Regional Conference!!!

[Mr James]

I was over at MBRK's website talking about this and wanted to share it over here too. The idea is an All Area or Regional Reef Conference. This could be huge, depending on how we plan it. I am going to start planning it now. I would like to bring it up at our meeting this month and see who is interested.

Here is a snippit of the conversation over there:

"That's how I understand it to be too. They (Sally Jo and Leroy from GARF) will come, as anyone else would, to a meeting on your dime. I went to a conference in Michigan where they spoke. There were lots of speakers and sponsors as well. The crowd was only like 50 people or so. It doesn't have to be 100+ people, it can be 10 people, as long as you are paying for their way.

I posted here about the Florida Panhandle Reef Club's September meeting at The Gulfarium in FWB, FL. One of the things that we are planning next is a regional conference. The Gulfarium would host it and we are open to suggestions regarding speakers and sponsors. The Emerald Coast Conference Center is just across the street from The Gulfarium which would make for a great combination!! It's coming, probably this fall. If any 0of you would like to come to our next meeting, we are going to discuss this idea for a regional conference. Think of it. All of the clubs from Atlanta to Orlando and west to Arkansas. It'd make for a gigantic frag swap. BTW, many of the sponsors donated prizes for the raffle drawing. I know it could work, but we need to plan ahead and start now!! Anyone want to chat about it??

Here is a link to our brothers to the west: http://www.mbrk.com/viewtopic.php?p=33028#33028

[Mr James]

Well, I thought it was a good idea. I am still going to shoot for it.

[SueQ]

James-
It's not that it's a 'bad' idea; I think it's a fantastic one Planning a top notch conference like the one you're envisioning take lots of time and energy. Two things I for one don't have much of right now
Instead of this Fall, you might want to shoot for a late winter/early spring event.

[Mr James]

Yes Suzi, you are correct. Trying to organize something like that will take more time. We are going to shoot for next spring.

Hey folks, what speakers would you like to see at this conference?? I want to get Mitch Carl. Who is Mitch Carl you ask?? See here:

"Mitch Carl was born and raised in the hotbed of Marine Biology, Omaha, Nebraska. After a brief stint in freshwater, he began his saltwater career at Animal Talk Pet Center in 1994. After quickly realizing that he had no customer skills whatsoever, he obtained his Biology degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Not because he wanted to go there, but because he could afford nothing else. With degree in hand, he marched immediately to the Henry Doorly Zoo and demanded/pleaded for a job. After being mocked mercilessly, he was offered a volunteer scuba/underwater custodian position. Soon after one of the aquarists mysteriously disappeared and he was offered the job and began his zoo career in 1997. On his way to his current position as Supervisor of Aquatic Inverts, Mitch tore down and renovated 4 displays. His current reef tanks include a 26,000gal Sulawesi Beach tank, a 6000gal stony/sps tank and a 2000gal Symbiotic tank. Add it all up and the Omaha Zoo has the largest volume of water dedicated to corals in the nation (at least for a bit longer!). Mitch also started the Zoo's coral propagation program. This 1000gal system produces over 1000 frags each year, and supplies many zoo's and aquarium's with captive corals. Mitch's new project is in conjuction w/ the SECORE (SExual COral REproduction) project and he'll be setting up 4 more troughs and beginning the adventure of getting corals to have sex. Before becoming a father to beautiful twin daughters, he and his wife dove reefs around the world (Bonaire, Grand Turk, Roatan, Catalina, Thailand, Fiji, and Sulawesi). "

Anthony Calfo of course:

Anthony Calfo was born in Hawaii and lives in Pennsylvania. He is a lifelong aquarist and an aquarium industry professional that has worked the better part of the last decade as a commercial coral farmer and wholesaler, producing cultured reef invertebrates in a greenhouse environment for the ornamental and zoological trade.
Anthony has authored the reef aquarium books, "Book of Coral Propagation, Volume 1" (ReadingTrees.com) & “Reef Invertebrates”, and numerous articles for print and electronic journals at large. He travels frequently to visit organizations and clubs to present information on the aquatic sciences. Anthony co-founded the Pittsburgh Marine Aquarist Society with the inimitable Bob Dolan. Schooled at Carnegie-Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, he has degree in English Literature.

Anyone else??