nashville.jpgThere's Still Time to Register for the Biggest Magic Event in the United States

By Jack White
International President-Elect

The countdown has begun for the International Brotherhood of Magicians'Annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, June 30 to July 4. You still have time to register for the biggest magic event in the United States. At www.magician.org, you can find all the information you need, including all the forms for convention registration and reserving rooms at the exciting Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, as well as all Convention activities, shows, lectures, contests, and dealers. (read more)

The greater Nashville area is the perfect vacation destination site for the entire family with museums, entertainment, shopping, historical points of interest, restaurants, and the beautiful resort complex. This climate-controlled environment includes beautiful indoor gardens, theaters, meeting halls, and enough amusement areas to keep you and your family busy for a week.

Stephen_Bargatze250.jpgTerry Richison, Convention Chairman, and his committee visited the resort in May and made all the final arrangements for the convention. In addition, they were able to negotiate a lower parking fee of only twelve dollars per night. This is great news since many attendees will be driving. Richison has also announced the addition of Steve Bargatze to the already super line-up of magic stars.

Convention registration will open at noon, Tuesday, June 30. Among early arrivals will be Ron London, who will take a group of I.B.M. members to local hospitals to entertain patients as part of the "Share the Magic" program. Included in that group will be George Stewart, who has been helping Ron with the annual hospital shows for two decades.

Daniel Herron is in charge of the Dealers' Room again this year and plans to have a stage at one end of the room so that various dealers can demonstrate newer items they are featuring throughout this year's Convention. Also, there will be a bar, tables, and chairs so people can gather and exchange ideas and tricks, as well as show off some of the props they have purchased. Dan says the Opryland facility has given him the amount of space he has always hoped for to really make the dealers' room something special.

The line-up of lecturers is impressive:

  • Tuesday: 11 p.m., Losander;
  • Wednesday: 1:00 p.m., Juliana Chen; 2:30, J.C. Wagner; 11 p.m., Oscar Munoz;
  • Thursday: 10:45 a.m. Shoot Ogawa; 3:00 p.m., Rich Bloch; 11 p.m., Charlie Frye;
  • Friday: 8:30 a.m., Marc Oberon; 11 p.m., Ed Ellis; Saturday, 10 a.m., Hayashi.

Also being held at 11 p.m. on Friday is an exclusive extra event: the David & Dania Hands-On Workshop on the Art of Costume Quick Change. A special charge of $150 advance, $200 at the door, is being charged for this one-of-a-kind workshop. The Big Three Lecture on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 1:00 p.m. will include B.J. Hickman and his kid show know-how.
Those who are new to the Convention will enjoy the First Timer Convention Attendees party Tuesday at 8:30 p.m.

Other special events of the week include the Invisible Lodge meeting, several spouse events, a magic collectors' meeting, Magical Youths International events (see separate article), Order of Merlin Breakfast, an Autographs with the Stars session, and the always-fun Strolling Olympics taking place Saturday night after the show.

Finally, the Grande Banquet Wednesday evening will include a cabaret show featuring three acts: Steve Daly, Dania, and Charlie Frye and Company. This is the only place you will be able to see these performers doing these acts. The charge for the Grande Banquet is only forty-five dollars, which includes a scrumptious Southern-style dinner! The banquet and show are each worth forty-five dollars -- to get both for that is a terrific bargain!

shimada250.jpgIf you have registered already and would like to add the Grande Banquet, or if you want extra tickets for the three evening shows, you can go to www.magician.org/portal and click on the Convention icon.

All the daily events and banquet will take place at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center; our special evening shows will all be held next door in the Acuff Theater. 
There is still time to enter the youth and adult stage and close-up contests. You may apply online at www.magician.org/portal and click on the competition icon. You may also phone the contest chairman, Don Greenberg, at (330) 457-2345.

Some of the biggest and brightest names in magic will be attending this Convention. Come meet them in person and see many of them in action, including a special performance by our special honoree, Shimada, who will be honored for his fifty years in magic.
See you there!