Mahdi at Magifest
Full page advertisement for the second Magi-Fest in the Linking Ring magic magazine for I.B.M. members | January 1932
Why would I ever visit Columbus, Ohio in the middle of the winter?
Magifest is not only one of the oldest magic conventions in America but it is also one of the most popular magic conventions in the entire world. It started in 1931 in Columbus, Ohio by the Howard Thurston Ring (magic club) of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. For 80 years it continued until it ran into attendance and finanicial difficulties and announced it would finally end… that is when Joshua Jay and Andi Gladwin stepped up to save Magifest and relaunched the convention through their company, Vanishing Inc.
2013 was the first year that Josh and Andi would host Magifest and that was the second convention that I was ever booked to present at. I have fond memories of that convention and it would launch my career within the magic industry and lead to many invitations by other magic conventions all over the world. Throughout the years I have collaborated with Joshua Jay on a few projects such as his How Magicians Think podcast and book and you can only imagine that when he asked me if I would be willing to present again at Magifest 2025 that I enthusiastically said Yes!
Mahdi Gilbert at Magi-Fest in 2013
Mahdi Gilbert’s Magifest 2013 Lecture Notes
Mahdi Gilbert presenting his sleight of hand at Magifest in 2013
January came quicker than I expected and I soon found myself in the lobby of the Renaissance hotel in Columbus, Ohio. Walking into a magic convention is a sensation like no other with every turn hiding surprises and reunions with old friends. One of my students of sleight of hand had just moved from Toronto to Columbus and greeted me in the lobby. She is not a magician and had never been to a magic convention so I showed her around the convention and we caught the first show of the evening, Ricardo Rosenkranz.
Ricardo Rosenkranz performing a card trick
A magician who we were seated beside told me that Ricardo ran a theatre in Chicago where he presents his show regularly. I found his show to be well scripted and was quite impressed with the production value and effort that he put into his work. The magic was clever with some classics presented in novel ways as well as some effects I had only read about but never seen before. At several points my student demanded to know how an effect worked but ever a tightlipped magician I told her to just enjoy the mystery and that satisfied her queries.
The Great Kaplan
Next, we caught David Kaplan who in turn caught many things. A consumate juggler he threw and juggled many things with ease all while making the entire room laugh and laugh and laugh. At one particular moment he presents a sales pitch for a doll of himself which I erupted in laughter at and fell in love with. You could really tell he was a seasoned pro and although I was not too familiar with his work prior to seeing him I was really astounded and left a fan.
With that show concluded, I said goodbye to my student as she was flying out of town to assist another magician at The Magic Castle in Los Angeles and met with Joshua Jay in the lobby. We disappeared to work on a secret project that evening at an undisclosed location. Although I am certain that the rest of the evening’s scheduled events were wonderful I spent the rest of the evening catching up with some friends and discussing magic until the early morning.
Abby Segal performs a card trick
When we woke up the resumed our discussions over breakfast and then I went back to my room to rehearse because soon I would be standing in front of hundreds of my peers. When I was satisfied with my rehearsal I watched the session from backstage. Abby Segal presented some of her magic and explained some of his work behind it. It was such a pleasure to see her working again since I had first met her a few month earlier while working at the Chicago Magic Lounge where she is one of their regular performers.
John McLaughlin teaches us about deception in war
Next up was John McLaughlin, a longtime American spy who served for many years in the Central Intelligence Agency, eventually serving as it’s Deputy Director (and briefly it’s Acting Director). He spoke on the techniques of magic being used in warfare and espionage in what might have been the most interesting presentation to me personally. He described illusions that were used to fool the K.G.B. during the Cold War and spoke much on Dudley Clarke, a British magician as well as a military and intelligence officer in charge of MI9 in the Middle East who was responsible for many of the deceptions and psychological operations directed at the Axis forces in the Second World War. For many years another magician, Jasper Maskelyne, was thought to have been responsible for much of the military deception because of his own exaggerated accounts of his wartime service and self-promotion so it was great to see a roomful of magicians educated on the matter.
Carisa Hendrix speaks at Magifest
Carisa Hendrix then took the stage to talk about her process of rapid prototyping. It was quite interesting to hear her thoughts on the matter and I enjoyed her presentation although I was literally in the wings and wish I could have seen the screens as I had no idea what contraptions she was demonstrating to the audience. Judging though by the reaction of the audience I imagine they were stunningly deceptive.
Mahdi The Magician performs at Magifest
Finally it was my turn and I presented some highlights of my show with a strong focus on card magic and storytelling. As I finished I noticed that I still had a little time left on the clock but decided to take my bow and leave the audience wanting more. John McLaughlin was waiting backstage for me and flattered my work with very strong praises which I very sincerely appreciated.
Now that I was off the clock I decided to do what any magician who works a magic convention does; hit the dealer room and spend too much money on magic. My general rule is to visit the books first as I often am looking for gems to add to my collection. Finding several temptations I decided to save my spine by withholding on buying books. I did however purchase two foldable close-up pads with a handstitched leather trim from Patt’s Matts which very much impressed me. I have purchased several mats from Pattrick over the years and I can personally attest to their quality and would recommend them. There is another item that I walked out with which I found very charming but will keep secret as I am developing a piece of magic with it which I intend to gift to a dear friend and mentor.
Giancarlito!
Giancarlo Scalia performed and lectured. He is a dear friend ever since we met many years ago and I have seen him grow in magic tremendously. I believe him to possess two of the best hands in magic and he is truly bewildering to behold. Not only is his technique incredible but he also is a student of the masters and presents beautiful magic in a way that captures it’s true spirit and essence. Everywhere he goes he leaves magicians completely stunned and Magifest is no different.
If Jonathan calls, pick up the phone
The next show I saw was Jonathan Levit and I was very greatly amused. He is such a wonderful performer and I loved his unique renditions of classics such as the spirit slates. The most memorable piece of magic though took place over the phone. I don’t want to spoil anything but having seen many similar pieces over the years I can honestly say that his was the best version of this concept I had ever witnessed. It was so entertaining, you have no idea.
Mahdi is teeny tiny according to this chart but he feels fun size inside
The final big show of the evening was by a tiny girl. Those aren’t my words, that’s literally the name of her show, Tiny Girl, Big Show! Leah Orleans presented all manners of circus arts that built into a grand finale in which she balances and contorts upside down and shoots a balloon with an arrow shot from a bow that is fired using her feet. You have to see it to believe it. The entire show was very entertaining and I thought she was incredible. I got a chance to talk to her creative team and very much enjoyed seeing them work. That concluded the second day of the convention and I spent the rest of the evening and the early hours immersed in magic.
The incredibly hardworking Leah Orleans
David Ben, Guest of Honor at Magifest 2025
David Ben was the guest of honor at this year’s Magifest and it was pleasure to hear him speak and see him work. David Ben is from Toronto and I have had the privilege of seeing a few of his magic shows throughout the years and can attest to the high quality of his work. His presentation was about his fifty years in magic, his relationship with Ross Bertram, his time with Allan Slaight as well as his work with Magicana. It was truly an engaging presentation and I only wish it was longer. David then presented some of the classics of magic with his handlings, techniques and philosophies and demonstrated some of his work at the card table. David was also very giving with his time and answered many questions from the audience sharing much wisdom and experience with us. It was the highlight of the convention for many attendees.
Javi Benitez performs the gypsy thread
Following David Ben was Javi Benitez who presented some of his favorite pieces of magic and taught some of them indepth. His Requiem to Ascanio still gives me goosebumps. I believe that it will go down in history as one of the great acts in magic. Much of his work was presented through an ultra-wide lens that was very interesting to watch. He could hold the cards upclose so they took up the entire screen but could also reach out to the sides and still be completely in frame. The distortion of the lens added a lot to the visuals and I was left very inspired. Another bit which you have to experience in person is his work with fake teeth. The first time he presented it to me was in a karaoke bar in Taipei that we were trapped inside because of a typhoon. I literally cried of laughter that night. Javi Benitez always has a trick up his sleeve and I’m glad the crowd at Magifest got to see him.
Joshua Jay and Justin Willman have been friends in magic since they were children.
The last events of the evening were Justin Willman’s interview and live show. I had seen Justin througout the years and watched his Netflix series, Magic for Humans but nothing could have prepared me for his live show. It was truly a fantastically entertaining show which many elements and inspirations from the world of comedy. I didn’t know at all what to expect going into it and I left as one of his biggest fans.
The last evening was filled with magic and great conversation with friends old and new. The weekend reminded me of my love of magic conventions and I truly felt that it was something that I didn’t know that I needed until I was there. That, my friends, is why I would go to Columbus, Ohio in the middle of the winter.
Photo credits: Vanishing Inc. (@vanishingincmagic) and Wolfdog Creative (@wolfdogcreative)
