72nd British Ring IBM Convention
24th - 28th September 2008, Eastbourne
Update 13, 13th September 2008.
Bob Hayden, British Ring PRO

With less than two weeks before the start of Eastbourne 2008, this is the penultimate Convention News. If you still have to register please ensure that your application form either by post, email or PayPal reaches the Registration Officer Neville Johnson by Friday 19th September to enable him to acknowledge receipt of your registration before he leaves for Eastbourne. If you are hesitating about attending, a registration for either the whole Convention or a single day registration will be accepted at the Registration Desk situated in the Congress Theatre foyer from 10.30am Wednesday 21st September onwards. Meanwhile you can contact Neville by phone on 01202 873234 or by email at nevillejohnson25@aol.com. You can be assured of a warm welcome not only from the Ring’s Officers and Management Committee Members but also by your fellow magicians. For those of you for who will be experiencing their first National Magic Convention, it will be the one you will remember forever.

Important Announcements: The Registration Desk will be situated in the foyer of the Congress Theatre and not in the foyer of the Winter Garden as in previous years and as stated on your Registration receipt, the change being made after the receipts were printed. So go to the Congress Theatre foyer after 10.30am on Wednesday 24th September to pick up your registration pack, and then with your Registration Badge displayed you can be in the Theatre for the Opening Ceremony and Show at noon and later move to the Floral Hall for the lectures via the Congress Suite or Winter Gardens entrance. There will be members of the Security team on duty at both entrances.

When you study the convention programme you will notice that this year that none of the lectures are being repeated but in certain instances the timing of lectures coincide. It is the view of Paul Stone, Executive Convention Director that it is better to have more lectures and offer a choice than have fewer lectures and hope everyone will like them.

Having to make a choice only happens once each day. On Wednesday you can go to Oscar Munoz’s lecture ‘It’s all about the Entertainment’ that starts at 15.00 hours in the Congress Suite or Nick Einhorn’s ‘Very Practical Stuff You Probably Want To Do’ at 15.30 hours in the Floral Hall. Thursday morning you have Bill Herz’s lecture ‘The Business of Magic’ with the emphasis being on Corporate Magic at 11.00 hours followed by at 12.00 hours with a workshop ‘Magic in the Corporate World’ by Bill Herz, Michael Weber and Jeff Hobson in the Congress Theatre. It is expected that those of you who are Children’s Entertainers will be more interested to hear Mike Bent lecturing on Children’s Magic at 11.45 hours in the Floral Hall.

We know for certain where the Conventioneers will be going in Friday’s clash. The Finger Flickers will be heading en masse to the Floral Hall to listen to Derek DelGaudio and Jason England conduct a lecture/workshop in a ‘Hard Core Card Session’ while the remainder make for the Congress Theatre to learn from illusionists Kalin & Jinger. Both sessions are at 16.30 hours. As happens every year Convention Saturday afternoon you have to decide whether to learn a little more about ‘The History of Mystery’ at Eddie Dawes Collector’s Seminar or gain knowledge from a Star Lecturer. This year in particular you may have difficulty in choosing since the lecturer is Juan Tamariz. He starts at 14.00 hours in the Floral Hall to be followed by Guy Hollingworth at 16.00 hours. The seminar is at 15.00 hours in the Gold Room.

For your information the subject matter of the other lectures are:

Levent - ‘Stage Magic Manipulation’

Michael Finney - (photo above) ‘Secrets of a Professional Comedy Magician’

Jeff Hobson - Egg Bag Workshop. Those who have seen Jeff’s presentation of this classic effect rate it as one of the finest ever given. If you feature the Egg Bag in your act it would be advisable to have your egg bag with you.

Geoffrey Durham - ‘Finding the Magic Ingredient’. Exploring the techniques, which raise magic from one of someone showing off some tricks to a performing skill. This is a lecture that Geoffrey has prepared for this Convention.

Gene Anderson - ‘The Part-time Pro’s Personal Favourites’. Expect magic with newspaper.

We have already given you details of Friday night’s special Midnight audience with Juan Tamariz in the Jevington Room of the Lansdowne Hotel. At the same hour in the adjoining Alfriston Room of the Hotel Paul Wilson will be holding a special session. This event has to be limited to 40 people and if you want to attend tickets at £10 each will be available from the registration from 10.00am Thursday morning onwards. Paul Wilson is a world renowned expert on cons, scams and cheating methods, as well as one of the finest sleight-of-hand experts. As a con man Paul is unique having pulled more scams on real people than anyone in history – without taking a penny from his victims. Unlike professional thieves and swindlers, Paul cheats people to expose scams and protect the public. He is the star of the BBC show ‘The Real Hustle’ with “partners in crime”, Alexis Conran and Jessica Jane Clement.

In previous Convention News we have told you something about the Artistes and Lecturers who are participating in this year’s Convention. One of the shows we haven’t told you about is the ‘Stars of the Future’ on Sunday morning. The names of three acts have so far been released, Ed Hilsum, Sara Jade & Leah Mae and Megan Knowles-Bacon. Give these youngsters all the encouragement they deserve by being in the Congress Theatre. Remember the future of magic is in their hands.

Another area we have neglected to give you any information on is the Dealers Exhibition. If you go to the Dealers page on this website you can see the list of those who will be exhibiting. We urge you all to go and make an in depth examination of what they are offering. You may be able to find that very effect that gives your act that extra something special and makes you the most talked about magician of your area.

As we have said before in the Exhibition you will be able to satisfy your magical needs in whatever branch of the art you specialise. Props large or small, books, DVD’s or magical accessories are all there to be purchased. There will even be three Exhibitors who can fit you out with an outfit to perform in. And don’t be reluctant to ask the Dealer to demonstrate to you their latest miracle or any of their well tried and tested effects that they have on offer.

The Exhibition opens daily Thursday to Saturday from 9.00 hours to 17.00 hours. This year the Convention programme includes a dedicated slot for you to go and meet the Dealers on Thursday morning from opening time until 11.00 hours. This year they will not close on Friday morning while the British Ring Annual General meeting is being held. The Dealers come to support the British Ring Convention. Give them your support in return.

Contact PRO Bob Hayden on 023 8032 0277 or by email at bobring25@aol.com if you have any queries or want further information.

 

www.britishring.org.uk