“It was David Blaine’s first TV Special that inspired us to see magic as a visual art. Our style and even magic as it’s perceived today is owed to his influence.”

As organizers of Magic-Con, we are honored and privileged to announce that David Blaine will be joining us for our breakthrough 2010 conference. We have arranged a very special interview with Blaine and we’d like to include all of you.

Here’s how:
We know not everyone will be able to make it to Magic-Con this year and therefore, have decided to open up part of our interview for questions gathered online. There are two ways to participate:

1. Join us at this years conference and ask your question in person.
2. Submit your question online right now by making a video and submitting it here.

You read that right – simply make a short video of yourself asking YOUR question for David Blaine. What would you ask David if you had the chance? We will choose the best of the best questions to be asked at the conference – and answered live by DB.

Be sure to enter your email address correctly on the submission form. If your question gets asked, we will try to email you to let you know! Limit of three submissions per person, so make it count. Video quality does not matter, and submissions should be posted on YouTube, Vimeo, or other popular video sharing site. Make sure David can see it and hear your question clearly.

All questions must be submitted on or before Thursday, March 18th at 11:00pm EST. Good luck!

Sincerely,
Dan and Dave

If you are a magician and would like to be involved in this special event, please contact us.

We had no idea that we were going to get the response we received. In one short week, 162 posts and submissions filled our forum thread. News of the contest spread to iTricks, Facebook, Twitter, and InterwebTubes, and the stories starting pouring it. It was a privilege to read each and every one of them – so much so that we took an extra three days just to make sure we had given each a fair review.

The stakes were high. On the line was an all expense paid trip to the conference, with hotel included. For many of you, we realize that this had the potential to be a life changing experience: meeting the brightest minds this industry has to offer, all under one roof, all in one weekend. Your stories were humbling, and each was proof of your passion, determination, and dedication to this artform. As we mentioned before – regardless of if you win this particular contest or not, keep that passion up. I promise, I promise that it will pay off in the long run.

More thought and energy was put into judging this contest than anything we’ve posted before. We shared your entries with countless presenters and artists – from our crew here in the USA all the way to Luis de Matos in Portugal. Our choice, although difficult, was unanimous. While the contest did not require that you had to be creative, we asked you to show us that you mean it and stand out from the crowd. One submission in particular really, truly jumped out at each of us. And tonight, we announce him as our Magic-Con{test} 2010 Grand Prize Winner. Please join us in congratulating Ben Jackson for his submission and his win here tonight.

If you didn’t take home the prize, we do hope with sincerity that you keep up the passion and dedication you showed us and shared with us this week. And if you can’t make it to Magic-Con this year, don’t worry – we plan for this to be a long term venture for the advancement of the art. And there is always, and will always be, next year.

Jonathan Bayme
Dan & Dave Buck

1. Adam B. (New York, NY)
2. Billy G. (Fayetteville, AR)
3. Brian H. (San Jose, CA)
4. Robert L. (Lexington, AL)
5. Andrew M. (Pico Rivera, CA)
6. Andy R. (New York, NY)
7. Samuel R. (Riverside, CA)
8. Michael S. (Roanoke, VA)
9. Stan S. (Cupertino, CA)
10. Jonathan T. (San Diego, CA)
11. Alfonso V. (Mexico City)

Recently, Theory11 held a very special contest asking aspiring magicians from all over the world why they should be at Magic-Con. Why is this contest special? Because the winner will receive an all expense paid trip to Magic-Con 2010 in San Diego, CA.

To find out if you’re one of the 11 VIPs, or the winner of Theory11’s SNC, join us this Monday at 11pm EST when we make these announcements.

From our sponsor Theory11, comes their largest Saturday Night Contest prize ever posted – a free, all expense paid trip to Magic-Con 2010. See instructions on how to enter in this video and post your submission on their website here.

For those of you planning to register, or have already registered but have not booked your room at The Hilton Bayfront, please do so before February 17th in order to be guaranteed our discounted room rate.

Information on booking your room is included with your registration confirmation email. If you have any question, please contact us.

Jordan Reimer is an amazingly talented 17 year-old songstress based in San Diego, CA. Her acoustic styling and indie-pop songs are a breath of fresh air in the music industry. Her music and style is always evolving and offer a new and entertaining listening experience for every song. You’ll never get lost, or forget that it’s Jordan Reimer.

www.jordanreimer.com

We are delighted to announce a new sponsorship from one of the most internationally respected organizations in magic, The Academy of Magical Arts. World famous for their clubhouse, The Magic Castle® in Hollywood, California, The Academy of Magical Arts is an exclusive organization, “which promotes the art of magic, encourages fellowship and maintains the highest ethical standards.”

It is an honor for us to have the support from such a prestigious organization, one which we admire for its ongoing contributions to the art.

Through their generosity, everyone in attendance will receive an honorary 30-day membership into the Academy of Magical Arts which grants access into The Magic Castle®, including their vast library. We therefore encourage all of you to plan some extra time during your stay in Southern California this March in order to visit this spectacular club.

The first event of Magic-Con 2010 will begin Thursday evening at 7pm, registration is expected to open around 4pm, however, will remain open throughout the weekend for those arriving late. The last event of Magic-Con will end late Sunday afternoon with a closing ceremony expected to begin at 5pm, and lasting no more than an hour.

Therefore, if you must leave Sunday evening, please try and book a later flight. The San Diego International Airport is about a 5 minute cab ride from the Hilton Bayfront Hotel. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.