Grand Wizard of the Order of Pitching, Markus Simonus. Images courtesy of Mark Simon.

Abra-cadabra, sneako-fitch. Go to conferences, and land a pitch.

There's nothing magical about pitching shows at TV conferences. You just need to have the right concoctions and know the proper spells.

As a wise wizard once said, "Why spend weeks battling the throngs of troll-traffic to land a few elusive meetings, when you can conjure up hordes of meetings at one television conference."

The cost of going to conferences, from registration to airlines to hotel rooms and food, can seem outrageous at first glance. But when you think about what it would take to have just as many meetings in N.Y. or L.A., it's not quite as bad.

In Los Angeles, you're having a good day when you have two pitches. Of course, you have to leave plenty of time to drive to each one. Plus, unless you're experienced, you may not land any pitches at all.

At the last few NATPEs I've attended, I've bewitched as many as 35 meetings in one day. It could take months to land that many meetings outside of a conference. Think about the cost of airfare, hotel, food and car for two months in L.A. or N.Y. It will be many times more expensive than any conference.

But the meeting of the minds at conferences is only one reason to attend. These mystical gatherings also raise your wizarding stature. Simply by attending these events, you are seen as an industry insider, with many of the powers to produce a great show.