Opening of Philippines Production Facility

  • July 23, 2015
  • 1 minute read

At long last (and after several years of traveling back & forth) we are happy to officially finally announce the opening of our third production facility within Asia. It is located in Metro Manila, Philippines.

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A shot of our original production facility in Bangkok, Thailand.

Located within the heart of Pasay, this new facility will allow us to store additional illusions and rehearse shows accordingly (as well as have the local sales & admin offices necessary) for this hot and emerging market. We now have easy access to all the main event locations and hotels in the capital region of the Philippines.

With a larger portion of our work now happening in this Casino & Entertainment hub (second only to Macau in the region), this new & additional base will allow us to serve our clients better – while being able reduce overhead for show logistics. Also, it will allow all of our team to have a more stress-free environment with this more permanent Philippines base.

In addition to this new Philippines marketing offices and production location, Illusionist Joe Conrad still maintains our Bangkok, Thailand & USA facilities.

Lots of travel and excitement – as always!

New WordPress Theme For Blog

  • July 20, 2015
  • 1 minute read

new-joe-conrad-blog-theme-screen-shotAt long last I have finally updated the look of this ‘Blog’ section of the JoeConrad.com website. The previous theme I tried recently had a lack of updates from the company (due to them going out of business) which caused design and technical problems for posting. Thus no new content appearing for a while!

I think this new look looks good for the Blog and is easy to view on all devices – both desktop PC’s & mobile phones. Something all entertainers and small business owners have to keep in mind when updating & designing their own personal websites.

And for those of you that care about those sort of things, the WordPress theme I am using is called Mantra. It is designed by the good people over at Cryout Creations.

Hope everyone enjoys the new look and we will keep refining things as we go along.

Feeling Much Better…

  • July 20, 2015
  • 1 minute read

A big thank you to all of my fans and friends while I have been recuperating from my recent back pain… I appreciate all the notes, cards, gifts and emails I received!

It just came out of the blue when I woke up one morning… WOW – the pain was intense and all I could do was to lie in bed and take pain meds until the pain subsided. It put me out for several weeks. (Actually nearly a month!) And had to cancel several high-profile shows…

I am finally 100% better and my doctor has given me a clean bill of health. Am so happy to be back to a normal routine and performing full-time again.

I will never take my health for granted again!  🙂

Merry Christmas 2014

  • December 26, 2014
  • 1 minute read

A very Merry Christmas 2014 to friends, family, fans and everyone from Illusionist Joe Conrad.

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Merry Christmas 2013

  • December 25, 2013
  • 1 minute read

A very Merry Christmas season 2013 to everyone all over the world. This is a time of year to be especially close to those whom we love and to share what matters the most. My best to all of you from Illusionist Joe Conrad.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

  • November 29, 2013
  • 1 minute read

A very happy Thanksgiving 2013 to all our American fans, clients, friends and family all over the world. Count your blessing on this special day and enjoy the lazy weekend. 🙂

Happy-Thanksgiving-2013-From-Joe-Conrad

Franz Harary On CNN

  • November 9, 2013
  • 1 minute read

Although his aired a couple of months ago, it is still worth posting. A nice segment on CNN’s ‘Talk Asia’ (with Monita Rajpal) about our friend Franz Harary.

Filmed recently during his short run in Macau, China.

How To Appear In Las Vegas

  • November 7, 2013
  • 2 minute read

las-vegas-opening-a-showLots of magicians have dreams of having their own Las Vegas production or theatre in their name. As many on the inside know, it is always more business than show in this modern age…

For the first time (in my experience), IN PLAIN LANGUAGE, here is a two part series from the folks over at Vegas Chatter that explains the process of “four-walling” & “two-walling” a production in a casino showroom:

Four Walls And A Dream: Opening A Show In Today’s Vegas (Part 1)

Four Walls And A Dream: Opening A Show In Today’s Vegas (Part 2)

The same principles and business models apply in other casino-related markets like Reno, Atlantic City, Branson, etc. Reading the below article carefully can let you in on how the game is played and literally save you years of ‘real-world‘ experience. Along with saving you trail & error & marketing mistakes.

The good news that the dream is still attainable if you have (or can get) the financing, investors and/or sponsors to make it happen. Talent is important for your longevity, but it is not the only component for long-term success and profit – not by a long shot!

Personal Note: I realized the above early on in my career and decided to put my own show in less-competitive markets within Asia, where the exposure to Western magicians is fresh & new. All of this is being chronicled in my upcoming book on the experiences of having my own dedicated magic theatre in Thailand previously, along the the highs and lows, mistakes learned and so on. Also it will detail my new magic theatre upcoming in China, a mega-magic project in the middle-east and much more . I will keep everyone informed on its publication through this blog.

Good Advise To Remember…

  • October 24, 2013
  • 1 minute read

chinese-proverb

*** Thanks to my friend Latimer for finding this original graphic.  🙂

Magician Abb Dickson Sick

  • September 3, 2013
  • 2 minute read

From word through Gary Bartlett, I have heard that master magician & illusionist Abb Dickson is quite ill. This is sad news indeed…

abb-dickson-magician

According to Gary, Abb’s on-going illness has taken a turn for the worse. Gary speaks to him a couple times a week. Unfortunately he is starting to become more forgetful than before and undergoing dialysis. Apparently he has lost about 140 pounds, and that is a lot, as Abb was always been a big guy.

He is off of email altogether now and phone calls are not ideal (due to the memory loss issues). Can be expected to all us as we get older… Cards and letters are best.

Contact me personally for the address and I will forward it to those of you want to write to him. It would sure lift his spirits I am sure.

My own personal connection with Abb (and my first meeting Abb) was in the 1970’s as a teenager in Orlando, Florida (in the USA, where I grew up). As a teenager I worked as an on-stage assistant in his famous show “Presto,” when it appeared at the Florida State Magicians Association Convention in Orlando.

I always was always thankful to Bev Bergeron for than opportunity. It really gave me a look being the scenes at a young age of what goes on in putting together a large illusion show. The personally signed poster to me from his Presto show is one of my most prized possessions and sits beatifically framed in my collection room.

Besides his performing interest, Abb Dickson was a partner in the family funeral business (which allowed him to finance his performing efforts & show early on). He is featured also on the cover of the January 1989 issue of Genii magazine, as well as many other industry publications throughout the years.

Famous magician Doug Henning was a big fan of Abb’s touring show Presto, and gave it a glowing review too I remember is an issue of Genii magazine.

Get well soon my friend. You still have a lot more of life left to live on this earth!  🙂