The Blackpool Magic Convention 2022
After a few days of recovery, I'm ready to recap my experience at this year's Blackpool Magic Convention!
I had a fantastic time! I met some new friends (which was really the highlight), bought a ton of balloons and magic tricks, and had a couple of drinks.
So…
The Good
I made it in time for the kids entertainer competition, which was a lot of fun… I might enter in the future
The new registration area and theatre are very nice
Paul Zenon's hosting was pitch perfect. A little bit of magic and a lot of laughs
Personally, I thought being among 3000 attendees was a far more comfortable experience than being among 5000… maybe a cap on ticket sales wouldn't hurt?
People, in general, were friendly and pleasant… even when they weren't trying to sell you something
Saturday's Gala show, Topas’ lecture, Nikola Arkane's Fizz Wizz Pop lecture, and Topas' performance were worth the price of the whole weekend
The Not So Good
Sunday nights gala show, although good, wasn't for me. The escapology act and illusion act were very impressive, but not my thing really, and they took up a massive amount of the show. Although, I did enjoy seeing and meeting the host Paul Zerdin.
The cost of food and drink. I arrived in Blackpool thinking that I had enough money to treat myself, but most of my cash went on feeding myself, in and out of the Winter Gardens
Bitterness. Some of the gala acts were kids. The next generation of magicians. An important group to encourage. So many 'grown-ups' took to social media, proclaiming that “It's not fair that time on the main stage is being taken away from hard working pro's and given to kids”. They may have had a case, if the kids were up there doing tricks they found in a cheap magic set, stumbling over their words, forgetting their lines and looking awkward or nervous. But these kids are professionals!
Storm Eunice. I know it's no one's fault, and to be honest, other than an hour of poor visibility and slippery roads on the way through Cumbria, the weather didn't affect me too much. I know there were others though who had been delayed, in some cases by more than a day(!), on their way to the city.
That's just a (very) brief look back at what was a fantastic weekend, and I can't wait for the next one.
