Ask me yourself

[mantishunter]

Hi All,
Ron here. I hope you all had a great time at MACNA as did I. I'm here for a little while to answer any questions...one at a time. Direct questions, that will get a direct answer. I will not respond to aqusations since in reading some of the very long thread they seem to abound and make for great fiction. I will answer questions concerning the conference. I may later decide to answer questions concerning Calfo, but not at the moment, for now I'll take questions. Flame me and I simply won't respond I'll move on to a legitimate question.

I'll start. To let you know what I received from MACNA personally.

I helped a vendor with some difficultuies several months ago. They sent me a pair of metal halide bulbs. Another major vendor with whom I have a good business relationship was shipped extra inventory to MACNA and at load in asked me if I wanted a corner 90 tank. I accepted it. I had already solicited many major donations and sponsorship from that vendor for MACNA and this ended up being a spur of the moment gift. I received a bucket of salt. At an earlier trade show the vendor was going to give it to me, but when they ran low I asked that they then use it for their customers. They remembered I did that and brough me a bucket. I got 4 tee shirts and they were irregulars at that. Two coffe mugs and a poster proof. I did buy one coral and one pump at the price that was asked of me by those vendors. Thats it thats all.

[danellis06460]

Ron who ?

Originally posted by mantishunter
[B]Hi All,
Ron here.

[mantishunter]

Ron Wishna...Mantishunter

[danellis06460]

Rc have been editing out your screen name so not everyone knows mantishunter = ron wishna, you might want to edit the post you made in the other Macna thread to clarify.

Originally posted by mantishunter
Ron Wishna...Mantishunter

[Ereefic]

I would like to know what happend with Calfo. But since your not answering that now, i'll have to wait if you decide to tell.

[DgenR8]

I'm impressed to see you come here and offer to address peoples' questions.
My questions to you would be about Anthony Calfo, you have already stated that you will not answer those now. That's fine, I'll wait.
I will also be watching this thread very closely. Let there be no secret, I have some very negative feelings about your actions, but I will moderate as evenly as I can.

[mantishunter]

I have been available for 14 months. I publish my cell number almost daily. Its still on the macna site. Very few people have come directly to me to ask questions though I have always been there.

[BrianD]

As I have indicated before, I have no horses in this race, so I will moderate evenly as well. If anyone resorts to ANY personal attacks or flames, they will be removed from the board. Simple as that.

[mantishunter]

I don't take it personally so let it fly and people can get what ever they wish off their chest. Thats what I do and apparently I don't sugar coat things enough. I'm here to answer questions, but not all night. I'm a little tired as you might imagine

[BrianD]

Ron, I don't know if this question is even a legitimate one to ask, since it deals with a private business. There have been questions about the fees charged by the travel company. Can you enlighten us to what the responsibilities of the travel company were? Were they in charge of all facility procurement (site rental, hotel setup, vendor contacts, etc) as well as hotel and airfare accomodations?

[danellis06460]

I am interested. Did the vendors know in advance they would be setting up tanks in a tent ? In retrospect do you still think a tent was a good place for housing livestock for 3 days ?

[mantishunter]

Sure there good Ill respond give me a minute

[RobboT]

Never mind, I'll leave everything to Ron

[Ereefic]

I think everyone else from the other thread are giving there fingers a rest, been alot of typing on that thread today.

[reefrancher]

Preface: I am an ex board of director of the Boston Reefers Society and did due dilligence for the club hosting MACNA. I took the time to interview 4 previous hosts of MACNA and took a lot of notes.

Ronnie:

Why did you not disclose to the BRS that you and Emily were given a free suite at the Hyatt if you were to host MACNA there when it was offered?

Why did you not disclose it to me when I asked you directly if you were benefiting in any way from organizing MACNA for the club? During that phone call you were less than pleasant, used expletives, and was angry that I was questioning your honesty.

What made you change your mind a week or so later when you finally did disclose it to me?

Steve

[BrianD]

I trust the great members of RC to allow this thread to remain positive.

[Ereefic]

Originally posted by BrianD
I trust the great members of RC to allow this thread to remain positive.

Wishful thinking

[mantishunter]

Emily is tyhe Director of Client Services and Director of Events at Preferred, She the # 3 person at a 93 million dollar agency and the #1 in Events division. Preferred was ciontracted to provide services for registration site selection (which includs hotel negotiation ) and several other thirs party vendors , boats NEAQ banquet Etc. Preferred was paid $5000 for all. As an agency they charge $25 per airline transaction. The hotel block she bought us was for 600 room min at hyatt 125 at Embassy. The rate she negeoated was less than half rack rates saving attendees tens of thousands. Preferred gets a booking commission of 5%. That is not transferable to the client or anyone else. She takes it or its gone. FWIW for Preferreds services this would have cost 40-50,000. The 5000 they got did not covet their exp[enses.

[BrianD]

*sigh*

Please stick to questions, not personal opinions or commentaries.

[mantishunter]

Reef rancher asks a question that he asked me at a meeting at a bench table with ten people seated at a very noisey brew house enviornment , I explained that to you over a year ago steve. The head of any event is allways comped a room or a suite. Your due dilligence would have told you taht

[Ereefic]

Please do the same.

[mantishunter]

Vendors were all given sent or email packages with details including pictures of the pavillion. In fact its still on the macna site. Most read all the info some apparently did not.
One vendor lost nearly everything. He forgot tom put heater in his tanks. The ambient Temp at night was 58-59. Personall my basement stays that cool with several tanks in it with heaters. It was not a problem. Spot coolers Inc was standing by swould the temps fall below 50 orr rise above 80

[vitz]

i'm curious as to why you opened this this thread w/a list of things you recieved from various sponsors, when it's completely irrelevant, unimportant, and of little interest to most here

i'm also curious as to why you think the number 93 million should impress me


i heard something about possible free speaker rooms being 'traded in' for cash, care to comment ?

[DgenR8]

Staying on an even keel, an honest question;
Why did you chose the hotel you did for this event? It was obviously too small to accomodate, vendors with livestock outside, in a tent. What if it had rained? Was there a contingency?

[mantishunter]

In retrospect the tents were pretty good, and thousands of events regularly take p;ace in them including your biggest state faires with far more live stock than us