a moment I didn’t plan for. At one point I looked up and realized I had been completely surrounded. A large group had gathered without me noticing, pulling in from every direction as I was in the middle of a piece. That kind of organic crowd formation is one of the best things that can happen during strolling work. You can’t manufacture it. It just means something you did pulled people in and they brought their friends.
The photo from the night captures something I like about events in beautiful spaces. Kourosh and I are standing at a railing with the full group behind us and below us, everyone gathered and ready to move into dinner. It’s a good reminder that strolling entertainment isn’t just about the moments during the performance – it’s about the energy it creates going into whatever comes next.
Davenport put together a great evening in a room that deserved it.
If you are planning a corporate reception and want entertainment that works the whole room rather than asking the room to stop and watch, reach out and let’s talk about what that looks like for your event.
