London, Ontario Regional Judge Conference 2017

Hello, Bonjour! It's time for another Regional Judge Conference--this time in London, Ontario! I'm incredibly excited about this event, especially as it coincides with our newly reinstated annual charity tournament, the Forest City Magic Community Cup

This is one of several Regional Judge Conferences being held in Canada this year. Attendees may only receive up to one (1) foil packet from Canadian Regional Judge Conferences in 2017, regardless of how many conferences they attend this year. Thus, if you have already received foils from a Canadian Judge Conference this year, you will not receive foils for attending this one.

What's in a conference? 

The goal of this conference is to improve the overall quality of Magic Judges and their interactions with Magic Players. Attendees are invited to receive training and knowledge from other experienced judges, and to share their own skills and observations with the judge community.

Our charity tournament on Sunday will apply a dedicated focus to inclusivity in Magic spaces; you may want to consider presentation topics focused on improving your community. In general, we would ask that as you prepare your presentation materials, think about representation and gendering within them, especial regarding language (e.g. constantly referring to players in scenarios as "he".)

As an appreciation for your contribution to the betterment of the Magic Judge Programme, foils will be distributed at the conference to attendees. Only judges who are certified as of the application deadline (October 28) and who have actively participated in a full slate of seminars will be eligible to receive a foil packet after the conclusion of the conference. More information on the possible contents of the foil packet is available on the Judge Conferences Blog.

If your judge level on JudgeApps is incorrectly showing L0, please have your Regional Coordinator email Mike Gyssels confirmation of your certification. 

Registration

If you wish to attend this conference, please take the time to apply here on JudgeApps and tell us about yourself. Attendance at this conference may be limited, so be sure to indicate in your cover letter not only how this conference will affect your own personal growth in the programme, but also how it will benefit your local, regional, or global Magic community.

Please note that you may cancel at any time, so it's better to get your application in sooner rather than forget about it and accidentally miss the deadline. Also note that you can edit your application after applying.

Preference will be given to judges living in Canada, but all interested parties are encouraged to apply (and will likely be accepted as long as there is room and their cover letters contain sufficient content).

Registration will remain open through Friday, October 28. To submit an application after that date, please email Mike Gyssels directly. Judges who apply late will not be eligible to receive a foil packet at the conference.

A fee may be collected to cover food costs. 

Presentations

If you wish to present a seminar please let us know in your application no later than October 28.

Seminars should be approximately 50 minutes long and should solicit active participation from the audience—this could be anywhere from structured Q&As, role-playing scenarios, or even friendly competition. Proposals for off-the-wall, non-traditional, non-lecture-style presentations that challenge the concept of what makes a seminar are very much encouraged.

L3 presenters may present their seminar at up to two (2) Regional Judge Conferences in Canada this year, and will be offered a small travel incentive to attend the second conference.

Tentative Schedule

Saturday - Judge Conference (Updated as seminars are accepted)

*Afternoon seminars will be streamed to the MB Judge Conference and a URL will be made available on the Canadian Judge Blog to watch live and recorded seminars by our judges.*

9:00 am - 10 am - Arrival

10:00am - 10:50am - 'Appeal Dark Overlord!': Working as and working with HJs at Large Events - Graham Schofield

11:00am - 11:50am - Writing Killer Reviews - Mike Gyssels

12:00pm - 1:00 pm - Lunch

1:00pm - 1:50 pm - The Anatomy of a Judge Call - Rick Miles

2:00pm - 2:50 pm - Deck Problems in Detail - Seth Black

3:00pm - 3:50 pm - Investigations - Jason Wong

4:00pm - 7:00 pm - Leisure, Food, and Fun! (or testing!) 

Sunday - (Optional)

Forest City Magic Community Cup - All Proceeds to Local LGBTQ+ Charities! 

Testing 

Have you been thinking about testing for the next level? This is a perfect opportunity to stop procrastinating and put a deadline on your calendar. Testing for L1 and L2 will be available at this conference—make sure you express your interest when you apply.

Please note that certifying for L1 at this conference will not make you eligible to receive a foil packet.

Sponsorship Type 

If you are applying to your first conference this year (i.e. you are eligible for a foil packet) please select "Full Sponsorship," otherwise, choose Volunteer.