*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Magic New Zealand®
* Proudly sponsored by International Entertainment Ltd (New
Zealand)
* www.magicnewzealand.com
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Issue Number: #1257
Date: Sunday 14th February 2016
Editor: Alan Watson QSM
www.watson.co.nz
E-mail: editor@magicnewzealand.com
================================
Hi here is the latest news
================================
1.
Editor's Message
2. MAGIC Live Is Only A Heartbeat Away From Selling Out
3. 60th Anniversary Of It's Magic!
4. Milt P Larsen's Blog
5. Content From Kids Entertainer Hub
6. The Magic Word Podcast - David Deeble - An Unnatural
Talent
7. Birthday Party Marketing - #390 - Kyle Peron
8. Broken Wand - Bob Brown
9. 2016 I.B.M. Convention - March 1st Price Increase
10. Paul Diamond - I Was Hacked!
11. Magician Effortlessly Control 24 Drones, Indoors
12. FISM 2018 Open For Registration
13. McBride's Magic And Mystery School
14. The Magic Compass
15. FCM Announces 2016 Convention Info
16. e-zine Archives
17. Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice
--------------------------------------------
1. Editor's Message
--------------------------------------------
If
you would like to read the Magic New Zealand e-zine in a
HTML format
go to: http://www.magicnewzealand.com/ezine-archive/2016-Jan-to-Dec-2016/1257-Feb14-2016.html
Remember
if you have any magic news drop me a line:
Editor@MagicNewZealand.com
-------------------------------------------
2. MAGIC Live Is Only A Heartbeat Away From Selling Out
--------------------------------------------
Message by Stan Allen, Editor of MAGIC Magazine
As
of this morning, there are only 59 spots left!
That
means MAGIC Live is only a heartbeat away from selling out.
Also,
this year we will not have registrations, day-passes, or
show tickets
available for sale at the event. So, if you're not already
registered,
please sign up today.
We
will be celebrating MAGIC Magazine's 25th Anniversary, so
it's going
to be quite the party.
Hope
to see you there!
MAGIC
Live!
August 14-17, 2016
Las Vegas, Nevada
MAGICmagazine.com/live
--------------------------------------------
3. 60th Anniversary Of It's Magic!
--------------------------------------------
Article forwarded on by Mel Kientz (US)
60th
anniversary of It's Magic! casts a spell Over the Cerritos
Center
for the Performing Arts
California
-The award-winning It's Magic! showcase enthralls and
entrances fans at the Cerritos Center for the Performing
Arts (CCPA) on
Sunday, March 13, 3:00 p.m. Tickets, starting from $40,
are available at
the CCPA Ticket Office and cerritoscenter.com or by calling
562-467-8818.
In
an all-new version of the longest-running magic production
in the
country, IT'S MAGIC! brings to the stage the biggest stars
in magic and
variety. With a cast of award-winning performers from around
the world -
including Hollywood's Magic Castle and Las Vegas - the extravaganza
leaves audiences speechless and spellbound with sleight-of-hand
illusions, stage tricks, and comedy and variety acts.
It's
"the best magic show in town!" cheers the Los
Angeles Times. The
CCPA lineup features magic masters Michael Grandinetti,
Kyle Knight &
Mistie, Dana Daniels, Victor & Diamond, and Mickey O'Connor.
The
widespread success of It's Magic!, which started as Hocus
Pocus in
1956, led to the birth of Hollywood's Magic Castle, a private
club for
magicians and magic enthusiasts that opened its doors in
1963. Audiences
were hypnotized by sold-out magic shows featuring legendary
masters of
illusions Harry Blackstone, John Calvert, Mark Wilson, Lance
Burton, and
Harry Anderson. It's Magic! has cast its spell over captivated
crowds on
the West Coast and beyond, including Hawaii, Arizona, California,
and
Washington.
Entertainment
Weekly called Michael Grandinetti "a great magician
who
can truly communicate with a TV audience." Grandinetti
has performed on
The World's Most Dangerous Magic II, Masters of Illusion,
and Don't Blink.
The
award-winning duo Kyle Knight & Mistie is based in Las
Vegas. They
are known for utilizing video screens to provide audiences
with close-up
views of their sleight-of-hand tricks and mental magic.
Funnyman-magician
extraordinaire, Dana Daniels is "rapid-fire, inventive
and very funny," hails the Los Angeles Times. With
his partner, the
"Psychic Parriot" Luigi, "It's an infectious
act from a fresh, magnetic
talent," praises the Orange County Register.
Voted
the best act for television by NHK the Japanese Broadcasting
Association, the award-winning Victor & Diamond is known
around the
world for its mesmerizing magic acts incorporating Jazz
music to set the
mood.
Mickey
O'Connor, embraced for his juggling, magic, and slapstick
comedy
skills, has appeared in Comedy Central's Tosh.0, America's
Got Talent
(Season 5), and the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. He studied
live
performance in France and England.
For
tickets or more information on the performance, call 562-467-8818
or
go to cerritoscenter.com.
This
article was released by the Cerritos Center for the Performing
Arts.
--------------------------------------------
4. Milt P Larsen's Blog
--------------------------------------------
Message by Milt P Larsen (US)
February
4, 2016 and I'm dictating this on my lovely Mac computer
from
our home in Santa Barbara. The reason I'm not on a train
writing my blog
is because on January 4th I checked into the Cottage Hospital
in Santa
Barbara to have a little plumbing job. It was heart valve
replacement
that had been recommended for a long time. Many years ago
I had a heart
murmur that later required a Pacemaker. It's kept on ticking
and, at my
last regular check-up the technician said the battery was
good for
another 12 years. Unfortunately my cardiologist said my
artery got more
and more blocked as time went by. At some not too distant
point my poor
little Pacemaker would have die to die ... and, by the way,
so would I!
That did not seem like a great idea. I have far too many
accomplishments
to enjoy before I cash in my chips.
Arlene
and I agreed to have the procedures done ASAP and that was
February 4th. Due to a couple of unexpected complications
it was a
little more serious than we thought it might be but thanks
to Dr. Don
Thompson and a great staff at Cottage Hospital I was in
expert hands.
I
am now under the careful supervision of Arlene who is trying
to keep
me doing myriad of exercises that come under the heading
of
rehabilitations as taught by the U.S. Marine Drill Instructors.
Please
feel free to pass by blog along. Just let them know I'm
still tickin'
and kicken'!
By
the way our mother Gerrie Larsen, the Magic Lady, had a
heart attack
in the early fifties. Happiness she lived to be 91 years
old!
I'll
have to pass the AMA General Meeting. Good luck to all.
Many thanks
to Dale Hindman and Kris Garcia for keeping our office going
and to
Carol Marie for her efforts of my radio shows.
--------------------------------------------
5. Content From Kids Entertainer Hub
--------------------------------------------
Message by Laurice Chavez
History
of Magic: Burling Hull
Link: http://magictricksforkids.org/burling-hull/
With tomes of books on magic and over 500 tricks to his
credit--including the Svengali deck--Burling Hull has been
aptly called
the 'Edison of Magic.' Know more about this prolific magician
at
http://magictricksforkids.org/burling-hull/
2.
Add This to Your Magic Arsenal: The Coin Fold Magic Trick
Link: http://magictricksforkids.org/coin-fold-magic-trick/
For a fast, easy, impromptu trick that you can use to kill
time or spice
up your routine, check out
http://magictricksforkids.org/coin-fold-magic-trick/
3.
Performing Your Own Public Magic Show
Link: http://kidsentertainerhub.com/performing-your-own-public-kids-show
Dreaming of doing a public kids show? Get tips and inspiration
from a
man who did it despite being new to magic. Check out
http://kidsentertainerhub.com/performing-your-own-public-kids-show
--------------------------------------------
6. The Magic Word Podcast - David Deeble - An Unnatural
Talent
--------------------------------------------
Message by Scott Wells, M.I.M.C. with Gold Star
David
Deeble cannot be defined in a simple phrase so we took the
whole
podcast to "go deep" into what and who he is.
At
a relatively early age he suffered a what to some would
have been a
career-ending neurological injury following an indoor unicycle
accident.
In this podcast, David gives an inspirational talk about
how he dealt
with the injury and how it made him stronger. As a result,
he had to
develop "unique" juggling skills to continue following
his dream. More
than a juggler, David has added stand-up comedy to his act
that makes
him stand out from the rest of the pack.
He
also talks about his younger days when he was a member of
the
"mythical" Long Beach Mystics. David also discusses
how a juggler deals
with "problems" in the show (i.e. dropping the
pins/balls), working
cruise ships, and more.
You
can watch a couple videos of David, see some photos, read
the blog,
listen to the podcast and download the MP3 file at:
http://themagicwordpodcast.com/scottwellsmagic/276-david-deeble
Be
sure to enter the contest to win a free audio book of "The
Ambitious
Card - an Eli Marks Mystery" by John Gaspard. All the
details are on the
website. And if you enjoy the podcast, the please consider
becoming a
Friend of The Magic Word by pledging a one-time donation
or becoming an
ongoing financial donor for as little as one dollar a month.
Anything
you can give will be recognized and greatly appreciated.
More
information on how to join is on the website.
--------------------------------------------
7. Birthday Party Marketing - #390 - Kyle Peron
--------------------------------------------
Message by Kyle Peron (US)
magic4u02@aol.com
http://www.kylekellymagic.com
http://www.kpmagicproducts.com
I
do a LOT of birthday parties but that is because I have
been doing
this a long time and I work it constantly in regards to
my marketing.
Let me list some things I do that might spark ideas for
you or that you
may not be doing at all. I hope this helps.
You
first must have a website form on your page and have every
page of
your website with a link that takes them to that form page.
On my site
it is called my contact page and I drive folks to it. I
get inquiries a
lot simply because I make it super simple for them. If they
have to pick
up a phone or write an email, I may lose their business.
This allows
them to fill out a form in less than a minute and I get
that info to my
email instantly. Now I can check it on my phone or anywhere
that I am
at. This means I am faster at getting back to them. Ultimate
customer
service made easy.
I
have a full series of email templates already written up
for every
situation in my birthday party booking process. By doing
so, I am
sending out a branded message consistently every single
time. Now this
is not just one email. I have a full series of email templates
for my
birthday party booking process. This makes things so much
easier and
really works. Customer service one again brought to the
forefront.
My
site is Search Engine Optimized. It is important for me
to have my
site come up high ranked in searches. I constantly check
my SEO stats
and make adjustments frequently.
My
site, and all pages on it, are connected to Google Analytics.
Google
Analytics is amazing and it is 100% free. Very easy to add
to your
pages. Once you do. YOU have the total power of knowing
all information
you would ever want to know about folks who come to your
site. This is
critical in my SEO and marketing efforts.
With
Google Analytics, on any given day, I can tell how many
folks went
to my site, how many were new, where they came from, what
town they were
from, what pages they went to, how long they stayed on each
page, what
search term they used and even what browser they used plus
a TON more.
This is how I track my marketing efforts.
My
website is written and structured and geared towards total
customer
marketing. Every page has a reason and purpose for being
there and every
page has a call to action. I make sure I have a good balance
of features
and benefits on each page and I use bullet point concepts
as it draws
folks in more. I do not list prices on my site because I
want them to
contact me. I want them to use the form and go through the
process with
me. The form gives me the information I need upfront to
add customer value.
Customer
service has to be the key. You must be able to deliver a
consistent branded message and get back to someone ASAP.
If you wait,
you lose. That is why my email template system is in effect
and why I
have them saved in drop box and ever note. This means I
can use and send
them no matter where I am in the world.
When
at events, I also do a LOT of marketing. My goal is to brand
myself
at all times. I have a sign on my table that has my logo
and my website
URL. Every table has this sign on it. I have a vertical
retractable
banner system 33 by 80 that is set up and used as part of
my show and
backdrop that brands my image, my name and my URL again.
Every
single child gets something THEY want to have. They want
it so
they keep it. This is my Magicians Assistant Certificates.
Of course
every one of them has my contact info on it, name, website,
email,
Facebook fan page etc.
I
make sure I have business cards with me at ALL times. I
never leave
the house without them. I give them out as a business card
left in your
pocket does you no good.
I
utilize a POWERFUL thank you letter and evaluation form
system. THIS
works well. It is a thank you letter from me to them but
also an
evaluation form that is easy to fill out but gives me a
ton of
information AND generates quotes I can use in my marketing.
It also
talks about my referral rewards system and how this works
to benefit
them. This thank you kit system really works.
I
have a referral rewards system set into place. This makes
people WANT
to refer their friends, relatives and others to me and to
do so not
because I force them, but because they want to. It is all
in how I have
it set up.
I
do 2 special tricks with the b-day child and one being a
big illusion.
Now THEY are the star. The child also gets a magic wand,
a magician
certificate and a full magic kit. All of this once again
cost me next to
nothing but adds huge value. Now if the other kids want
this, they have
to have me at their party. It gets the kids always talking
to the
parents and gets me handing stuff out to parents after shows.
All items
once again are branded to me and have my contact information
on it.
I
have a Facebook Fan Page and I use it and social media a
LOT. I am
also connected to LinkedIn as well as others. My fan page
is an amazing
way to get folks knowing about what I am doing, where I
will be and a
great marketing tool that cost me nothing at all. I get
folks to join
because I state the fan page and talk about it during the
show. I give
them also a reason to go there. =)
I
make sure I am also using paid services as needed. For example
services such as Gigmasters, Gigsalad, Decidio and Thumbtack.
Each have
to be evaluated by you but each can and have worked if you
handle them
correctly.
I
make sure that my marketing materials are the best I can
possible make
them. I make my branding so quality comes first. That means
everything
that goes out is branded the way I want it to be branded.
I
also look and search out showcases. These may not be for
birthday
parties but they could be for libraries or even parks and
recreations. I
do it to get the name out there and get into their guide
books. These
guide books DO get seen by parents and that means b-day
gigs.
I
also end my shows by talking to the adults. I thank them
for coming
and I thank the client and I state clearly that if anyone
is interested
in the shows I put on for birthday parties and other events,
PLEASE see
me after the show and I would be happy to give you some
information on
it. Simple as that and it works.
I
list my public events on as many online community calendars
as I can.
They even give you places for your URL in most cases. More
folks at the
gig makes the client happy and more marketing for me.
I
also list my website and services on a LOT of free online
websites.
There are so many that will allow you to place your information
on them
without any cost to you. The more you have out there, the
better chance
someone is to see you. Not only that it is a part of SEO
called back
links. It helps your rankings.
These
are just a few of the things I do to land birthday party
gigs.
There are more, but I will leave it at this as there is
a lot of
information shared here. Take your time and go over them
and read and
re-read them. I can and will go over any with anyone who
asks it of me.
I can always be reached at magic4u02@aol.com. Thank you.
--------------------------------------------
8. Broken Wand - Bob Brown
--------------------------------------------
Message by Diana Zimmerman (US)
Bob
Brown passed away on Sunday with Pneumonia. His family is
having a
(funeral) memorial for him on Sunday, February 21 at Nauman's
on
Freeport Blvd. in Sacramento.
--------------------------------------------
9. 2016 I.B.M. Convention - March 1st Price Increase
--------------------------------------------
Register NOW for the 2016 I.B.M. Convention in San Antonio,
before the
March 1st price increase.
For
more information on the convention, go to www.IBMConvention.com.
--------------------------------------------
10. Paul Diamond - I Was Hacked!
--------------------------------------------
Message by Paul Diamond <mrhumble@bellsouth.net>
I
was hacked! I lost approximately 600 names from my mailing
list and
many of them were also on your mailing list. I would appreciate
if you
would let your subscribers know this and if they wish to
get back on my
mailing list, I would appreciate if they could send me an
email
requesting to get back on the mailing list.
--------------------------------------------
11. Magician Effortlessly Control 24 Drones, Indoors
--------------------------------------------
Article sent by Bill Phillips
Mashable
Australia
Flying
a drone isn't easy. Standing in the middle of 24 drones
and not
getting whacked in the head is almost impossible - until
it isn't.
In
Marco Tempest's new video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4xtsH6pzoM
the cyber magician guides 24 quadcopters out of a suitcase
and then
proceeds to control them as they fly around him, dance behind
him and
hover within inches of his head. Throughout the roughly
five-minute
clip, the drones appear to follow his gesture commands until
he commands
them to go back to the suitcase, which they do so in a startling
and
orderly fashion.
For
the balance of the article go to:
http://mashable.com/2016/02/10/cyber-magician-drone-video/#f8fvGRYRHaqU
-------------------------------------------
12. FISM 2018 Open For Registration
--------------------------------------------
Message by Joan Caesar (Canada)
FISM
in South Korea
The
2018 FISM website is now open to take reservations. It will
be
continually updated with information about the convention.
Now is the
time to book your reservation in order to take advantage
of the lowest
fee and to be given the best seat possible for the Gala
Shows:
www.2018fismbusan.com
I
look forward to seeing you there.
--------------------------------------------
13. McBride's Magic And Mystery School
--------------------------------------------
Message by Jeff McBride (US)
A
documentary on Jeff McBride's Magic and Mystery School in
Las Vegas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBJHYhkch9s
-------------------------------------------
14. The Magic Compass
--------------------------------------------
Message by Dal Sanders MIMC (US)
The
Society of American Magicians quietly launched a new service
to help
point magicians around the world towards the very best online
content
dealing with the Art of Magic. That service is called The
Magic Compass.
Initially
The Magic Compass was conceived as a newsletter styled email
that would point readers toward magic's best viral videos,
top news
stories, exclusive offers, contests, polls, tricks and more.
People can
sign up for that newsletter at http://goo.gl/5LnzN9. The
S.A.M. even
produced a video to explain the idea that was voiced by
Mac King. That
video is at https://youtu.be/8AZOctEFnKs.
As
The S.A.M. was developing this service the need for an anchoring
website became apparent and that is why The Magic Compass
is also a
website that is regularly updated with the latest online
magic
information. That website can be found at http://www.magic-compass.com.
Since
being launched, The Magic Compass has already delivered
news to
thousands of readers. This week alone The Compass has directed
viewers
to videos and posts of magician Nathan J. Roberts making
a little girl's
parents reappear after being deployed overseas, Justin Flom's
Mega-Mix,
Penn & Teller's appearance on The Tonight Show starring
Jimmy Fallon and
a Young and Strange magic Prank in England.
After
quietly launching The Magic Compass, The S.A.M. is now ready
for a
full roll out. This service is not just for members of The
Society of
American Magicians but for anyone with an interest in The
Art of Magic.
--------------------------------------------
15. FCM Announces 2016 Convention Info
--------------------------------------------
Message by Dennis Schick (US)
The
Fellowship of Christian Magicians (FCM) has announced details
for
its 2016 International Convention. It will move back to
July (25-29), so
mark your calendars. It will still be in Nashville, Tennessee,
and on
the campus of Trevecca University, as it was this year.
But next year it
will be held entirely within the spacious Trevecca Community
Church on
the campus. The theme for 2016 will be: "A Year of
Second Chances,"
based on the Biblical verse 2 Corinthians 5:17.
The
emphasis throughout the five days of the convention is learning,
teaching, and sharing the performing arts of magic, clowns,
ventriloquism, juggling, puppets, face painting, balloons,
and
drama/story-telling/chalk art. Of course the emphasis is
on applying
each of these to spreading the gospel. There are workshops,
nightly
shows, hospital visits, inspirational talks, exhibitors,
and even a flea
market and an auction to sell your unwanted things and stuff.
For
more information about the international Fellowship of Christian
Magicians, go to their Website, www.fcm.org
--------------------------------------------
16. E-zine Archives
--------------------------------------------
Back issues of the Magic New Zealand e-zine go to:
www.magicnewzealand.com click on the red button center right
"Archives"
When
you enter the archive the e-zines are in issue order in
folders for
each year and are Coded, e.g. 001 Nov06 1999.txt first three
numbers
(001) denote issue number, then the date (Nov06) and the
last figures
the year (1999)
---------------------------------------------
17. Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice
--------------------------------------------
Our subscriber list is NOT made available to any other companies
or
individuals. We value every subscriber and respect your
privacy.
You
can subscribe to or unsubscribe from the Magic New Zealand®
E-zine
at: www.magicnewzealand.com
Magic
New Zealand® E-zine is published each Sunday.
The
opinions and statements expressed therein are those of the
individual contributors and not necessarily those of Magic
New Zealand®.
Neither Magic New Zealand® nor Alan Watson QSM vouch
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reliability of any opinion, message, statement, or other
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Subscribers
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Readers
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Notwithstanding
the foregoing, this publication may be freely
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entirety, including the copyright notice below and the above
disclaimer.
(c)
Copyright 2016 Alan Watson QSM
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