It would appear that magic conventions have finally come full circle. 1926 was the year that W.W. Durbin became president of the IBM as well as editor of The Linking Ring magazine, and it was also the same year he invited all of the IBM members to convene in his backyard theater in Kenton, Ohio. This was not just the first IBM convention. It was the first magic convention in the U.S.
Needless to say, during the past century, countless annual conventions have appeared throughout the world with some of them filling enormous convention centers with thousands of magicians. A few continue to thrive while many others are fading away or have vanished altogether. The reasons are varied but the fact is undeniable: many of the old institutional conventions are on life support.
Specialized conventions have been around for decades. Next year, FFFF, the original close-up convention, will be celebrating its 54th annual gathering. The Magic Collectors Weekend dates back to the early 1970s, starting in the backroom of Magic Inc. in Chicago. Today, collectors have Bill Smith’s Magic Collector Expo, the Yankee Gathering, and the Florida Magic History and Collectors Conference. Across the pond you can find the annual Magic Circle History Day in London and the European Magic History Conference in a different European city every other year.