431: 2018 I.B.M. Convention - Day One Update

Tuesday July 3, 2018

9 AM - 9 PM Lance Burton Teen Seminar

9 AM - 5 PM Dealer Load In

4:30 PM - 9 PM Early Bird Registration Open

5 PM - 7 PM Dealer's Room Open

7 PM - 8 PM EDF Distinguished Lecture - Gary Brown

9 PM - 10 PM Lecture - Rick Merrill

Wednesday July 4, 2018

8:30 AM - 9:30 AM Stage Contestants Meeting

9 AM - 10 AM Stage Contest Judges Briefing

9 AM - 12 NOON Registration Open

9:30 AM - 1 PM Lance Burton Teen Seminar

9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Stage Contest Rehearsal

8 AM - 10:30 AM Dealers last minute load in

10:30 AM - 5 PM Dealer's Room Open

11:00 AM I.B.M. Board Meeting

1 PM - 3 PM Stage Contest - Part 1

1 PM - 5 PM Registration Open

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Lecture - Pop Hayden

6:15 PM Autograph Session & Welcome Reception

7:30 PM - 9 PM Welcome Show/June Horowitz Honoree

10 PM - 11 PM Lecture - Steve Valentine

11:30 PM Eugene Burger Legacy Lecture

Larry Wilson Reveals Ford's New 2017 Escape from White Rabbit on Vimeo.

Nov. 19, 2015 UPDATE: Larry Wilson teamed up with Jimmy Kimmel co-host Guillermo and “YouTube sensation" Meghan Rienks to reveal the new 2017 Ford Escape. The Internet spot, filmed on Hollywood Boulevard across the street from the studio where ABCs latenight show Kimmel Live is shot, featured a vanish of the sidekick inside a “piñata of doom” and his distant reappearance. Wilson performed the trick at his Spellbinder convention on October 24 and the next day received a call from Kimmel’s people. Quick arrangements were made, the routine was rehearsed for two days, and then it was shot live on November 16.

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:02:45 - I.B.M. International President Bob Patterson and First Lady, Nancy Patterson

00:05:40 - Gay Blackstone talks about the new season of "Masters of Illusion" on the CW Network.

00:12:13 - Jeff McBride talks about the youth seminar

00:19:42 - Bill Cook also talks about the youth seminar.

00:26:25 - Larry Wilson will part of the upcoming show "Legends of Comedy Magic" on Thursday July 5th with Jeff Hobson, Michael Finney and Nick Lewin

00:47:57 - Tim Stolba with Iowa Magic Shop in the Dealer's Room talks about brick and mortar shops

00:52:37 - Lance Burton talks about his youth seminar that was held over the past couple days

00:58:17 - Keith Fields talks about working at magic theaters around the U.S.

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Season Five of MASTERS OF ILLUSION debuted on The CW Network Friday, June 29, 2018

304: Gay Blackstone, First Lady of Magic

Blackstone. An iconic name that means "magic". Well, okay, it may also mean a winery...but for us, it means "magic".

The name conjures up perhaps the last of the big traveling shows from legitimate theaters to Broadway. And Harry Blackstone, Junior's widow, Gay, continues that tradition by taking "Masters of Illusion" on the road and bringing it to an even wider audience each week on the CW television network. After being the wife and assistant for Harry Blackstone, Jr. for many years, she is now a producer, director, consultant, lecturer and author. She has made a mark of her own not only with the "Masters of Illusion" show, but also with the many awards she has earned including being named one of "2007 Hollywood's Women of Distinction" plus being the President of the Academy of Magic Arts.

Along with Harriet Jacobson and Robbie Willmarth, Gay also owns and operates the magic-themed jewelry company, BJW Magical Jewelers, which is often seen in the dealers' rooms at magic conventions.

Gay Blackstone is more than the widow of Harry Blackstone Jr. She is also a television and stage producer, director, consultant, lecturer and author. She was president of the Academy of Magical Arts and was named one of "2007 Hollywood's Women of Distinction" by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

On July 3, 2016, while attending the 88th I.B.M. conveintion in San Antonio, Texas, Gay Blackstone joined Scott Wells on the microphone to record a podcast for The Magic Word.

In our conversation, I learned that Gay was once one of the "Gold-Diggers" dancers on the Dean Martin Show before she met Harry. She also has some great stories about their summer retreats to Blackstone Island in Colon, Michigan and how important Abbott's Get Togethers are to her. She then talks about "Masters of Illusion" and a little about how the acts are selected. If you are interested in being on the TV or touring show, then first listen to this podcast.

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Stitcher by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

Looking for that special item? Perhaps a customized jewelry item might be in your future. Check out BJW Magical Jewelers.

Click the banner for more information on this year's Get Together and to register today!

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300: Day Two - 2016 I.B.M. Convention

Today began the first day of the the "Triple Treat" so named because each day the registrants are broken into three groups (by color) and attend an hour and a half of performances and lectures by three different magicians, one in each of three rooms each day: Richard Turner, Paul Vigil, and Brian Gillis. After the General Board Meeting, the second day of stage contests were held (which yielded a few finalists for Monday night's show). The afternoon lecture by Michael Ammar was another outstanding (and packed) event. The evening's "Magic Foolers Show" left something to be desired in that there were audio and visual problems. Plus the show would have been better received in a smaller venue probably back at the hotel ballroom. The final night's activity was a discussion with Jeff McBride and Eugene Burger talking about the 25 years of the Mystery School.

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:00:13 - Dealer Chairman, Terry Richison, talks about some of the cool things in the dealers' room.

00:08:34 - Past International President, Jep Hostetler, talks about attending the Richard Turner experience as part of the "Triple Treat"

00:10:28 - Attendee Greg Lancaster gives us his take on the Paul Vigil performance/lecture in the "Triple Treat".

00:12:08 - Jeff McBride and Eugene Burger talk about the many years they have taught the youth as part of the I.B.M. youth group activities each year.

00:16:55 - Harriet Jacobson and Gay Blackstone chat about their specialized magic jewelry sold through BJW Magical Jewelers which is one of the many dealers in the dealers' room this year.

00:22:24 - Past President of the British Ring, Brian Miller, talks about the upcoming British Ring convention.

00:26:45 - S.A.M. National President, David Bowers, talks about his year as President of that organization and some stories from the road. He is later joined by The Linking Ring Editor, Sammy Patrick Smith, and together they talk about the two organizations' journals, The Linking Ring and M.U.M. and the possible future of the magazines, joint conventions, and organizations.

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Stitcher by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

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