It has for me. Its all about how you market yourself.

Bairefoot

Take a look at Stan Allen's "From the editor" entitled Commerical in Novembers Magic Magazine. He has a good take on this very subject.

Ms.M

I don't think it helps in the real world of bookings. Perhaps, it gives you some kind of credentials and gives people more confidence to hire you but I don't see any big jump in my phone ringing after winning a contest, but then again I've only won local contests.

I agree that sometimes its all in how you market yourself. I just got show because of a poster a friend made in jest for me, after I was disqualified from a local SAM close up contest by a panel of 4 judges. They said my act was not a close up act even though it was 99% sleight of hand with small objects.
I don't know I throught close up magic is where your supposed to show your skill
with sleight of hand, but I must be wrong.

There is too much polotics and shenanigans at least in my area, especially at one club in particular. Ballots thrown in the trash before the announcements of winners is even made, judges not judging by the criteria sheets they were given and throwing the criteria sheets in the trash before the contest is even over. People just voting for their friends who do simple acts a 10 year old can learn in 10 minutes. People loading up the place with friends and family who are allowed to vote that night,People winning big trophies for routines copied trick for trick,word for word, from a video. I've seen it all. This makes me think these accolades are all very worthless.

The chorus of critcs is also very entertaining. I've seen people who couldn't do a french drop trying to give advice to someone like me, or a better example Peter Pitchford, a guy who is the best manipulator really in our entire region. Really? Your going to critique a guy like Peter on his card manipulation act when you can't even manage a double lift yourself? Your kidding me right? Its just ridiculous.

The real thing you can gain from contests is more experience, more confidence,
and participating is a sure fire way to find out exactly who the !@^holes at your local clubs are.

As a good friend of mine likes to say,

"Not that I'm bitter"

Steven

I used to participate in a lot of contests and can honestly say that I got work as a direct result. At the larger conventions there are people who book several different tours/variety shows. But the most important part of a contest, is that it forces us procrastinators to actually put an act together. A lot can be said negative about contests but the people you meet and the pressure cooker experience is immeasurable.

This would be incorrect.

Lance's success is a direct result of the FISM act. After winning he got a gig doing the "birds" at strip club called The Body Shop. Folks from the Tonight Show saw him there and Johnny Carson had him do the full act on his TV show. The Tropicana then hired him to do the "birds" on their show and he has to convince them after several years to allow him to do a box or two. Even when Lance opened his own show, which he funded, at the Hacienda he started the show with the FISM act that won him the recognition it took to get ahead. Go see his show today and a portion of the FISM act is still in the first ten minutes of his show ...

Heres a great piece of trivia: The photo of Lance with the FISM trophy is really a photo of him with the Tropicana Staff Bowling trophy!

Sincerely,

Shawn Farquhar

He's a great bowler too??

Jim

Truth is Mandarin, that the hotel promotion department didn't think the award he had been presented was prestigious enough in appearance. Until 2006 FISM allowed the organizers of the event to create their own version of the award, so no two years were the same. In my first year at FISM they presented small metal tulips ...

The new award, presented since 2006, is outstanding and now reflects the image of the most prestigious award in magic.

cheers,

shawn

There are FAR many award winners that it did almost nothing for than it has risen to stardom.

Which does beg the question that if you had not won the awards Shawn, would you have been better off or worse off? Obviously there is no way to know but it has always been my experience that people who rise to success do so because of who they are. It is those traits that helped you to win the competitions, it is those traits that keep you at the top of the game. The two go hand in hand really if you think about it.

Same with Lance.

But there are LOTS of guys who win, who are not so successful now arren't there? How many competitions are there every year? LOTS of winnners, and how many capatalise off of that sort of thing?

Also I think you will admit that even after winning, there is still a LOT of work to do right?

Interesting insight, Shawn, thanks for that.

I agree, Danny that success at competition does not guarantee stardom. But I do believe it creates opportunity- what one does with that is an individual matter depending on whether or not the person holds the other qualities necessary for success.

I know a man who can drive a golf ball straight and far with nearly 100% consistency, yet can not compete on the pro tour due to a putting inconsistency...

Hi Danny,

All that you say is true.
Winning the lottery doesn't mean you will always be rich either.
It's just a tool for your future.
When I initially answered Neale's thread question:

I wanted to make it clear that it can be all about the bottom line.
Several folks seemed to think it was ego, which I suspect is true of a few, but those few usually lose.
The best thing I have ever got from a contest was the friendships that will last a lifetime.
Most of my best magic friends were also my competition at some time in my life.

cheers,

shawn

Opportunity is only what you make of it. Shawn could have sat back and waited for the phone to ring, and on some level much lower than he has risen to it would have. BUT he pushed and pushed and is a successful person because that is who he is. It is that SAME trait that would make him a successful car wash owner, building manager, or wall street broker or whatever he chose to do. There are people who will push themeslf to success no matter WHAT field they choose to be in.

At Magifest the winner, and sometimes second place, are usually hired to perform the following year. My son won second and opened the show the following year. My son competed for a few years and won several awards. He has never as much as mentioned it to a client. He was hired to perform at several conventions after his wins.

However, the larger gain is the experience of performing under pressure and setting goals. Setting goals and then working to fulfill them helped him tremendously.

I have competed several times to do just as Bob Sanders said, to protect and document ideas.

If you know why you are competing it can be very valuable.

It can make it possible for you to be out of work at a higher price.