A new magic convention in the south of England has encountered problems due to competition from the annual Blackpool magic convention in the north. Organiser of the Blackpool Magic Convention, Derek Lever, has placed trade restrictions on magic prop dealers, insisting they can’t trade at both conventions. In a letter to magic dealers, who come from all over the world to exhibit at British magic conventions, Mr. Lever says “Dealers exhibiting at any other British convention 5 weeks prior to the Blackpool convention will not be offered a dealer booth at Blackpool”.
The Southern England Magic Convention is to be held on the 31st of January 2009, at the famous Lakeside Leisure Complex in Surrey, UK. The venue, better known for hosting the World Darts Championships, has the potential to host a great magic convention, with hundreds of magicians coming from all over the world. However, worries are rife in the entertainment world that trade restrictions imposed by Blackpool may cause the UK magic convention scene to split in a north-south divide.
“My worry is that the dealers who come and boost the UK magic economy from around the world, will be put off by these trade restrictions, and instead will exhibit in other countries, like the USA. In the end, we all lose out” says Colin Richardson, the convention organiser for The Southern England Magic Convention.
The Southern England Magic Convention is taking legal action against those who have damaged or seek to damage the new convention by their actions.
