I just spent a couple of days at the 2010 IBM Convention in San Diego. It was a total blast with great shows and contests. I wish that I could have stayed longer but my show schedule required me to return to Los Angeles.
Some thoughts on the recent convention.
The 7:30 am start time on Wednesday for the stage contest seemed impossibly early (especially since I arrived at the hotel at 4:30 am). But rising early proved to be well worth it. The stage contest featured plenty of mylar flowers, silk streamers and dancing canes and hundreds of produced cards, yet with only a couple hours of sleep, I was impressed by the contestants and entertained by their performances.
I particularly enjoyed the fast and flashy style of Jeremy Pei who demonstrated lots of flair in his linking ring routine. He shined as he desperately recovered from disaster - a tipped table and scattered props. (He was given another opportunity to perform and did make the finals.)
New York's Reuben Moreland performed an amazing ball manipulation routine that featured a drinking glass, juggling and more. I like his freewheeling style and engaging stage presence. Japan's Hana showcased a stunning transformation into a young girl who performed an amazing dancing cane sequence. I thoroughly enjoyed Jimmy H., a Los Angeles magician, who talked about past loves as he poured a multitude of drinks from a milk carton. His routine was the best scripted and a welcome change from the many musical acts.
While it evoked Arthur Trace, a routine by an engaging South Korean performer did an excellent job of characterizing a hip graffiti artist that interacted with his street paintings. There was an intriguing performance by an artist that involved the manipulation of lights and interaction with lamps. With the many parasols, dancing canes and silks on display, my favorite routine of this type was by Beijing's Yan Yan who caused his produced parasols to spin and soar off the stage.
I unfortunately missed the bulk of the close-up contestants. Among the acts that I saw my favorite was Sweden's Johan Stahl who not only displayed impressive technical skills, but added lots of humor that was complete with a running gag. I also witnessed excellent performances by: Nathan Gibson, Ben Jackson and Shin Lim.
Dealer's Room
No visit to a magic convention is complete without a visit to the dealer's room. 
I spoke with Card-Shark's Christian Schenk who was showing off a new "parlour" sized set of playing cards that are designed for increased visibility (pictured). Despite the larger size, I could still perform with the deck just about everything that I do with regular bikes except for one-handed cuts.
Card-Shark was also offering a new take on "Trilogy" with its "Phoenix" "Double-Decker" and a cool new effect, "Get Sharky," where a spectator freely chooses a card that immediately vanishes from the deck and the magician produces on the table. Schenk called it a performance by a "one-handed" magician as he kept one hand out of play during the entire routine.
For vendors who introduced new products at the IBM convention, please email me here so I may potentially mention your products.
A True "Show" Case
The Thursday night show at the Balboa Theater truly rocked. Kenji Minamura was a total class act with stunning skills and an engaging and polished stage presence and routine. All I can say is "wow!" Jeff Hobson is causing me to rethink my idea of who is the funniest comedy magician out there. Normally I would name Dana Daniels or Ed Alonzo, but Hobson's performance was absolutely hysterical. I haven't laughed that hard and loud in a long time (my apologies to those seated around me.)
The biggest surprise of the evening for me was the amazing performance by illusionist Rick Thomas. Prior to this, I had only seen Thomas on television. But I discovered that watching him live was an entirely different experience.
Something that his TV appearances don't convey is his comedy, a hilarious take on some deep seated resentment, as well as his intriguing invitation to the audience to participate in "his dream." Thomas provided a stunning conclusion to a well rounded and thoroughly entertaining show. The Wednesday night production was one of the best magic shows and line-ups that I have seen in a long time.
Finally, thank you to all who took the time to say "hello" and introduce yourselves, as well as for your kind words about my work here at About.com and for Reel Magic Magazine. I enjoyed meeting you.
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