So they've announced that this year's 52 Plus Joker 2020 convention, the annual meeting of the American Playing Card Collectors Club, will be done online via Zoom this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, and it's open to non-members. It's a great opportunity for playing card enthusiasts to join in with some great events and catch some terrific lectures.

Here's the schedule of speakers and lecture topics which they've announced on their official page.

Virtually meet legendary collectors & designers, hobnob with premier card manufacturers, and talk playing cards with other enthusiasts for three days!

*** SCHEDULE OF SPEAKERS AND LECTURE TOPICS ***

Kevin Reylek: Marked Cards
Presents on: Oct. 14th, 2020 @ 12:30pm EDT

A magician by trade, Reylek discusses an interesting lineage of marked cards made in the Americas. You’ll never guess which old manufacturers are guilty! Don’t worry, Reylek won’t betray any confidences. Though, he plans to show us examples of marked cards from past and present.

Paul Ruccio: Branding Playing Cards
Presents on: Oct. 14th, 2020 @ 6:00pm EDT

Companies and individuals have been establishing brands for centuries with the help of playing cards. Today’s market is no different. Ruccio, founder of Jetsetter Playing Cards, details what it takes to go from an idea all the way to establishing a brand of playing cards and the pivotal details that helped his way down the runway and into flight.

Michael Slaughter: USPCC President
Presents on:Oct. 15th, 2020 @ 12:05pm EDT

The President of United States Playing Card Company is coming. We’re going to learn about how he grew up in Norwood across from the factory. He will regale us with stories of his rise to presidency at USPCC. But most important of all, Slaughter is going to unveil his new goal for the old company museum.

Jason McKinstry: Early American Manufacturers
Presents on: Oct. 14th, 2020 @ 6:00pm EDT

An astute researcher and historian, McKinstry likes to unearth outstanding facts about the original American playing card manufacturers. This information would have made Tom Dawson and Eugene Hochman proud. Now it’s our turn to learn more about the forefathers of our industry.

Patrick Varnavas: Future Playing Card Innovation
Presents on: Oct. 16th, 2020 @ 12:05pm EDT

Known as one of the forerunners of the modern Cardistry playing card world, Varnavas understands what drives this niche industry. He also understands which direction it’s headed in. Varnavas explains how the next decade of playing card innovation will come from the cardistry community.

Lance Miller: Drawing Playing Cards
Presents on: Oct. 16th, 2020 @ 3:00pm EDT

Lance Miller is the designer of numerous decks, including the enigmatic Fox Targets and others.

Rory Rennick: Racially Charged Playing Cards
Presents on: Oct. 16th, 2020 @ 8:00pm EDT

Rennick shares his personal journey as he catalogs different representations of black men and women pictured on playing cards. He helps us better understand the history behind racially charged imagery. Rennick educates us on how these ideas were formulated, propagated and evolved over time.

They've also posted the entire schedule (all times in EDT time zone).

Wednesday, October 14th, 2020
12:00pm (noon) - Opening Remarks: Day 1
12:30pm - Kevin Reylek: Marked Cards
1:30pm - Table Spotlight #1
2:30pm - Visit With Kings Wild Project
3:30pm - Auction Lots #1-28 (mail auction)
6:00pm - Paul Ruccio: Branding Playing Cards
7:00pm - Visit with Deck A Day (Mike Quinn)

Thursday, October 15th, 2020
12:00pm (noon) - Opening Remarks: Day 2
12:05pm - Michael Slaughter: President of USPCC
1:30pm - Auction Lots #29-50 (mail auction)
4:00pm - Table Spotlight #2
6:00pm - Jason McKinstry: Early American Makers
7:30pm - New Deck Launch Event
8:00pm - Club Deck Launch with UUSI and EPCC

Friday, October 16th, 2020
12:00pm (noon) - Opening Remarks: Day 3
12:05pm - Patrick Varnavas: Playing Card Innovation
1:45pm - Table Spotlight #3
3:00pm - Lance Miller: Drawing Playing Cards
4:00pm - Visit with Gamblers Warehouse
6:00pm - Auction Lots #51-80
8:00pm - Rory Rennick: Racially Charged Playing Cards
9:00pm - Visit with PlayingCardDecks.com

Saturday, October 17th, 2020
12:00pm (noon) - Opening Remarks: Day 4
12:05pm - Auction Lots #81-Finish
2:30pm - Visit Joseph Pierson’s Collection
3:30pm - General Meeting With Full Membership
5:00pm - Visit Phil Bollhagen’s Collection
6:00pm - Table Spotlight #4
8:00pm - Dawson & Diamond Awards Ceremony
8:45pm - Closing Remarks

The convention is free and access will be via Zoom. Source with more info: here.

Here's some more news about how to join in with the convention via Zoom, taken from the latest official press release from the 52 Plus Joker club:
- - -

The convention is free and access will be via Zoom. Click the link
below, then click the big green button that says JOIN US. If we are in
session, you will be transported to our playing card party. See you
there!

https://www.52plusjoker.org/conventions

52 Plus Joker facilitates the collection and trading of antique, vintage and modern collectible playing cards & other related ephemera. 52 Plus Joker is officially organized as a non-profit social club under 501 (c) (7) of the Internal Revenue Code in the United States of America.