Dr. Fosters and Smith Frag swap

[tangdiver]

Taken from the Minnesota Group page...thanks to them!

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/newsl...=3922&subref=AA
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/...=3922&subref=AA

Helping protect our coral reefs. . .
one frag at a time
Over 200 fellow hobbyists will be gathering for a weekend in scenic northern Wisconsin to share stories, trade coral frags, and listen to expert speakers discuss a variety of topics in a relaxed banquet atmosphere. Not to mention dozens of exhibits featuring fellow traders and the industry's leading aquarium suppliers - and a chance to win raffle prizes and receive other free gifts!

Participants will enjoy:

5 chances to win a Grand Prize, an Aquarium System valued over $2,000 or dozens of other raffles!
FREE Mystery Gift Bags filled with items donated by exhibitors
NEW: Online registration for a limited number of Aquaculture Facility Tours!
3 Expert authors speaking on reef ecology and care
Traders will receive a FREE 10-gallon display aquarium
FREE Drs. Foster & Smith/LiveAquaria.com T-Shirt
10% OFF hard goods/aquatic life at Drs. Foster & Smith's Retail Outlet Store
And MUCH MORE!
Tentative Schedule of Events

Friday, June 23rd
Time Event Location
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Scheduled Aquaculture Facility Tours Aquaculture Facility
9:00 am - 6:00 pm Retail Outlet Store Open Retail Outlet Store


Saturday, June 24th
Time Event Location
9:00 am - 3:00 pm Frag Swap & Exhibitors Area Open Drs. Foster & Smith
9:00 am - 3:00 pm Scheduled Aquaculture Facility Tours Aquaculture Facility
9:00 am - 5:00 pm Retail Outlet Store Open Retail Outlet Store
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm Lunch Available Drs. Foster & Smith
3:00 pm Raffle 1 Drs. Foster & Smith
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm Free Time
5:30 pm - 6:00 pm Speaker 1
(Banquet Dinner) The Haven Banquet Center
6:15 - 6:45 pm Speaker 2
(Banquet Dinner) The Haven Banquet Center
7:00 pm Banquet Dinner The Haven Banquet Center
8:00 pm Keynote Speaker
(Banquet Dinner) The Haven Banquet Center


Sunday, June 25th Time Event Location
9:00 am - 3:00 pm Scheduled Warehouse/Call Center Tours Warehouse
9:00 am - 3:00 pm Scheduled Aquaculture Facility Tours Aquaculture Facility
9:00 am - 3:00 pm Retail Outlet Store Open Retail Outlet Store
Noon Raffle 2/Grand Prize Raffle Retail Outlet Store

[tangdiver]

Any bitters? I am always game...to far out, but something to think about??

[Travis]

Sounds like fun. I heard the swap last year went really well. A little too early to commit, but there is a good chance I would go.

[creslin2]

holy damn! can I go??

[tangdiver]

Start an interested list and then we go...

[creslin2]

doh! I clicked the links you posted, grant, but they go nowhere. I think because the address in the link is incomplete. There should be more stuff instead of dots.....kinda like my posts, really.:p

[creslin2]

I was going to ask what the cost is? didn't see that listed in your previous post.

[tangdiver]

Not sure but check the Minnesota club page...it is where I pasted from

$$ not sure also

[Lunchbucket]

sounds good to me. lets hope i dont' get my plans messed up like for IMAC this year :(

lets do it
Lunchbucket

[creslin2]

If I'm reading my schedule right, I should have that weekend off, then I'd just need to take a day or so vacation for travel time. Who knows, maybe I'll even stop in to see the parents on my way thru. (although now that I think about it, maybe not.....) :twitch:

[tangdiver]

Just thought I would move it up the list for others to see and think about...

Grant

[creslin2]

Yeah, I really need to find all the info and plan for the time off for that....

[tangdiver]

Man you are @ 212...me 183...is that weight...I wish!?!?!

Grant

[creslin2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7120253#post7120253 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tangdiver
Man you are @ 212...me 183...is that weight...I wish!?!?!

Are you sayin Eric's fat? :lol:

[Lunchbucket]

that is how much i lift not how much i weigh :D

Lunchbucket

[tangdiver]

You are an animal...what is the record for a dead lift from floor...and bench for world? Just curious?

[tangdiver]

I through the thread way off sorry.

Grant

[Lunchbucket]

i think the bench is getting close to 1000 if i remember right...not sure. i'm not big into powerlifting. the worlds strongest man contests are pretty cool though :D

Lunchbucket

[hoover86]

Not to continue the outward spiral of getting this thread off track, but did you mean 1000 POUNDS!?!?!.......... sheesh, i could bench 1000 sheets of paper :rolleyes:

[creslin2]

So I've dug into the F&S frag swap a little bit more. It'll be in Rhinelander, WI just off of Hwy 47 on Air Park Road. Anyway, it's in between Hwy 47 and Hwy 8 on Air Park Rd.

The wife and I are talking about going just for the vacation and fun of it. Still have to talk to my sis-in-law, but if we do we might very well be staying in Wassau (the nearest Marriott) because the sis-in-law works for Marriott and can get rooms fairly cheap for family. Only drawback is it's almost an hour away. :( (45 miles)

Here's a link to Foster's and Smith (http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=366&ref=3922&subref=AA) for more info. (mostly the same that grant posted.)

[creslin2]

wouldn't mind going as a trader, except I have no frags to trade....:( I know grant is thinking this is a great opportunity to get me to go salt.... :P but not really looking to do a reef right now. Trader package w/ full benefits is $45, trader w/ basic benefits is $25. Guest w/ full benefits is $30, banquet only is $20, and basic is $10.

[ronkent]

creslin2 if you decide to stay in wausau let me know. Maybe you can check out some of our tanks here in the area. Sticky and I already have bought tickets. We will both be setting up frags to trade. He went last year and told me I missed out though i drive up there regularly. I just coulnt make the swap due to prior engagement.

[creslin2]

er, am I the only one planning on going to this? Prolly gonna get our hotel reservations straight first, then buy the tickets, cuz if we can't get a hotel, there's no real point in trying to camp on the front lawn at the swap.

Might be kinda sad if the only guy going from our group isn't even a marine guy.....? *nudge nudge*

[tangdiver]

thinking if I have enough $$ and time...Grant

[creslin2]

just schedule the time off. Your boss (Grant) might be understanding if you can come home with more product to sell to local customers. It's a business trip for you. And just fun too. ;)

[UrbanSage]

I already scheduled the monday and friday around that weekend off the second I heard about this... Im deffinitely going!

[tangdiver]

Nic, I forgot to ask...how was it.


Grant

[UrbanSage]

Awesome! had it not been for a 7-8 hour drive ;)

I think I had expected more from the host (foster and smith) in terms of livestock. And the frags people brought seemed a bit like the frags they could not give to people closer to them selves due to lack of color or interrest.

There were naturally some people with very nice sps frags etc. only a very few though.

My expectations were not met. People whos expectations were more in line with what actually happened were very pleased I am sure.

[Travis]

Bummer.:( I figured it would have been better than that. Did you take any pics? How many people do you think were there? How was everything set up? Did you get to tour their facility, if so what did ya think?

[UrbanSage]

I think it would have been a great trip had I lived closer. Thats on myself though :)

Few pictures of the place, nothing special, very bad eporting on my part :D

The place was very busy, I dont know about numbers... Maybe a couple hundred or so...? Maybe more......

I did not tour the facility, my wife changed her mind and wanted to come along, for that to happen I had to skip friday morning and arrive saturday, my tours were scheduled for friday morning :(

Facility and store were great, in the middle of nowhere I was surprised to see they had an actual store at all :D

It had some fun stuff but not much highend equipment. Many frags in a 120g I think it was. Average quality, nothing I had to have.

I kept thinking when seeing something that I could skip the risk of driving it home by simply buying through Grant, his stuff is much nicer than what I saw, and cheaper too...... Maybe Macna or something next time ;)

fostersmith had provided all the traders with a jbl nanocube I think it was, pretty nice, people had modded them to host what they brought.

In my guest package I recieved bottles of stuff like purpleup and Seachem Reefdip. Also different kinds of pellet food. I felt like I got the price of the ticket covered in equipment/additives/food.

[UrbanSage]

It was not a bad "organized fragswap" I think I should point out.
I just simply had different expectations.

[Travis]

I hear what you are saying. My expectations would have been higher too.

[Lunchbucket]

dang that stinks. i would have thought it would have been more too. i'm w/ you and Travis i would have expected more especially after they hyped it up IMO.

oh well hope you had a great time anyhow and you got back home safe and sound

Lunchbucket

[UrbanSage]

Thanks and yup, had a good trip with the wife.... Beautiful country up there.