883: Blackpool 2025 - Day One Report

Time stamps for this episode:

00:00:17 – We arrive in Heathrow Airport in London while awaiting other friends to arrive.

00:05:53 - Paul Stone was our host in LIverpool and rides with us on the train to Blackpool. He will be a presenter at the convention as he talks about Siegfried and Roy. You can learn more about Paul from our chat in Episode #715.

00:13:07 - Mumfo Marzouki is a listener to the podcast and resides in Saudi Arabia. He tells us what he is anxious to see here and why he came all this way just for the convention.

00:16:14 - Harry Merlin Piper, the 14 year old who won the Magic Circle Young Magician of the Year, and his father, Rodney James reside in Spain where he operates the House of Illusion. He offers a special deal to listeners of this podcast, so be sure to listen to this episode.

00:22:25 - Dave Magee, from Cancun, complains about the long line in the cold while waiting to get his registration packet. David is an accomplished mentalist and performer who worked closely with Johnny Thompson. You can hear more from David in our chat in Episode #593.

00:24:37 - David Plant is one of the members of the Blackpool Magic Club who organized this convention and is the first booth (stand) you see when you register for this convention. David gives us some history about this event during our chat.

00:30:54 - Tim Trono is a creator, consultant, and dealer who is now with Penguin Magic for the past 12 years and was with Murphy’s Magic for about 14 years.

00:36:18 - Roger Nicot recently passed away (just before the convention) and he was a dealer who was often seen at conventions around the world. He worked with Christian Schenk at Card Shark for almost 18 years. During that time, the two grew to be as close as brothers. In this conversation, Christian tells us about his last few days they were together and reliving memories of some of their happier moments.

00:42:27 - Uwe Schperlich, from Munich, Germany, tells us that regularly attends Blackpool. He gives his perspective of the convention and is not overly happy with having to choose between events to attend while missing others he wanted to see.

00:50:19 - Hugh Irwin is attending his first Blackpool convention and gives us a “first timer’s” perspective.

00:57:27 - Jay Mattioli is another of the presenters this year at Blackpool and tells us perspective of what he’s doing and what is in his lecture.

01:05:55 - My friend from Glasgow, Scotland, Peter McLanachan has been attending this convention and gives us his perspective of the Dan Sperry / Klek Ectos show. To hear more about Peter, please visit our conversation on Episode #152.

01:13:30 - Dan Sperry is one of the performers and lecturers and talks about his experience of getting booked for this convention. Dan was just heading out for the U.S. where he will be working at the Magic Castle and at Jeff Hobson’s place.

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882: Fifth Dimension - Safety First and Always

Jeff Burns and Ivor Smith together are known as the Fifth Dimension who specialize in giving “magically enhanced presentations” to corporations around the world. In particular, they use magic for safety training sessions. There are many people who are in the business of motivational speaking and training, but few who focus on one area of training by using magic to help employees to remember key safety precepts. They travel the world to train employees with their unique style and method, always networking and making new contacts for the next opportunity.

If you are more of a visual person, then you might enjoy watching our conversation that was recorded over Zoom.

In this episode, Jeff and Ivor don’t hold back on giving the secrets of their success with tips on how others can replicate their business model. There is enough business in the world to go around to the magic community. They suggest that you don’t have to focus on safety, but there are training seminars that every large corporation puts on for their employees that needs facilitators. So why not use a magician to make those sessions both educational and fun while being memorable, too! One of the takeaways in this podcast is the quote from Jeff who reminds us that when companies cut back on their entertainment budgets, they don’t cut their training budgets. So, there are always opportunities for magicians to get “a piece of the corporate pie” by using magic to train their employees.

881: John Graham - Magician of First Resorts

Winner of the Most Valuable Performer at the 2023 TRICS convention, John Graham is more than just a triple threat. He is a creator, author, performer, and lecturer who has worked with Asi Wind on their book “Between Friends” which was a sellout at the 2023 Magifest. John is also the author of the best selling magic book, “Stage by Stage” that is heralded by many professional like Mac King, David Blaine, Jim Steinmeyer, and others. John is a frequent performer at high end resorts and has tapped into a market where many magicians have yet to tread.

In this episode, John gives us some advice on how to go about finding and working in fashionable resorts. There is also an interesting perspective on moving from close-up to parlor/stage. He also gives us some great tips gleaned from his lecture that will definitely help your marketing efforts. John is a creative magician who is unafraid of sharing his “pet effects.” So many great and practical ideas are shared in his book, “Stage by Stage” that it is no wonder that Vanishing, Inc. can’t keep them in stock.

883: Blackpool 2025 - Day One Report

882: Fifth Dimension - Safety First and Always

881: John Graham - Magician of First Resorts

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