Coming March 8: Zoom lecture by Doug Conn

 Join us for a Zoom lecture by New Orleans-based street magician/Internet star Doug Conn.

DATE: March 8, 2023

TIME: 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. PST

PRICE: Free for paid members, $15 for non-members

ABOUT DOUG

Doug began his magic career at a young age performing in amusement parks and after segwaying to busking, found a home in New Orleans, where he's performed professionally for over 30 years.

Doug spends his free time in pursuit of the illusive miracle and these pursuits have produced a large body of original work, including a hardcover book "Tricks of My Trade" and several DVD/Instructional videos

During the pandemic, Conn turned his attention online where his efforts gathered over a million followers between TikTok and YouTube!

ABOUT THE LECTURE

In this event, you’ll learn all the “Tricks of the Trade” that go into being a Conn Man! The lecture comprises three parts...

Conncrete: Doug performs his ‘Street Magic Show’ and offers advice for aspiring buskers. We’ll talk about getting a crowd, dealing with the elements, getting paid & more

Trick Tok: Learn what it takes to create viral videos which garner 100’s of millions of views!

Connjuring: We’ll cover a selection of Doug’s original sleight of hand: Cards, Coins, Cups & Balls and more!

Conn’s knowledge runs deep and he’s excited to share the info with kindred spirits! Bring a notebook and an inquisitive mind & let’s level up!

TWO WAYS TO WATCH THE LECTURE

• On Your Device: Doug will be lecturing on Zoom from his home in New Orleans. Paid members will receive a Zoom link on the day of the lecture.
• With our Group: We will stream the lecture in person at Yu-Ai Kai for those paid members who would like to meet up. We will also provide pizza and drinks!

ABOUT MEMBERSHIP

If you haven't already, please sign up for Ring 216 membership to enjoy this lecture and other upcoming Zoom lectures.*

Membership is $25 per year. It entitles you to the following benefits:

• Members-only pricing on in-person lectures, workshops, and flea market tables
• Free admission to any online-only Zoom lectures we host
• Eligibility to perform in our annual competitions
• Eligibility for raffles and other members-only events
• Knowledge that you are supporting the local magic community

HOW TO PAY

• PayPal: Send $25 to payment@ring216.org
• Cash: Bring cash to your next meeting and pay our treasurer
• Check: Bring the check to your next meeting or contact treasurer@ring216.org for the mailing address

*We will be hosting a Zoom lecture from rubber band magician Joe Rindfleisch at our meeting in May!

Coming Feb. 8: Awards, Giveaways, Open Performance

Dear friends in magic,

We're finally ready to have our first in-person meeting of the year. This is a  chance to catch up with each other, show off your acts, get feedback, and also have fun.

DATE: Feb. 8, 2023

TIME: 7:30 p.m. PST

HOW: In-person at Yu-Ai Kai and online Via Zoom

COST: Free for all

ZOOM: The Zoom link will be sent the day of the event.

AGENDA

Here's what we have in store for you:

Pizza: Yes, we'll have some pizza and soft drinks to enjoy.

Awards ceremony: We're going to give out trophies and certificates for winners of our 2022 Close-Up and Stage Competitions

Giveaways: A friend has donated a bunch of classic and family magic props for us to find a new home. We'll offer the items as free giveaways. And if YOU want to donate some used items, please do!

Open Performances: Share a routine, trick, or move with your friends in a safe environment. You can even get feedback. If you're a new member and have never performed for us, this is your chance!

Mini-Lectures...? See below.

CALL FOR MINI-LECTURES

Do you have some tips, advice, or ideas you think the group would benefit from?

Sign up for a mini-lecture slot! Send email to president@ring216.org

QUESTIONS? REQUESTS?

The Board is always seeking input from our members to make the club more fun and useful. Send email to president@ring216.org.

Meeting Report - Jan 11, 2023: David Gerard Lecture

 Ring 216 kicked off 2023 with a special lecture by one of the Bay area’s top magicians, David Gerard. Due to continuing heavy rains and flooding, President David Martinez restricted the meeting to on-line only. The lecture, on January 11, attracted dozens of Zoom participants.

 

After an introduction by Colin Cloud, David gave an action-packed, no-holds-barred extravaganza of a talk on what it takes to be a magic professional and what he was doing to try to achieve his aspirations. With great energy he explained the essential marketing concepts he used, the need to identify one’s desired market and how to go for it, the necessary aspects of becoming professional – image, clothing, networking, web site, responsiveness, pricing. He emphasized the need to choose how one keeps score to know how well goals are being achieved, and how he imposed on himself the highest of goals.

 

In the second part of the evening, David focused on some of his favorite effects, those he did for attendees close up before or after his set show: a stunning card effect, an interactive coins across, and some classic mind reading. He enthusiastically went over what he had kept or discarded over time in the constant search to improve their presentations—to become memorable to those people who next need to hire an entertainer.

Coming Jan. 11: Lecture by David Gerard - UPDATE

 

Date: January 11, 2023

Time: 7:30 p.m. PST

Location: Zoom Only

UPDATE on JAN. 10: Due to the uncertainties of the weather and for the safety of our members, we have decided to make the lecture a ZOOM-ONLY event. See below for instructions on how to view.

About the Lecture

Join us for a very special event to kick off 2023!

Our own local pro David Gerard will be sharing parts of his Magifest lecture for the club as well as teaching tricks and doing an open Q&A session. This will be a casual, fun night with one of the most accomplished magicians in the area.

Cost

As an online-only event, David's lecture will free for paid members of Ring 216 and $30 for non-members.

Since this is our first lecture of the year, we ask that you sign up for your 2023 membership for just $25. This price has not changed in more than a decade. Send payment via PayPal to payment@ring216.org.

How to watch the lecture

Paid members of Ring 216 for 2023 will receive a Zoom link on Wednesday prior to the lecture.

Meeting Report - Dec 14 2022: Stage and Parlor Competition

On December 14, 2022, Ring 216 held its Stage and Parlor competition in person for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Audience members attended both live and on Zoom, and all magician were allowed to cast ballots. There were six performers and only one competition division. 

 

Tom Collett opened the proceedings by making colored streamers appear and disappear and defying gravity with a glass off water. A spectator mixed up a Rubik’s cube for Jonathan Chen, and it was found to match the arrangement of two other cubes; then all became magically solved. David Martinez demonstrated three psychic abilities, including drawing the animal a spectator was thinking of. Jeffrey Friend told a spooky story of a chain letter that was destroyed and made whole again. James Chan found a spectator’s card on Instagram and pulled it out of his phone. Meriam Al-Sultan pulled off her woolen cap and, under the close supervision of two spectators, caused a candy egg to disappear and reappear from it several times, then drew from it glass of water.  

 

When all the votes were in, the scoring was very close. First Place went to Meriam Al-Sultan and Second Place to David Martinez. The MC for the evening was Gary Goldberg.