We Brought a Magic Shop to Spark! by Smokeball
(And the Lawyers Queued Up)
There's a particular kind of energy that descends when you're standing behind a velvet-draped table, wearing a tasselled turban, holding your own bespoke Major Arcana deck — and a room full of lawyers is looking at you like yes, actually, this is exactly what I needed today.
That was Spark! by Smokeball ‘26, and Yule and I are still buzzing from it.
For those who haven't been, Spark! is Smokeball's flagship event for small-to-medium Australian legal practices — and it is genuinely unlike most legaltech events. Rather than rows of booths and branded tote bags, Smokeball's marketing champion Nik O'Meara has helped shape something more experiential for the practice management software’s conference delegates. The 2026 edition at Ilumina in Sydney had an electric quality to it — the kind of day where conversations feel real, where delegates aren't just attendees but participants. As someone who has previously spoken at Spark!, bringing LexNova Guild back as an exhibitor was an easy decision; this is our community of progressive, newlaw practitioners.
The Lawyer Magic Shop
LexNova Guild's activation this year was The Lawyer Magic Shop — a mystic pop-up that I designed to be playful, a little theatrical, and entirely deliberate in what it communicated about co-opetition.
Here's what delegates encountered: a magical pop-up tarot reader's booth, an oracle in full regalia (that was me), and two distinct readings on offer. The first was a traditional oracle card reading — a moment of reflection in the middle of a busy conference day. The second was a LexNova Guild business destiny reading, using our bespoke Major Arcana deck designed specifically for the Guild, with each delegate walking away with their own talisman card.
Throughout the conference day, we had a sustained, delighted queue of Principal lawyers who wanted their cards read and who, coincidentally, left knowing what the LexNova Guild is and how it will support them to say ‘yes’ to more business without burning out in the process.
That's the magic of a well-designed activation: you create the experience, and the message follows on naturally.
Co-Opetition is the Spell
Selina from Lawganised, Philip from Boab IT, Kathryn and Yule from LexNova Guild
The reason The Lawyer Magic Shop works as a concept — beyond the pure fun of it — is that it mirrors the philosophy powering the Guild itself. Co-opetition: the idea that lawyers at similar stages of practice are not each other's competition, but each other's greatest strategic resource.
There's something quietly radical about saying yes to more work without burning yourself out to do it. And for the new generation of practitioners we met at Spark! — expert lawyers who are committed to serving their clients well, who want to build practices that are sustainable and joyful — that message landed.
We were thrilled to see LexNova Guild Members in attendance from across Australia, and chuffed to introduce the concept to delegates who hadn't encountered it yet.
What's Next
The Lawyer Magic Shop doesn't pack away after Sydney. We're bringing the full activation to LawFest '26 in Auckland this March: if you're attending, come the mystic be-turbaned Yule who will give you a cheery business reading unlike any other. Discover what your business destiny looks like through the lens of co-opetition.
If you’re wondering whether the Guild might be the right move for your practice, our next intake opens in April. The best way to start is to explore what we’re doing at LexNova Guild — and then, perhaps, let the cards decide.
Iolanthe Gabrie is the co-founder of LexNova Guild and a self-confessed dab hand at tarot. A multi-entrepreneur and author, Iolanthe is the Principal of award-winning Australian social media agency Ruby Assembly and co-owner of Good Axe Professional Workspaces. She is based in Melbourne and spends a considerable amount of time thinking about how lawyers can work smarter, together.
