Magic Tricks

The lineup was great. There were some very unfortunate technical issues throughout the show and lectures with the cameras used. They were using GoPro cameras and whoever ran them couldn't figure out which one to turn the display to, so many times the magician would have to literally freeze in place in front of the close-up camera while waiting for them to switch it over to it, then it would immediately be switched back to a long view and we'd have to wait again. The second day they gave up on the front camera and just had the close-up one, but it seemed like every performer had to constantly adjust it to make it show what they wanted.

They did say it was their first time doing the convention so there was a learning curve, so hopefully they bring better cameras next time or figure out how to keep a close-up one on at all times so the performers can do their magic without having to constantly adjust. It's weird too because the Penguin Live lectures seem to flow seamlessly to the best angles.

The dealer area was a little cramped at time due to the small size of the room, but the mini-lectures given seemed to relieve some of the pressure as folks left to see them. The fact that both rooms were side-by-side and connected helped a lot to keep everything convenient.

The stand-out lecture to me was Dan Harlan's. He concentrated more on the motivation behind tricks rather than just "watch this...here's how it's done" like you get from most other lectures at conventions like these. His lecture was the perfect mix of theory and trick explanation. The other lectures were great too, but I made the most notes from listening to Dan's ideas.

And of course, Michael Weber's booth was jam-packed all day long. Never miss the chance to buy some of his products because all of them are top quality material. But to be honest, there were no wasted spaces in the dealers room. Every booth had something unique and amazing to offer.

For the price, I would consider this a "must attend" convention. It went on for the perfect amount of time with just enough stuff scheduled to allow you to have some down time to just chat with other magicians without missing something important. Despite the technical issues, I would go again next weekend if they did another one close by. Don't miss out if this comes to your area!