Guys, why not call ME the next time you want your shark to swim the deep waters of a corporate tradeshow? I’ll show you how it’s done and yes, I can (and have) MacGyvered fans into many, many heads & indeed it does help!

All to often I find my self talking clients off a ledge. They have unreal expectations for their mascots. They some how forget it a person in a costume and have no concept of the mechanics of making that happen. Generally even the most experienced mascots need to take cool down breaks. Generally when your at a baseball game watching the first several pitches being thrown the mascot is surprisingly absent. You don’t notice it because the game has started. But as the starting pitcher is striking out the first 3 batters the mascot is perched in a back room with the head off, in front of a fan, clutching a bottle of water waiting for the bottom of the inning. Corporate mascots operate the same way. The only problem is breaks become more obvious. So like the writer suggests 2 identical costumes of the same character and 2 performers are the best way to ensure continuous coverage you can even consider having up to 4 in a hot environment each person does 15 minutes while the others rest. That, my friends, is the way the theme parts in Florida do it. Not only do they have to worry about killing someone, they have unions and workman’s comp premiums to look out for. Any heat related illness of any employee in costume sets off a firestorm of audits and legal reviews. So they want to make it as easy on the person inside as possible.

Any fan anywhere is a good idea to help the performer extend their time. Ice vests are only effective in certain applications. There are more effective devices out there. The costume design and construction also matters. If you are placing a mascot in Florida; the worst costume you can have is one with thick materials, fur, a muscle suit, and a coat or shirt over the character. You will notice many of the theme park characters are made with a thin spandex like material. If anyone reading this article is struggling with this give me a call or drop me an email. I’ve been a corporate mascot for 15 years I can tell you what has worked and what hasn’t.

Adam Bonner
COO The Mascot Organization LLC
1-877-9-MASCOT