Magic Conventions - 7 Ways to Get the Most from Your First
Do you have a favorite magic convention? Wait, what – you’ve never been to a magic convention?! Well, I can already tell you which convention will be your favorite (and I don’t have to use magic). Your favorite magic convention is…
YOUR FIRST!
(did I get it right?)
So, you’ve decided you want to attend your first magic convention. Great! It’s so awesome to meet others who are like-minded. And you finally get to share those moves you put so much work into with those few who can truly appreciate it – those moves that no one ever gets to see.
1) Decide on Which Convention to Attend
Magic conventions have been on the rise for the past decade and a half. All live events took a big hit in 2020 – but now conventions are gaining popularity once again. There are many more new magicians today thanks to online communities. And if you’re among the new, it might be a bit daunting to decide where to go for your first convention.
If you tend to get overwhelmed by crowds, consider looking for smaller, local conventions to ease into. Look in your state for the big magic clubs. They’ll usually host an annual convention either in your state – or in a state nearby. The smaller ones are awesome if you’re on a budget. I've attended local conventions that were so good that I would have been willing to pay more for them! Plus, at smaller conventions, you’ll have more opportunities to meet the talent face-to-face.
But, if you’re looking to meet some of the biggest names in our industry, go for one of the major players. There are five major international conventions in the US.
Be sure to check out the lineup of talent. You may find some familiar names of magicians that you’d like to see perform/lecture or even meet. Also, check out the theme - the theme of magic conventions varies. If you’re into card sleights, you might not find many benefits in attending a convention for mentalists or kid-show performers.
2) Magic Conventions Schedule
When you’re working on your schedule, take into account all the different lectures being offered. Most convention organizers understand how to organize the flow of one event into the next. So, breaks are often built into the schedule seamlessly - especially around dinner (before the evening gala shows). That’s a great time to get to know some of the magicians around you. You’ll have time to show a few tricks and to see some new magic that you never expected to see!
Watching a lecture can be a lot of fun.
There will be lectures that won’t interest you. But my best advice is GO ANYWAY. You will always learn something new applicable to the type of magic you like, regardless of how unrelated it may seem. Don’t dismiss a lecture because you think you’ll never do a kids' show or you’ll never twist a balloon. There are some great ideas that can apply to your own interests.
Final thought, be sure to bookend any magic conventions with enough travel and recovery time. You don’t want to drive out from your hotel on a Sunday afternoon only to arrive home late Sunday night then get up early and work Monday morning. Try to give yourself a one-day post-convention chill day. Plus, you’ll get to play with all the cool magic you brought back.
3) Convention Care
Tom Mullica once described the magic convention as an exercise in sleep deprivation. Magic conventions differ from other types of conventions. If you've ever attended, say, an anime or comic convention, they usually wrap up around seven or eight PM. Magic conventions can go until very late. You might find yourself in a late-night jam session in the close-up lounge until three or four in the morning (and loving every minute of it)! But eventually, you'll need to get some rest. Try to maintain a good pace. You might even have to miss that first, early lecture to get another hour of shut-eye.
Oh, and be sure to take advantage of lunch breaks. You don't have to hunker down in a corner and chew down an energy bar. Find out where people are going and go with them! Magicians at a convention are very open and inviting. You'll meet some talented people who can share killer ideas.
4) What to Pack
Bring a small bag, either messenger style, over-the-shoulder, or a small backpack. You’ll want to travel light. Be sure to have a charger, a bottle of water (or two), a few snacks, a notebook, and some pens. Oh, and be sure to bring several of your favorite effects to perform. I’ve seen magicians try to outdo one another over how many coins they carry. One had over a hundred! You don’t need to go that far, but have one or two decks of cards and whatever else you want to show (or get feedback on – which I’ll talk about later).
5) Magic Convention Lectures
Now we get to the main attraction! Conventions will book the best talent they can (based on budget and scheduling). The talent is oftentimes an expert in their field and has tons of great knowledge to pass on. Arrive early to get a good seat. My recommendation is center first, then front. Meaning, if there’s a front-row seat way down on the end, it’s not as good as a seat a bit further back and in the center.
Have your notebook and pen handy for notes. I can’t count the number of times I’ve kicked myself because I didn’t write down some vital information.
Hey, also don’t be that guy or gal that shows up twenty minutes early and tosses a sweater on a chair in the front row. That’s considered poor form. In some cases, it can invoke sanctions from the convention organizers. This type of seat-saving is bad etiquette. But if you’re already seated, you can certainly save the seat next to you for a friend that hasn’t arrived yet.
Lecturers will invite questions. Please don’t be shy about raising your hand. You’ll find that oftentimes when someone asks a question, it mirrors some uncertainty that you were just thinking of. If you ask your question, there will be others in the room that will also benefit from the answer. So, raise that hand!
If there was a particular magician whose lecture you really enjoyed, consider approaching his table afterward. Lecturers make most of their money by selling lecture notes and magic tricks after their time. Buying their materials is a great way to support your favorite magicians. You can expect to spend anywhere from $10 to $50-60 and you’ll come away with some killer material.
6) Talking With Other Magicians
I just want to mention a few points on how to approach other magicians. They’ll be in the lobby between scheduled events “passing the deck” or just jamming. There are a few bits of etiquette to observe when approaching these groups. Don’t point and say, “Ha, I know how you did that.” A lot of magicians know how magic works. A magician might just be performing an effect so they can show off a particular subtlety, presentation, or some psychological ploy. With that in mind, whether or not the trick fools anyone is irrelevant. The workings of a magic trick are not always the most important part. Puffing your chest and showing off your knowledge is not a great first impression.
If you show a magic trick that you’ve been working on, you’re likely to get feedback. Don’t take anything they say personally! I can’t stress this enough. Most will try to give you helpful advice and you should listen to what they say. Even if they point out some flaw in your technique. The advice they give can be worth the price of the convention alone!
No doubt, you’ll see magic performed that you absolutely have to learn. Unfortunately, you can’t just ask how a particular trick is done. Outright asking for someone’s secret is also bad form and you’ll out yourself as a newbie. You might as well ask about their bank account balance! The best way to ask for the secret is to say, “Where’s that published?” Then listen for the answer (or even write it down). They’ll usually cite a book or magazine and mention the originator and name of the trick (along with their own personal touches on the effect). Or, you might see a trick that’s wholly original and hasn’t been published. Then it’s permissible to ask, “Would you show me the work on that?”
That’s about the politest way to ask for a secret. And if the answer is, no? Then so be it. You should respect that and let it go. Persistence is great in the real world, but at a magic convention, it can get you a bad reputation. Fast. Bottom line – never be afraid to share and to listen to advice.
7) Travel
Just a word or two about traveling to magic conventions, everybody wants to save money. A hotel room can cost as much (if not more) as the magic convention itself. Getting a roommate or two is a great way to cut that cost. If you don’t know anyone, you can actually contact the convention organizer! They’ll spread the word to others who are attending and who are also looking for roommates.
To get to your city of choice, it can be a tough call to spend the money on a flight or several tanks of gas. But taking a bus may not be a bad idea. At the time of this writing (March 2023) Megabus and FlixBus has great prices on travel. For example, traveling from Orlando to Atlanta costs around 70 dollars on Megabus! Which sure beats buying all that gas and it’s also an order of magnitude cheaper than a flight. Or, you might even be able to travel together with a few people from your local magic club. Now’s a good time to reach out to them!
Finally
No doubt, after you’ve been to your first convention, you’re going to be hooked (like I am). Be sure to set a few dollars aside during the year so you have something to spend at the next one. You can thank me later for that advice. I’ll see you at the next convention!
Note
The original version of this article was published in September 2016 on the MagicPalooza website. The site isn’t live anymore. The new MagicPalooza site can be found at http://www.magic-palooza.com/. But I managed to find a copy of my old blog post through the Wayback Machine. This version has been edited and updated from the original.