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Part Seven: The Future Loom Near

Where we go is to Dresden, Germany where the 20th International Congress of the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques will commence on July 7, 1997 with President Wolfgang Sommer at the helm. One wonders, what surprises will that convention hold?

Hopefully, many‑that is, good surprises‑because as this history makes clear, one of the best things about any FISM™ convention is the opportunity to be introduced to fresh talent from around the world.

Having said that, there are certain things that can be predicted about the Dresden congress With a fair degree of certainty:

The contest will be excruciatingly long, with far too much repetition and a lack of quality control.

The contest results will include awards that meet with widespread approval, and others that are greeted with open hostility. There will be rumours of jury‑rigging.

There will be those who complain that some events are conducted in too many languages.

There will be those who complain that some events are conducted in too few languages.

There will be those who complain that too many Americans have been booked. (They'll be right.)

There will be complaints about how little food is offered at the buffet ball. This will happen no matter how much food is there.

As we have seen, it has become mandatory for every FISM™ convention to feature a boat cruise and/or Ali Bongo. I don't know about the cruise (although the nearby Elbe River is available), but Ali will be there.

All sensible human beings Will agree that six days 1S simply too long for a magic convention.

Six days won't allow nearly enough time to socialize with all of the friends, old and new, who will be there.

The convention committee has arranged to hold most of the events in the Dresden Kulturpalast, which has an excellent main theatre that seats 2,400. This may be more than necessary. Many Europeans skipped the previous congress in Yokohama, because of the travelling distance combined with the exorbitant costs in Japan. Germany is a lot closer for most, but the deutschemark is strong, and this is going to be another very expensive convention. The latest word is that registrations have gone over a thousand, but the final total remains to be seen. Hopes run high.

We recently had the opportunity to talk with Wolfgang Sommer regarding the upcoming FISM™ Congress: 

WHEN DID YOU ATTEND YOUR FIRST FISM™ CONVENTION?

My first FISM™ was 1970 in Amsterdam and after this I attended all of them, eight conventions.

AT THAT TIME, DID YOU IMAGINE THAT ONE DAY YOU WOULD BE THE PRESIDENT OF FISM™?

No! But nearly 12 years later I had first had the desire to organize a FISM™.

HAVE THERE BEEN SOME SURPRISING THINGS ABOUT PRODUCING THIS EVENT?

It's a very big thing to produce a FISM™ in our time. Here in Europe the costs are a big problem. For example, just for the convention centre and other halls we need to pay more than $200,000. And so the Magischer Zirkel von Deutschland founded a company to produce FISM™ '97, because this will be better for the strong German tax and government laws. I think in history of FISM™ this is the first time to do that.

Faxes and email have made it more easy to organize a FISM™. Without complication you can exchange information all over the world. For example, in the last five months I have had nearly 200 emails for FISM™ 97.

Also, what surprised me is that so many magicians don't know what FISM™ means and what FISM™ is. My opinion is that the societies have to give their members more information about FISM™, so I am very happy about this special issue of GENII.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO THE MAGICIANS WHO WILL BE COMING To DRESDEN THIS SUMMER?

I extend my very special greetings. We are awaiting nearly 2,000 magicians from all over the world and we hope to have a very strong contest for the great championship of magic. We will have jour different gala shows, plus close‑up shows, street shows, one‑man shows, more than 20 lectures, a great dealer fair and many other things you will love, including a gala ball at the Hilton Hotel with many buffets in different styles of international cooking, and the drinks and food will be free. There will be magic nearly around the clock.

As chronicled earlier in this treatise, the 1946 Amsterdam congress was the immediate precursor to the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques. Its producer, Henk Vermeyden, went on to become probably the single most compelling force in the FISM™ community.

Vermeyden was a complicated individual. When he died in October, 1988, shortly after the FISM™ convention in Den Haag, he took with him a vast number of secrets. There were several vicious rumours about him that circulated over the years, but he left a remarkable legacy, both through the young artists whose gifts he helped nurture into world, class talent, and through the ongoing intercultural entity that is FISM™.

In 1985, Vermeyden wrote: "The love of magic transcends all borders."

In the end, that simple idea is more important than disputed contest scores or inadequate food portions or faulty air‑conditioning. It is FISM™ at its best.

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