NNIT Annual Kickoff Case Study: Mentalist & Magician at Ocean Casino (Atlantic City)
In January of 2026, NNIT, Inc. hosted its Annual Kickoff at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The event had approximately 130 attendees, including team members traveling in from Europe and across the United States. Officially, NNIT operates in the healthcare sector, but the company has a major focus on technology; AI is an important part of its business, and many employees are exceptionally skilled in computers and related technologies.
NNIT decided to hire a mentalist and magician to deliver a 60-minute corporate program designed for a predominantly analytical audience: modern mentalism, interactive moments, and a memorable experience that worked for both leadership and technical teams. The program was primarily entertainment, with one brief 5-10 minute participation segment aligned with the kickoff’s team-building theme. It was tailored to be comfortable for introverted attendees, a demographic I often present for when healthcare companies need a mentalist in New Jersey.
The kickoff itself spanned two days and concluded on the morning of Day 2. My program was the final segment of the entire kickoff, positioned as the closing experience that sent the team into the year.
Event Overview
• Client: NNIT, Inc.
• Sector: Healthcare (with a major focus on technology)
• Event: NNIT Annual Kickoff
• Timing: January 2026
• Attendees: Approximately 130
• Venue: Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, NJ
• Event schedule: 2-day kickoff that concluded the morning of Day 2
• My placement: Closing segment
• Program duration: 60 minutes
• Geographic scope of event: Global; attendees traveled in from Europe and across the U.S.
Supporting Document
Client-provided agenda showing where the "Special Guest" slot appeared.
What NNIT Wanted
• A true surprise (kept under wraps until the program began)
• A mentalism program that felt appropriate for a predominantly technical audience
• Participation that accommodated introverted personalities
• Full set-up, including all A/V, completed in a narrow setup window
• A program that fits into the kickoff’s overall agenda
• A closing segment that was memorable as the final experience of the kickoff
Challenge 1: A Narrow Setup Window While Coordinating Multiple Vendors and Setting My Own Supplies
This event required coordination with the venue’s A/V team, a photographer, a cinematography team, and my videography company (CinemaCake) - all within a limited setup window. At the same time, I also needed time to set up my own performance supplies in the event space so the program could start cleanly and on schedule.
Strategy 1: Reduce client workload and streamline venue readiness
I explained the full situation to the venue sales managers and communicated the time constraint to the venue’s event team via email. We planned in advance for key items (table, tablecloth, A/V, and other essentials) to be ready and waiting; this reduced the time I needed to set up.
I especially sought clear confirmation of audio compatibility ahead of time by confirming the correct adapter for my microphone setup: the Shure adapter (TA4F connector) for my Countryman E6 earset microphone. (The venue already had 4 handheld microphones ready, independently of me, so I planned a fifth audio channel with the venue’s event team.)
Strategy 2: Pre-plan camera placement before event day
I acquired and sent photographs of the event room to CinemaCake before the event. This allowed the videography team to analyze camera placement in advance, reducing the time they spent deciding on positioning on the day of the kickoff; it also ensured the video recording began when the mentalism program started.
Strategy 3: Arrive early to pre-walk the venue
I lodged the night before and navigated the venue to identify the exact paths to the four event ballrooms in advance, so I wasn’t solving logistics in real time while carrying supplies or coordinating multiple teams.
Strategy 4: Remove navigation friction for the cinematography team
Before the event, I emailed the cinematography company with step-by-step logistics:
• where to park (self-parking garage, Level 11)
• which elevators lead to the event rooms (set of elevators opposite the self-parking garage entrance on Level 11)
• the exact elevator button letters for the event’s floor (“MR” label denoted the “Meeting Rooms” floor where the kickoff occurred)
This reduced the risk that I would need to provide day-of navigational support, which could have diverted attention from the tight window for setting up my supplies and confirming show readiness.
Challenge 2: Designing Participation for an Analytical, Often Introverted Audience
During a pre-event conference call with the organizers, I was told that many attendees were tech employees and introverted. That changed how participation needed to be structured across the hour.
Strategy 1: Build comfort through shared temperament and reassurance
I shared that I’m also an analytical person and an introvert. During participation moments, to help them feel comfortable in front of the group, I frequently reassured attendees (in front of the group) that they were following instructions correctly.
Strategy 2: Use an analytical-friendly visual hook
Because tech audiences often enjoy puzzles and patterns, I included mentalism with a Rubik’s Cube - an object that naturally aligns with problem-solving and analytical thinking.
Strategy 3: Warmly Welcome Skepticism and Accommodate Skeptics
For the mentalism-themed team-building exercise, I chose an activity that involved first-hand experimentation by every attendee. That way, analytical and skeptical people could verify the experience for themselves rather than taking my word for it.
Strategy 4: Dress for tech culture while staying leadership-appropriate
Tech environments can read a traditional suit-and-tie as overly stiff, while leadership often still expects a professional look. I chose an all-black outfit (a black business suit, black dress shirt, and black dress shoes, without a tie) so it stayed executive-appropriate without feeling like a classic ”all business” uniform. When I browse AI/tech sites and templates, dark themes and black backgrounds are everywhere, so that direction felt more in step with a tech-forward kickoff.
Challenge 3: A Very Wide Room (Ocean A, Ocean B, Ocean C, Ocean D)
The event space consisted of four ballrooms joined together (Ocean A, Ocean B, Ocean C, and Ocean D), creating a wide room that can feel disconnected if the experience is too front-focused. That footprint changes how pacing has to be optimized, which is a real consideration for a mentalist performing in Atlantic City. In this layout, the pacing and movement plan needed to reach every table without slowing the show.
Strategy 1: Pre-place supplies on every table to keep the pace steady
One segment of my mentalism and magic program normally involves walking into the audience to distribute supplies. In a very wide room, that would have meant long walks to reach the far ends, slowing the pace while everyone waited. To prevent that, I placed the supplies on every table before the program began, enabling 100% participation by having attendees write from their seats.
Strategy 2: Plan navigation and sightlines ahead of time
I studied photos of the venue’s event space in advance to plan movement through the audience rather than improvising it.
Goal: Keep the Program a Surprise
A key objective was to keep my involvement secret until the program began.
Strategy: Align vendors on secrecy
Prior to the kickoff event, I clearly communicated to the cinematography company and photographer that the segment was a surprise and should remain under wraps until showtime.
Results
NNIT’s kickoff concluded with a surprise program that fit the audience and the setting: modern mentalism and magic, optimal pacing in a wide room, table-based participation when it kept things moving, and clear, balanced audio (without feedback issues or reverb). For corporate teams across New Jersey, this format keeps participation table-based, comfortable for introverted attendees, and well-paced for a wide room.
Client feedback:
"Thank you again for a fantastic morning in Atlantic City, Jesse!" -Lindsey Babe, Marketing Manager, NNIT, Inc.
Post-Event Value-Adds
• Postal mailed Lindt chocolate truffles to the full team (in one package) as an appreciation gift
• Shared copies of event photographs from the photographer
