I've never been, and I was just wondering what the schedule had been like in the past years. I know it ends on a Saturday, but are there shows and things on Saturday night? How late do the shows go? I'm trying to make hotel reservations I'm thinking I should plan to check out on Sunday?

Absolutely wait til Sunday. Saturday night is a big party all through the hotel. Jep does an amazing job in that the celebs and the joes are pretty much equal stature - wanna hang with one of your magic idols? This is the convention to do it!

Thanks!

Posted: Oct 19, 2008 1:07am
Just out of curiosity, does everyone dress up for this?

Depending on weather, shorts / t-shirt or jeans / t-shirt.... standard convention wear.

***************REMEMBER IT IS IN OHIO IN FEBRUARY !!!!! **************
We have had beautiful sunny weekends and we have had 12 inches of snow ! plan accordingly.
I've got some pretty neat things planned for the headliner show this year - A few new things with lighitng and special effects !
Hope to see al of you there !
Please do not hesitate to email me if you need anything before your trip to Central Ohio.
Best,
Steven

Thanks guys!
I had to laugh at the reminder that it's in OHIO in FEBRUARY; I live in CA... and haven't been in snow in years!

This will actually be the first time I've been anywhere really cold in the dead of winter. So I should be easy to spot... just look for a SHIVERING chickie who'll probably be wearing a full ski jacket INSIDE the hotel!

SillverFoxx,

Have no fear! This Alabama redneck will also be braving the snows of the great north in Ohio. I will be there in the dealers' room at the booth for DoveLite Silk.

Frost warnings send us running for cover in Alabama. I usually work the Gulf Coast in January and February so I can still wear short sleeve shirts. I may even have to wear shoes in Ohio! LOL

We will also be the ones that they can spot with a winter tan. (I'm sure they won't have watermelon.)

I hope that they do magic with silk instead of wool! (Got a clue?)

I look forward to seeing you there.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Shoes!? Oh man... I'm going to have to buy shoes?? This trip is going to be more expensive than I thought...

SillverFoxx,

What size shoes do you wear? Maybe we could get just one pair and take turns wearing them outside! It'll save us both money.

(I'm not sure I could wear shoes all day anyway.)

Bubba Whodini

Quaker Steak Wings (Louisiana Lickers please)

Just saw the new update on talent. This is really starting to shape up as a nice talent list and should be a great fest. Now only if they could get a comparable list of good dealers to match the good talent.

I've been to 20 fests and I can honestly only remember 3 years where it didn't snow. But it's usually worth it. This year's line up is shaping up to be great. But I do agree with Michael that the dealers need an overhaul. The dealers room was always my favorite back in the Collector's Workshop days but for the last five years, other than Mark Mason, the dealers have been weak to say the least.

Eric,

Can you tell us your take on the differences in a weak and strong dealers' room?

Although I have 47 years in magic, and have been in the import business since 1969, this will be my first time in the dealers' room and at Magi-Fest. (I am the magicians' silk importer.) Should I avoid that identification? My alternative is the Gulf Coast and I can certainly continue to avoid the unpleasant weather up north.

Actually, I was looking very forward to Magi Fest. My professional magician friends recommend it very highly.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

In the old days of Magi Fest, the dealers were much stronger. It was not all the same thing and mainly guys who made the stuff not just sold it.

I know because Marshalls was there for over 50 years and I did 25 years before all the politics got involved.

Richard

It sounds fun.Always wanted to go.

Bob, my comment about the dealers was purely subjective. Some may like the dealers the way they currently are, but for me, I think they have gotten weaker because: 1) other than Mark Mason and Elmwood, hardly anyone demos their products; and 2) other than Mark and Elmwood, no one brings new stuff. It's nice to go through bargain bins, but it gets old year after year. With the flood of new stuff on the market, it would be nice to see more current material.

Eric,

Life is subjective! You are entitled to your "purely subjective" opinions. You are also a consumer. As an old graduate school marketing professor I only deal with the objectives of consumers catering to their "purely subjective" opinions. (Magicians do too if they admit it!)

I certainly agree with you about the need for demos. In fact, unless dealer lectures are part of the convention, I rarely go as a dealer to a convention again after the first one. Since I am the importer and not a retailer, the dealer lecture usually changes sales to the point that I consider the effort a success or failure. Otherwise, I am just meeting new retailers. (For me there are advantages in that too. For most in the dealer room, retailing is their only option because they are selling products from someone else.)

Unfortunately, I don't share your belief in the vast supply of new stuff. I doubt that I really see a couple of new things a year and I travel to magic conventions, clubs and shops constantly (1000 to 2000 miles a week is not rare) as a lecturer.

Mostly "NEW" is repackaging old tricks with new names. Normally it is just a new item to that group of magicians. There are more new applications of old stuff. As an importer, I discontinue and reintroduce products. The latest thing in silks is the good 2mm hem from China and that is decades old. For many years it was simply against the law to import good silk from China to the USA, so we got behind in the technology that we don't have. (You are a hospital attorney. You have to deal with the reality that medicine in the USA lags the leaders in the world by about 30 years. My physician wife finds it a problem too. Magic tricks are also seldom American in origin.)

Professional marketers call this "diffusion of innovation" and frequently use it in determining pricing strategies to "skim" the market and get the customers who will pay the most to be the first to buy. ("Current" is a controllable variable in marketing!) It certainly works well.

Remember that at conventions the audience is ambitious magicians, not ticket buying customers for an evening of entertainment. Audiences pay the greatest ticket prices to go enjoy "Greatest Hits". It is just a fact of the entertainment industry. It is one of the realities that makes it hard for a new act to get recognition. (It is no wonder that the world's greatest musicians play Classics! Others have to do something else. Now you know why I left the music business. LOL)

Richard introduced another measure too. That is if the product offering is simply one of distribution of stock products or is it a case of the vendors being the producers of the props. That may have some special meaning to some convention goers. None of the silk products I offer existed until I had them made for DoveLite but we also sell Vernet items too.

Is a Line of Silks, Walk-Around Silk to Egg, THIS (Improved), or a silk streamer bought directly from me worth any more (or less) than one bought from a retailer who is also my wholesale customer? That is "purely subjective" and measured in the customer's tea cup. The customer is always right!

How can I please you at Magi Fest? I look forward to it.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

PS --- The good news is that at conventions, I charge you the same prices I do the retailer. But what is money among magicians?

I don't have a problem with people that specialize in one product such as silks or books. One of my favorite dealers at Magi-Fest is Andy Greget with his large selection of books. I agree with Eric on the Mark Mason's and Elmwood Magic. I think that is from the standpoint of engaging the customer and demoing the products. Even Joe Lefler who brings high end merchandise sells a lot because of how engaging and friendly he is with the customers. I have spent almost $4000 with Joe over the past few Fests that I was not planning on spending but he had some new equipment and did a great job selling me on it.

My best of memories of Magi-Fest were the days of Mark Mason, Al Cohen, Collectors Workshop and the MAGIC Connection. (Little bias on my part as I was one of the demonstrators at the MAGIC Connection booth, but I know I was exhausted at the end of the weekend from non-stop demos.) These were the shops that were drawing the crowd and selling out of their products.

I have heard some dealers complain that they don't turn a profit at Magi-Fest and they are the same ones that just stand there and really don't engage the customer at all...just stare at them as they peruse the table and chat with the other dealers. I know I have mentioned this before but I am convinced that there is no way the old guard dealers that bring the same stuff every year are breaking even at Magi-Fest. In fact, I have to be convinced they put all the stuff in a box marked Magi-Fest and take it back home and the next year, bring that same box with no new stuff added to it. If you were to ask me the week before the convention to put together a list of what some of the dealers will have on their table, I could do it in detail. I am not saying this about all dealers, but a quarter need to be rotated out and make way for some dealers that have told me they would love to come to the Fest but have been turned away for lack of space.

After attending some IBM National Conventions and MAGIC Live, I have an idea of what makes a successful dealers room. If the same registrants come to your convention every year, and the same dealers bring the same tired stuff, what motivation is there for the people to go into the dealers room?

As Bob said......just my subjective opinion.

Michael,

I see a lot of conventions that apply your logic. Some don't allow a dealer to come two years in a row.

As a dealer, I have seen successes both ways. Being a repeat dealer usually increases sales one year after another. However, some never become profitable, inspite of increasing sales. I am convinced that being at a location a week is seldom any more productive for the vendor than a two-day convention.

Like you, I do expect personal attention. Otherwise, why not wait for the catalog?

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

OMG it's gonna SNOW??? HOW FUN!!!

I hope it snows... I'll make sure to bring a sweater and mittens.

SillverFoxx-

I live in Columbus and stay at the hotel till Sunday- it's well worth it. Regarding the snow, a sweater and mittens are good, but it's your shoes that will kill you- last year, a very short trip to get to the bus taking us to the evening show proved difficult for a lot of folks.

Would you like to receive my winter clothing rental brochure???