Milan · Lombardy · Lake Como
From the aperitivo to the main stage.
Isma Zmerli brings close-up magic to the aperitivo and interactive mentalism to the stage, for conventions, brand launches and company dinners in Milan and across Lombardy.
5.0 on Google (500+ reviews) · Paris to Milan in about 90 minutes by air · Reply within 24 hours, no commitment.
Three moments, three formats
Milan works fast and entertains well: a morning plenary in CityLife, a brand presentation in Tortona in the afternoon, an aperitivo that runs on into dinner. The format follows the moment and the audience, which is often international.
The aperitivo
Milan’s early-evening aperitivo is made for close-up: guests stand in small groups, glass in hand, and Isma moves from one to the next with magic that happens in their own hands. It breaks the ice between clients, partners and colleagues.
For aperitivi, client evenings and showroom openings.
Conventions and plenaries
After a morning of presentations at Allianz MiCo or a hotel conference centre, a 20 to 45-minute interactive feature brings the energy back: volunteers on stage, the whole room guessing, voting and reacting.
Needs a raised area or a cleared floor, plus a microphone.
Design, fashion and tech
In a city of designers and brand builders, Isma, an engineer trained in machine learning, stages a duel between gut feeling and a predictive model. More on the AI magician format.
For product launches, innovation days and design week events.
Tell Isma about your audience and running order: he will help you choose, with no commitment. For a company event, see also corporate magician and mentalist.
Milan and Lombardy
From Paris, Isma flies to Linate in about an hour and a half, and the M4 metro reaches San Babila, in the centre, in around 12 minutes; direct trains via Turin take roughly seven hours. The quote details the journey, and on the day he adjusts the performance to the room and to your audience.
Congresses and fairs
Congresses at Allianz MiCo in CityLife, with plenary halls seating up to 4,000, and trade fairs at Fiera Milano in Rho, home to the Salone del Mobile every April and EICMA every November: the show can open a plenary or energise a stand party.
Palazzi and hotels
Gala dinners in the Sala Napoleonica of Palazzo Serbelloni on Corso Venezia, in the Sala dei Giardini at Palazzo Parigi, or an exclusive dinner at Villa Necchi Campiglio, a 1930s villa with a garden and pool owned by FAI: close-up keeps the welcome lively before the speeches.
Design districts
Brand events in the former industrial spaces of Via Tortona, such as Superstudio Più near Porta Genova, launches in Brera, or rooftop receptions among the towers of Porta Nuova: showrooms, lofts and terraces all lend themselves to close-up.
Centro Storico, Brera, Porta Nuova, Isola, CityLife, Tortona, Navigli, Porta Venezia, Porta Romana, Bicocca, Città Studi
Rho, Assago and Milanofiori, Sesto San Giovanni, Segrate, Monza, Bergamo, Pavia
Lake Como with Cernobbio and Bellagio, Lake Maggiore with Stresa, Lake Garda, Franciacorta
Good to know: during Milan Design Week in April, when the Salone del Mobile runs at Rho (13 to 18 April in 2027) and the Fuorisalone spreads through Tortona and Brera, hotels and event spaces are booked months ahead. Lock in the venue and the entertainment together.
What clients say
Corporate event · Mentalism
★★★★★
“A huge thank you to Isma! An incredible performance: our clients absolutely loved it. Professional, astonishing and incredibly friendly. We recommend him wholeheartedly!”
Corporate event · VIP guests
★★★★★
“Isma is fascinating and charismatic: the perfect experience and wow factor for our event with VIP guests. We were all amazed by his talent, and the guests are still talking about it.”
Company plenary · 200 employees
★★★★★
“Everyone loved the entertainment! […] He was very accommodating and tailored his performance to our company’s needs and industry.”
Meet Isma
On stage or up close with your guests, Isma turns surprise into an experience people share.
The art of capturing attention and getting your guests involved.
Trained in machine learning and deep learning.
A master’s degree exploring perception, attention and decision-making.
Easy to organise
One conversation is enough to get started, even if your programme is still taking shape.
Your questions
No. Isma performs in English or French. Many Milan conventions, fashion and design events run in English, and close-up magic is visual enough for mixed audiences; for a stage feature, choose the language most of the room understands.
Yes, subject to availability. Those weeks are among the busiest of the year at Fiera Milano Rho, so ask early. Close-up works on a stand or in a showroom with no stage required; see also the trade show magician page.
Yes: Cernobbio and its Villa Erba congress centre, Bellagio, Stresa on Lake Maggiore, Bergamo, Monza or Franciacorta. Mention the venue in your enquiry, since the drive from Milan shapes the schedule.
Yes: 7 December is the feast of Sant’Ambrogio, Milan’s patron saint, when La Scala opens its season, and 8 December is a national holiday, so many Milanese take a long weekend. Company Christmas dinners fill the weeks around it, so send your date early.
Close-up during the welcome drinks, while guests explore the rooms, then a short stage feature between courses if the salon allows a clear area at one end. Isma checks sightlines with the venue beforehand.
It reflects the format, the duration, the number of guests and the date, plus the flight from Paris, listed separately. Share the details of your event to receive a proposal within 24 hours.
Let’s talk about your event
Share your date, venue and programme for a quote, or ask which format would suit your guests.
Reply within 24 hours.
Across Europe and beyond: a selection of our recent dates.
