Jan 13 2025
As a magician and New York Times crossword puzzle constructor, David Kwong has delighted and confounded audiences worldwide. A TED Talk favorite, Kwong speaks to corporations and associations around the world, demonstrating the principles of illusion and the science of why your brain is fooled.
Following the sold-out runs of his show The Enigmatist in New York City and Washington, DC., David Kwong brought his hit show to the Chicago Shakespeare Theater in 2024. Critics rave about The Enigmatist, with the Washington Post calling it “a feat of cerebral sorcery.” Tickets will sell out fast!
David Kwong is also available to be booked for corporate and private events. Additionally, he is well-known for his keynote and motivational speaking. Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group today to inquire about David Kwong’s fees.
Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group at 215-510-6607 to book David Kwong for corporate or private events, keynote speeches, workshops, fireside chats, motivational speaking, or virtual appearances. Our agency will work directly with your organization and our keynote speakers to create an unforgettable event.
The Mollie Plotkin Group is the leading keynote speakers agency and entertainment bureau bringing excitement to audiences, clients, and employees. We represent subject-matter experts in every possible field, so whether we’re your partner in creating a memorable meeting, or your meeting planner’s secret weapon in securing the perfect keynote speaker, we’re in this with you.
David Kwong is a magician and veteran “cruciverbalist” (crossword puzzle constructor). Using his unique skills, David has delighted and confounded audiences worldwide. He routinely creates puzzles for the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Wall Street Journal. Additionally, David was the head magic consultant for the hit movie Now You See Me. He has also worked on The Imitation Game, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and The Afterparty on Apple TV.
His virtual show, Inside the Box, garnered a Critic’s Pick from the New York Times. Even more, his live one-man show, The Enigmatist, has sold out multiple runs in New York City, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. David’s brand of magic delights and challenges audiences around the world. His tricks and puzzles are never too hard, but just enough to get his audience thinking!
As a keynote speaker, David Kwong has fascinated audiences as he explains and demonstrates “why we can be fooled so easily”. During his keynote speeches, David has pulled back the curtain on magic, explaining the science behind illusion. Similarly, in his book Spellbound: Seven Principles of Illusion to Captivate Audiences and Unlock the Secrets of Success he explains how to increase your powers of persuasion and influence. However, David’s speeches go far beyond magic. Cross-pollination is at the core of David’s keynotes. Kwong loves working with his audience to create an entirely unique event.
Find out how to hire David Kwong to perform at your next event. Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group to inquire about David Kwong’s availability and cost. When booking David Kwong for an event, we need to know the type of venue and location the event will take place. David Kwong is a popular choice for corporate events, private events, and virtual events. So, you can click the Check Availability button or contact us and an MPG David Kwong booking agent will get back to you within 48 hours.
How much to book David Kwong depends on the type of event. So, the cost to hire David Kwong for corporate or private events is available by contacting a Mollie Plotkin Group Agent. Notably, David Kwong is available for conferences, festivals, private parties and events. Just contact the Mollie Plotkin Group and tell the booking agent the proposed date, time, and location.
Our speakers are in high demand! View their upcoming events.
We live in a world where with one click of a button, generative AI can create an elaborate image, a persuasive term paper, or a complex melody. In his latest talk and performance hybrid, David Kwong poses the following question: Despite our modern technological advancements, is there still room for wonder? Can we still experience awe and mind-blowing moments in the modern age of AI? … His answer is a resounding yes! In fact, David believes we can experience more wonder because of our current technology. And he has a brand-new show, Mentalist vs. The Machine, to illustrate this.
David is leading his field with the integration of AI into magic. Recently in Davos, Switzerland, David spoke about the relationship of technology to wonder. His talk culminated with a ChatGPT illusion with CEO of Open AI, Sam Altman. In Mentalist vs. The Machine, David demonstrates wondrous digital miracles through tricks involving ChatGPT, Alexa, Wikipedia, and iPhones. The show culminates with David pitting his brain against The Machine’s, ultimately illustrating the power of human intellect and creativity.
Despite astounding CEOs, TED Talk audiences, and thousands of other hyper-rational people and making them see, believe, and even remember what David wants them to, David doesn’t pretend to have super powers in any way. As he outlines in his book Spellbound: Seven Principles of Illusion, he believes that all magic is science. It’s the science of fooling your brain. Illusion is an ancient art that centers on control, and understanding the fundamental principles of illusion will lead to more command and control in both life and work. Successful leaders—from Steve Jobs, Warren Buffet, and Ted Turner to President Obama, Megyn Kelly, and Jeff Bezos—are masters of control and command who understand how to sway opinions and achieve goals.
Magic does not have to be about deceiving people, but rather getting ahead of the competition. David Kwong explains this principle in an interview with PBS, “If you’re in a job interview, why not have seven different copies of your resume?” You can then present the resume that will be best received by your interviewer based on how the conversation plays out. “That’s no different than a magician and playing cards,” David says.
Taking Control of Digital Disorder
In today’s modern world, we are bombarded with incessant new information and data. We’re constantly scrolling and updating news feeds; we’re sifting through a never-ending barrage of posts and emails. In this presentation, David demonstrates, through feats of magic and practical insight, how to:
David illustrates how to take control of digital disorder in the way that only a New York Times crossword constructor and cerebral magician can do.
The complex relationship between boundaries and productivity
Limitations inspire innovation. David Kwong, New York Times crossword constructor and master Illusionist, explains how constraints give us the freedom to create. Kwong demonstrates how to communicate engaging stories through:
Inspire your audience with a new method of problem solving through David’s groundbreaking puzzles and illusions.
Bring the Spark of Magic to Your Next Corporate Off-Site
As a world-class illusionist and creator of the critically-acclaimed performance The Enigmatist, David Kwong is a creative, professional, and energizing MC for corporate events. Work with the Mollie Plotkin Group and David Kwong to tailor his appearance to your company culture and occasion. At his appearances, David Kwong can perform any or all of the following:
The critically acclaimed show that started it all
David’s massive theatrical hit that sold-out The Kennedy Center in DC, The Geffen Playhouse in LA, and The Highline Hotel in New York. In this demonstration of illusion, puzzles and cryptography, David regales his audience with the history of America’s first codebreakers, while performing feats of mentalism and cerebral gymnastics. The fun begins right away: audience members come early to the show to solve the “Puzzle Room,” four creative puzzles that tie into the show. The Enigmatist is interactive, brainy and fun for all ages.
The New York Times in Science: The Magician and the Crossword, praised David Kwong’s presentation, as he values “an air of sophistication” in his performances.
This is one of David Kwong’s most requested performances because of its strength to bring teams together in wonder and amazement.
Log on, put on your thinking caps, and join in the fun.
It’s no wonder that Inside the Box is a Critic’s Pick by the New York Times. World-class illusionist David Kwong transports you to the exhilarating world of puzzles and games. Attendees join an entirely interactive show of puzzles, hosted and facilitated by David as he drops fascinating facts on puzzle-making throughout history. This is the perfect team-building event for your remote-working team, large or small. “Inside the Box” is a sensational virtual experience, praised by the Los Angeles Daily News for its power to bring lively energy to Zoom meetings.
“The perfect team event.” – Google. Businesses value David Kwong’s Puzzle Hunt for its power to create stronger teams and alleviate employee burnout. Work together in small groups to solve a collection of puzzles (not too hard!) with outside the box thinking. Challenge your brain in creative ways to figure out how all the puzzles link together to form the final answer.
We invited David Kwong to create and lead a Puzzle Hunt for our first ever team event and he delivered! The puzzles were challenging but not impossible and all designed to be solved with teamwork and creativity. David incorporated elements of storytelling into the Puzzle Hunt that made the experience more fun and engaging. Everyone left the event feeling smarter and closer as a team. It was truly a unique and memorable experience. Now the only puzzle left to answer is, how do we top this for our next team event?
Josephine Lee
Administrative Business Partner
Google
is not the sleight of hand or real-time code cracking but the way Kwong deploys both so harmoniously that it’s impossible to isolate either pillar of the performance…Kwong delivers trick after hypnotizing trick.
Thomas Floyd
Washington Post
There were 100 of us participating virtually across six countries — needless to say, David had his work cut out for him! He crafted customized puzzles that not only spoke to our line of work but also were accessible to the multiple global cultures that participated. We broke out into small teams and over the course of the next 90 minutes, groups of people who otherwise don’t usually work together bonded over trying to solve puzzles.
There was definitely a healthy competition (we work in sports – it’s to be expected), but win or lose, the overall feedback we received was people loved the opportunity to get to know each other in a new environment and they had a great time.
David did a fantastic job of not only crafting the puzzle hunt but also choreographing the many moving pieces that day. We can’t wait to welcome him back for future events!
Annie Gerhart
COO
Infinite Athlete, Inc.
is a bit like hanging out with a dashing and amiable supercomputer programmed to solve the most eccentric problems mankind could dream up for its cognitive amusement.
Charles McNulty
Los Angeles Times
Case studies demonstrate the impact that our talent can have on leading organizations.
Through the seven fundamental principles of illusion, Kwong reveals how to bridge the gap between perception and reality to increase your powers of persuasion and influence.
Harper Business, 2017
David’s kids’ book of magic tricks How to Fool Your Parents will hit shelves on October 8, 2024! Pre-order here!
Within these pages you will learn more than two dozen tricks to dazzle your friends, amaze your family, and confound everyone in your audience.
Sorry, parents!
Reviews
“What a brilliant book! I love it! Ideas to fool your parennn… wait a minute. I AM a parent. Why am I reading this? I must set this book down immediately! It’s filled with trickery of the highest order! David Kwong, what have you done?!?” — Neil Patrick Harris, author of The Magic Misfits
“A perfect book for any kid who likes making a little bit of mischief!” — B.J. Novak, author of The Book with No Pictures
HarperCollins, 2024
