A magic convention is a gathering of professional magicians, magical hobbyists, dealers, collectors of magical apparatus, books and ephemera, and other students of the art of magic. It provides a place for lectures of subjects related to the craft, as well as a series of sample performances of noted or innovative techniques. Many conventions also hold competitions to judge who excels at a particular style, and present awards in various categories such as sleight of hand, card tricks, mentalism, and stage illusions. The largest magic convention is The Blackpool Magician's Convention which is attended by over 3,500 magicians. [1]
Some small conferences have great prestige within the industry, but are not open to the public:
The MAGIC Magazine Convention Guide provides a comprehensive list of upcoming magic conventions and allows events to be compared to each other based on dates, price, location, number of events, etc. The site is run by MAGIC Magazine, the world's largest-selling magazine for magicians
Independently run Magic Convention Guide which was the first dedicated online guide to Magic Conventions, and still provides news and updates on conventions, as well as live coverage of some events. They also provide guides to some conventions, listing places to stay, eat, and shop.
Some conventions are hosted by specific magician associations or societies. For example, the two oldest and largest magic organizations in the United States, are the Society of American Magicians and the International Brotherhood of Magicians. The Home Counties Magical Society ran the 'Junior Days', a convention specifically aimed at younger magicians, now having been replaced with the event run by The Magic Circle. The College of Magic is a unique society in magic - offering a 6-year specialist diploma course in magic to students aged 10 and over.
Other Magic-related organizations are:
The most prestigious "stage magic" award in the International Brotherhood of Magicians competitions is the I.B.M. Gold Medal International Award of Excellence in Stage Performance. Along with other annual awards such as First place, Second place, etc., there is a possibility of this special Gold Medal award being issued if the judges decide that they have witnessed a contest performance of Gold Medal quality. As of 2019 only nine Gold Medal awards have been made, to:
What is commonly regarded as the most prestigious "close-up" award in the International Brotherhood of Magicians competitions is the I.B.M. Gold Cups International Award of Excellence in Close-up Performance. Along with other annual awards such as first place, second place, third place, etc., there is a possibility of this special Gold Cups award being issued if the judges decide that they have witnessed a contest performance of Gold Cups quality. As of July 2017, seven Gold Cups awards have been made, to:
Each year the Hollywood-based Magic Castle club gives out awards at a black-tie dinner.
The most prestigious award given out at FISM is the Grand Prix. The Grand Prix is generally considered to be the most prestigious competition award in the industry. FISM is held once every three years and may award the Grand Prix to the best stage magician and best close-up magician at each competition, but need not give out either award at any given competition.
Previous winners of the Grand Prix include:
2009
2006
2003
Because there is little standardization in naming awards within the industry, some smaller festivals often give awards that have the same titles as the awards at larger conventions. Less scrupulous magicians will often claim that they have a prestigious award, without indicating its origin, or declare themselves an 'award-winning' act, implying a high quality of performance. Self-claims of fame and notability must therefore sometimes be taken with a grain of salt. If a magician is or has been a genuinely notable and successful competitor in magic contests, he or she will probably have won an award, perhaps more than one, which are recognised at an international, national, or at least regional level. Examples of this are awards bestowed by FISM, IBM, SAM, The Magic Circle (London, England) and the International Magic Convention Close Up Competition, also held annually in London.
There are also organisations that randomly give out awards to famous magicians in different countries, to boast their own organisation's importance. This is a bit awkward, as it many times is difficult for the performer to know if it is a real organisation or not, and might become embarrassing for the performer, should he use such award in his marketing and someone later track its origin.
Most conventions have a "dealers room", where magical supplies are sold, along with books describing various techniques. While the public might be invited to view certain performances, you must be registered at the convention to visit the dealers room.
The Magic Circle is a British organisation dedicated to promoting and advancing the art of magic.
Harry Bouton Blackstone Jr. was an American stage magician, author, and television performer. He is estimated to have pulled 80,000 rabbits from his sleeves and hats.
Tony Slydini, simply known as Slydini, was a world-renowned magician. His mastery, expertise, originality and innovative approach to close-up artistry magic, earned him a legendary reputation in the magic world. He traveled the world performing for the public as well as performing and lecturing fellow magicians. As a result, he served as an inspiration to generations of well-known magicians, celebrities and entertainers, including Doug Henning, Dick Cavett, Bill Bixby, Ricky Jay, David Copperfield and countless others. Although he was best known as a master of close-up artistry, he continually demonstrated an extraordinary performing ability and during his lifetime was responsible for a long series of books, films and publications highlighting his mastery of the magical crafts. For his work, he received the highest honors that his profession could bestow, including both the coveted Masters Fellowship Award and Performing Fellowship Award from the Academy of Magical Arts. During his lifetime, Tony Slydini was inducted into the Society of American Magicians Hall of Fame as a Living Legend.
Greg Frewin is a Canadian illusionist and "World Champion of Magic". His awards include First Place at the International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM); The Gold Medal of Excellence, also from the IBM; First Place at the Society of American Magicians' annual magic convention competition; and first place at FISM, the "Olympics of Magic", which were held in Yokohama, Japan in 1994.
The International Federation of Magic Societies (FISM) (Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques) was founded on September 5, 1948, and is one of the most respected organizations in the magic community. It is an international body coordinating dozens of national and international clubs and federations around the world. Together these clubs represent approximately 80,000 magicians from 50 countries and 110 member organizations as of 2022. The organization hosts a self-named "FISM" conference every three years, where magicians compete for "Best of" categories. The most recent FISM was in 2022, held in Quebec City, Canada. Founded in 1948, it is one of the most recognized magic organizations in the magic circle. The FISM organizes a worldwide magic convention every three years. The member organizations fight for the right to host. Top magicians from all over the world will compete for the title of "World Magic Champion". Prior to this, various regions will hold regional selections. FISM Europe, FISM Asia, FISM North America, FISM Latin America, FISM Africa, FISM Oceania, and member organizations have the quotas recommended by their regional selection committees.
International Brotherhood of Magicians (I.B.M.) is an organization for both professional and amateur close-up and stage magicians, with approximately 15,000 members worldwide. The headquarters is in St. Charles, Missouri. There are over 300 local groups, called Rings, in more than 88 countries, largely concentrated in cities of the United States and Canada. The organization publishes a monthly periodical entitled The Linking Ring, which features tricks, coverage of shows and events in the magic community, and interviews with magicians.
Johnny Ace Palmer is an American close-up magician. He is famous within the worldwide magical community for his prodigious sleight-of-hand abilities.
Brian Rolè is an active international Maltese magician and illusionist. He was born on Malta's sister island Gozo in 1972 and became a full-time professional magician in 2000. Currently Brian is one of the most popular magicians in Malta due to his regular grand scale illusion shows and various television appearances. Usually he performs with his partner Lola Palmer under the stage name The Palmers. He is a full member of The Magic Circle and the International Brotherhood of Magicians as well as the Malta Magician's Society IBM Ring 202 the International Society of Magicians and most recently in 2020 the Society of American Magicians.
Daniel Sylvester Battagline, also known as Sylvester The Jester, is an American magician, best known for playing a cartoon character who comes to life. He has had hundreds of stage and television appearances, including NBC’s "World's Wildest Magic," ABC’s "Champions of Magic III", Jerry Lewis's Muscular Dystrophy Telethon and The Discovery Channel’s "More Science of Magic." He has performed in multiple Las Vegas shows including opening for The Amazing Johnathan, and appearing at Caesar’s Magical Empire. He also produces a series of magic products, and has been credited with creating the illustrations for various magic publications, such as the cover for The Amazing Johnathan's Every Trick in the Book, and the poster for John Carney's "Mr. Mysto" act. In 1996, he also created a prop for the television show, "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch." He has been featured on the cover of several magic and culture-related magazines, such as the September 1998 issue of Magic.
Debbie Leifer was named 2006 Greater Atlanta Magician Of The Year by the International Brotherhood of Magicians and the Society Of American Magicians Atlanta chapters. Debbie is the first female corporate magician to receive that honor in the 35-year history of the prestigious award.
Alan Scott Watson is a professional magician living and performing in Auckland, New Zealand. He has been performing professionally for more than 30 years and has been presented with some of magic's highest awards and accolades.
Daryl Easton, known professionally as Daryl and born Daryl Martinez, was an American magician based in Las Vegas. In his marketing he used the self-proclaimed title of "The Magician's Magician". Daryl usually went by his forename only.
Shawn Farquhar is a Canadian magician and illusionist notable for his title as the "Grand Prix World Champion of Magic" from the International Federation of Magic Societies.
Joe M. Turner is an American corporate magician, mentalist, and a frequent keynote speaker at conferences and other meetings. Based in Atlanta, he is in the field of corporate magic as well as customizing magic performances, keynotes, and seminars for trade shows, product launches, and other marketing efforts, conferences, or corporate events. He frequently incorporates sleight-of-hand, escape magic and mentalism into keynote addresses as a motivational speaker for corporate and private groups, speaking on topics of customer experience, brand engagement, memory training, change management, and creativity. He was one of only six performers selected to represent various aspects of the magic industry on the CNN Headline News feature "A Day of Magic," and also appeared on network television programs in Europe and South America.
Paul Romhany is a New Zealand-born magician best known for his Charlie Chaplin magic act. He has been awarded many industry awards including the PCAM Gold Medal and the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Top Variety Act award. Paul has entertained the royal family of Monaco, performed at the famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, and appeared in over 100 countries.
Mick Peck is a professional award-winning magician based in Auckland, New Zealand.
Arthur Trace is an American magician.
John George Fancher, known professionally as John George, is an American magician. Working professionally since 1995, John George has performed at magic venues throughout the country and abroad while winning awards in a wide variety of magic competitions.
David Williamson is a professional sleight-of-hand artist, magician, and author. David Britland of Genii magazine called him "an exceptional stage performer" and "a magician who changed the way we do magic." He was named Magician of the Year in 2017 by the Academy of the Magical Arts, and was named an Honorary Member of prestigious British association The Magic Circle.
The Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians Inc (BAM) is a New Zealand-based non-for-profit organisation and magic club. It was founded in 1946.