WOOHOO! Great News! GO RICK!

Here are some pics I took of Rick at Michigan Magic Day 2006:
http://img434.imageshack.us/img434/3813/rick16oj.jpg
http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/6849/rick26so.jpg

Who won in stage

graham fishman

Grand Prix- Stage -Pilou(Manipulation)-France

Grand Prix Stage--------------Pilou(Manipulation)--------France

Grand Prix Close-up----------Rick Merrill(Mirco magic)----------USA

Manipulation-------------1. Dai Bin chun(China) 2. David Soysa(Portugal) 3. Arthur Trace(USA)

General Magic-----------1. Lee,Eun Gyeol(Rep. of Korea) 2. Die Zauderer(Germany) 3. Dion(Netherlands)

Micro Magic--------------1. Martin Eisele(Germany) 2. Shawn Farquhar(Cananda) 3. David Stone(France)

Close-up Card-----------1. Helder Guimaraes(Portugal) 2. Lodewijk de Widt(Netherlands) 3. Kiko(Spain)

Parlour Magic------------1. Gaston(Germany) 2. Shawn Farquhar(Canada) 3. Julia Guilhem(France)

Stage Illusions----------1. Sittah(Netherlands) 2. Hugo Valenzuela(Argentina) 3. Marc & Alex(Germany)

Mentalism-------------1. No Frist Place 2. Timothy Trust & Julie(Germany)/Juan Ordeix(Argentina) 3. Robert & Emiel(Netherlands)/Jean Thomas Loewe(Germany)

You have to go to the Genii forum and the blogs to read what a DISASTER the final award presentations were. Lots of booing, hissing, and people walking out.

I've heard on the grapevine that Stephen Mulhearn is regretting his involvement as presenter at the FISM awards ceremony following the debacle you can read about elsewhere.

He's normally associated with putting out first class television here in the UK. As opposed to presenting to a roomful of resentful peers.

Please don't blame Stephen. He is carving out a succesful career presenting children's TV and it would be a shame for this event to set him back.

I agree - I have a lot of respect for Stephen. I don't know him personally, but I do enjoy his kids magic shows (says he at 36!) The bad management was not his fault. There was a lot that went wrong at FISM, and I have a feeling it will be my first and last.

Thank god I wasnt there ...

Pete, 2 days made me tired, the whole 6 days' event made me exhausted...and angry.

The prize presentation was simply ridiculous. Contestants shouldn't have been treated in that way. Why should we adjusted so much for the TV crew? Nonsense. Can you imagine doing standing oviation out of NO REASON? Just because the camera crew needed that shot! Really stupid and insulting.

Next FISM will be in China, I'm glad that I'll save a lot of money because of cheaper transportation cost. And that is the only reason why I'm glad. But, the number of contestants and dealers will dramatically decrease ( you don't need to be a mentalist...)

I was also in the 'screen room', watched Norbert Ferre's prediction effect without sound. I couldn't tolerate anymore. The negative atmosphere built well before, since we in that room witnessed how stupid all it was when announcing the close-up Grand Prix in the afternoon. Watching stage final from our room, we watched the big screen with camera shots jumping here to there in WRONG TIMING many times.

People started going to the other room, there was physical contact but NO physical abuse. 1 or 2 FISM staff stood in front of the gate. A guy was real angry and requested to open the gate. Then, the FISM staff was pull from the gate and we went in. Then I didn't know what happened.

But, I and the one who sat beside me (who was also from the 'screen room') were just unable to enjoy the show. We kept looking at the entrance direction and saw whether they could come in as well (of course I hoped they could have come in).

'It totally ruined the mood.'
'Yes.'

And there was a stage in chaos...

It's my first FISM, by the way.

There were many many good things to remember and learn. I enjoyed Gazzo's performance most. I watched both his lectures, 3 times his act. During one of the lecture, he did flourish...one-liners flourishing, which was increditable. He made jokes for everything immediately after audience named. A guy with real talent and really entertaining.

About FISM in general, there was some good and a lot of bad. I wish that this was not my first FISM, because now I have a bad taste in my mouth about this supposedly incredible convention. Maybe I will go to China and hopefully have a better experience.

What a great convention it was. Made many new friends, including Jeff McBride, Anders Moden, Mike Caveney and Simon Lovell.

I am still in Stockholm, and will leave tomorrow evening.

Cu soon.

The awards ceremony sounds like a mess. Even with all of the obvious technical and planning problems it's a shame that people couldn't have been more civil, but then again I wasn't there so I shouldn't judge anyone else or their behavior. I am sure I would have been upset if I had travelled all the way to Sweden to see a shambles like that.

Ok, I just figured it out. No more people go to FISM... all is done for TV and you stay home and watch on TV...

Then, to meet all friends, you go to a Vacation Resort every few years and have no shows, just hang around with all your friends in magic for a week.

Pete,

Ummm...I've to humbly disagree that not 'all is done for TV', but the prize presentation was.

mouliu

Just got back and, like so many have posted, am rather tired so it's long sleep time for me!

Very nice to meet so many new friends and to catch up with old ones. Personally I had a great time there!

Simon

So did I, Simon!

There was some trouble here and there. My gripes boils down to:

There was some sort of cockup with the seating (wich was numbered) during the Close-Up show.

What was called "Bar Magic" was nothing of the sort, It was close-up magic presented in rooms MUCH too small, without any monitors of any sort.

Then there was The BIG cock-up during the Close-Up Finale. This, of course was mostly the responsibility of the TV-People, which more or less "took over" the event. The mood was not good where I was sitting, on the left, because of the camera boom that blocked much of the view. THEN Max Maven was replaced by some "TV-unpersonality" for the presentation of the Grand Prix (Close-Up, which was to be presented FIRST...

THEN we were informed that there was to be a "retake" of the Presentation of the Grand Prix.
When some technician snapped the Trophy from Rick Merrill, (That's what it looked like from my perch) the mood got ugly, and some of the audience got up and left.
And not silently. I don't blame them... It was tasteless in the extreme!

Bjørn

Sorry but I need to say something here. Yes, FISM 2006 was disorganised at times and the TV taping of the Awards Gala was handled badly (essentially it was an 8 hour show with a one hour intermission and a twenty minute intermission).

However, I was ashamed of the behaviour of many of the delegates.

While some lined up to get into theatres, others chose to push to the front, run in ahead of people and act in totally selfish ways. When some people were told by volunteer staffers they had the wrong tickets, they shouted at them, gave them the finger and even spat at them.

No matter HOW BADLY ORGANISED an event is, there are ways to complain without ruining the event for others who may have more tolerance than you do.

I certainly agree that there were parts of FISM I would have run very differently, but the reactions of many registrants (and Juan King makes a good case) simply made matters much, much worse and in my opinion they have lost their right to complain.

It's this sort of behaviour that gives European Soccer crowds such a bad reputation, and it needs to be stamped out immediately.

Booing and hissing is just not acceptable. How would you feel up on stage receiving an award with half the crowd booing simply because they thought their friend should have got first place instead of you? It's very thoughtless behaviour.

Regarding the Chinese announcement - I'd rather be going to Granada, but a vote was held and China won. ACCEPT the decision with grace and diginity. Congratulate the winners whether you intend to go to China or not. They spent an enormous amount of time and money bidding for FISM 2009 (as did the other two countries) so let them enjoy their moment.

As for booing Eric Eswin. I think he handled the reaction with absolute class at the stage awards gala. But for heaven's sake if you don't like what he's doing you can speak to him personally (if you have the guts) or ask your FISM President to vote him out.

I know it's just a minority of "hot tempered" people who feel they need to react in such violent and abusive ways, but if they can't learn to express themselves in a more mature way then honestly, get out of magic.

I was not there (Abbott's colon Economy tour) but I compend your reponse and remarks Tim. Well said.

It seems like this is a recurring problem with FISM convntions. We had the same problem in the states with regional and national conventions. Depending who ran the whole thing, it could be really good or really bad. That is one reason the SAM and IBM went to a national convention commitee with assists from the local groups. It keeps more consistant expertise in place and helps with the planning.

It really makes me think hard if I would ever want to spend that much money to go to FISM.

Richard

It's the old "too many rats" theory. You put 3 or 4 rats in a cage and they get along. You add a dozen or so and before you know it they are killing one another.

The size of a convention, like a FISM, is almost impossible to run smoothly unless the team is really experienced in handling big crowds and events.

Rude behaviour is inexcusable and if I were King, I'd take note on who they were (if possible) and refuse their efforts to come to the next convention.

Regarding China winning the votes.... I have had a few folks suggest to me that they probably "bribed" many of those voting in some form.

I remember being part of the team negotiating with the Salt Lake City people to bring an IBM convention there. They paid for free trips and skiing, etc. for all the members of the Board (who in fact had no vote, but they didn't know that). Our committe, none of us were paid off, had already decided on the site, but they didn't know it.

And it seems the same SLC folks bribed the Olympic committee to get the games there.

We are all doomed... argh...

I can't comment on the shows as I didn't go to any of the organized events except for the banquet dinner (which considering how many people had to be fed wasn't too bad at all). I always go to conventions for the socializing with old and new friends and, in that respect, this years FISM I thought was very good indeed.

I agree with Tim's comments that, from what I heard, a lot of the troubles were caused by a minority (Pete's rat theory!).

As for the China vote I would have preferred Vienna, one of my favorite cities, but, as Tim said, the vote was made and, for whatever reason China was chosen (the suggestion of corruption in politic ... surely not lol) so get past it. Booing and bad behavior won't change anything.

Anyway I had fun so am not complaining at all!

Simon