The Society of American Magicians will be hosting the North American Championship of Magic as an integral part of its annual four day convention to be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, July 13-16, 2011, it was announced today by Mark Weidhaas, S.A.M. President.

In addition to its stellar line up of gala shows, lectures and other popular events for young and old magic enthusiasts, the convention will be holding up to six contests of magic to accommodate the 50 contestants who will be selected to compete for the title of North American Champion of Magic. Multiple winners across six categories of magic will be guaranteed a position if they wish to compete at the FISM World Championship of Magic to be held in Blackpool, England, in July 2012.

All contest applicants must be a member of either the Society of American Magicians, the International Brotherhood of Magicians, the Canadian Association of Magicians or the Academy of Magical Arts. They must submit an application plus a DVD of their act by April 15, 2011 to be reviewed for an acceptable quality level by a preliminary judging panel who will decide the final acts for the competition. Contestants selected for the competition are required to be registered for the convention . A full description of contest rules, fees, requirements and procedures will be available on the S.A.M. website,www.magicsam.com shortly after Labor Day. 

The Society of American Magicians, founded in 1902, is the world’s oldest international organization devoted exclusively to advancing magic as an art throughout the world as well as elevating its ethical standards for professionals, amateurs, hobbyists and collectors.