There is a very special magic happening this July that we want to be sure you know about.
There are lots of magic conventions but there is only ONE I.B.M. Annual Convention each year and it is in Norfolk, Virginia this year. The I.B.M. held the world’s first magic convention in Kenton, Ohio in 1922 and the Norfolk Convention will be the 84th I.B.M. Annual Convention – that’s every year except the four years during World War II! The I.B.M. is the World’s largest magic organization and its annual conventions are the world’s best magic conventions.
The I.B.M. knows how to produce a magic convention. The I.B.M. convention committee has the most successful convention experience of any group in magic. The I.B.M. “reinvented” the convention last year in Dallas and will upgrade its convention this year in Norfolk to a new edition that is bigger and better than ever before. Here are a few of the things in store for those lucky enough to attend the Norfolk convention:
Each attendee gets a special PASSPORT to magic. Not only does this passport gain you entry to all the events at the convention and the Schedule of Events – it also has a space for each dealer to stamp when you visit their booth. These dealer stamps will be your passport to special magic gifts and drawings for other magic prizes. This PASSPORT gains you entry to the Dealer’s Room which opens at 2 pm on Tuesday afternoon and a special first night Welcome Party and Show plus the first of 10 Lectures at 10 PM on Tuesday evening. That is more than a year’s worth of magic lectures at one convention! Your PASSPORT takes you to a unique I.B.M. event – the ever popular BIG THREE EVENT – Three different events repeated on three consecutive days for a third of the attendees each event to enhance your enjoyment and viewing of the event. The Norfolk Big Three events include Paul Gertner and his one man show – Ten Fingers; A special lecture by Wayne Houchin; and a Close-Up show by six of magic’s best close up masters including – David Acer, John Bannon, Hannibal, Dani DaOrtiz, Master Payne, & Geoff Williams. The close-up rooms will have elevated seating to improve the viewing angles for the audience.
The optional Grand Banquet (and extra charge event) will feature the incomparable Chris Capehart – a magic performance who simply has no equal! A special Youth Showcase Show featuring a lineup of specially invited young magic talents will give attendee a very special look at the stars of tomorrow.
The Gold Medal Finals will feature not only the finalist competition but also Magic Master of the magical m.c.s – Rich Bloch and special guest star George Saterial reprising his own Gold Medal winning performance. Already booked for the Gala Finale Show are Justin Flom, Vlad Kryvonogov, Chip Romero, and Arthur Trace with more acts to be named.
Long time magic show producer and star in his own right – Dale Salwak – is producing an I.B.M. exclusive – Stars of Asia Gala Stage Show – which will open the three nights of shows in the beautiful Chrysler Hall Theatre at the Norfolk Scope. Already announced for this special show are the FISM award winning acts of the beautiful Juliana Chen from China, Yuji Yasuda from Korea, and Ma YanYan from China. Also on this show is Hou Kai, an absolutely unbelievable juggler, and the Butterfly Lovers with their aerolistic artistry.
Continuing in the theme of the S.I.G. sessions at the Dallas Convention, the Norfolk Convention will offer its own streamlined version The Magic Six Pack which will provide a small group special focus on a selected magic topic. Your Norfolk PASSPORT to magic will permit you to choose from David Acer – Making of the TV show Mystery Hunter; Rich Bloch – Being a better MC; Hannibal – Theater and Magic; Master Payne – Theming of Magic; T. J. Shimeld – Walter B. Gibson and The Shadow; and Geoff Williams – Comedy in Magic.
In addition to all these lectures, shows, and special events are the preliminary competitions for the stage and close-up prizes and the right to compete in the finals for the Gold Medal, the Gold Cups and the over $17,000 in cash and other prizes bringing the total value of awards to over $20,000.
In view of continuing economic conditions, the convention registration fee has been lowered to $250 which is much lower than other major magic conventions this year. A special convention room rate of $99 is available at the Norfolk Marriott, our host hotel and also at the nearby Sheraton Waterside Hotel if you prefer a waterside room. Very reasonable restaurants for breakfast and lunch are available directly across the street from the convention and a host of excellent restaurants are available very nearby for dinner.
Finally, Norfolk is an ideal convention location for a family vacation. If driving to this convention across the Commonwealth of Virginia families will be able to visit historic sites where America began including three major sites within an hour of Norfolk – Jamestown – the site of the first permanent English settlement in North America, Yorktown – where American independence was won, and Williamsburg – where Colonial America still exists. Attractions such as Busch Gardens, Water Country USA, and Virginia Beach are also nearby. Within an easy walk of the hotels are the Nauticus Museum, USS Wisconsin, and the Douglas MacArthur Memorial. The nearby MacArthur Mall hosts a wide variety of shops and restaurants.
Simply put, the Norfolk I.B.M. Convention is THE MAGIC CONVENTION to attend in 2012! It is the sleeper convention of the year. Come to Norfolk where we know how to produce a magic convention just for you. Norfolk is your PASSPORT to magic in 2012!
See you there!
I.B.M. Norfolk Convention Committee
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