From MACNA 2016, San Diego

[Origami]

Listening now to a talk on Tridacnid clams given by James Fatherree. We had him scheduled to speak to us last winter when the blizzard hit.

 

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[Origami]

Luiz Rocha, on threats and risks to species extinction (fishes and corals). Luiz has spoken before at WAMAS meetings.

 

 

 

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[cpu933k]

Make sure to check out Jim Welsh's alkalinity monitor device and give us a report.

 

http://www.reef2reef.com/threads/automatic-regular-unattended-alkalinity-monitoring.264562/

[smallreef]

Oh awesome! Hoping to hit next years in New Orleans!

[menglish]

I heard BRS will be recording the talks. I am definitely looking forward to watching them

[L8 2 RISE]

Make sure to check out Jim Welsh's alkalinity monitor device and give us a report.

 

http://www.reef2reef.com/threads/automatic-regular-unattended-alkalinity-monitoring.264562/

Any idea where/how he will be presenting this? I'm interested, but not gonna walk around calling his name lol

[monkiboy]

Any idea where/how he will be presenting this? I'm interested, but not gonna walk around calling his name lol

unique corals booth at 12pm, saturday.

[Origami]

Make sure to check out Jim Welsh's alkalinity monitor device and give us a report.

 

http://www.reef2reef.com/threads/automatic-regular-unattended-alkalinity-monitoring.264562/

Heard about it. Not ready for mass production. But it's basically an automated titration system.

 

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[Origami]

Meet MASNA 2016 Aquarist of the Year, Joe Yaiullo. Joe will be speaking to us on October 22nd.

 

 

 

 

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[Squishie89]

I miss MACNA =(

[Origami]

Good morning from sunny San Diego. It was a great show this year. Sorry that I didn't post more - it's all-day-reefing and all-night parties and visiting with old friends that you've met in prior years.

 

Man, it was good to relax at one of these for a change. I know that others here - Doug, Craig, Alan, Chip (and Sonya) - felt similarly. 

 

The VIP reception was held at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institute for Oceanography. Nice venue with a really beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean and a few California beaches below. Grilled scallops were among the things on the menu and they were delicious. I hung out with various notables that MACNA and WAMAS have introduced me to over the years: Sanjay Joshi, Bob Fenner, Joe Yaiullo and Laura Birenbaum, Todd Gardner, Rich Ross, Walt Smith, Justin Grabel, Matt Wandell and so many more who have impacted this hobby over the years. 

 

The public reception, sponsored by Maxspect, was held at the Broadway Pier (downtown). It's an old cruise terminal that's not being used anymore and is right on San Diego Harbor with a beautiful view looking out to Coronado and the sunset beyond. Appetizers were served buffet-style but, using food tickets that we were provided, also enjoyed about a dozen food trucks lined up outside giving us all a taste of the local cuisine.

 

The San Diego team took a chance and deviated from the keynote-speaker format of prior years and, instead, hired a professional entertainer / impersonator / comedian. In prior years, I'm told that this didn't go over well. However, they may have proved that it can be done: Nobody left their seat during the show and many were laughing hysterically. I know that I had a good time.

 

And, of course, the exhibition hall was filled with well over a hundred equipment manufacturers from all over the world, and coral and livestock wholesalers and vendors, both large and small. All were eager to engage and show off what makes their products special and, in the case of corals, their best, most flashy stuff (and at great prices, too).

 

But speakers and the consistent social networking make a MACNA different than just about any other event in the hobby - super frag swaps included. The San Diego team did a great job lining up new speakers this year. Following a similar formula that we used last year (and others have used as well), they brought back some all-time favorites as well as adding some new names/faces to the mix. This year, I actually got to enjoy several very good talks.

 

While the numbers are not in yet, my gut feel is that our MACNA was a little larger, but this MACNA was still great. I know that amount of work that goes into one of these and it's an amazing feat that a group of dedicated hobbyist-volunteers are able to work for two to three years to pull one of these off. San Diego did a great job and though it's now in the books as a "past-MACNA," it's legacy will be felt as we consider the new stuff that they introduced the crowd to.

 

On to New Orleans for 2017!

[treesprite]

I miss MACNA =(

+1

Unless it is in this area again, I am 99.9 % sure that I won't be going any time soon.

[Squishie89]

+1

Unless it is in this area again, I am 99.9 % sure that I won't be going any time soon.

Yeah LA is a bit far (and a bit too hot). I had really been hoping for somewhere like Philly for 2017 which wouldn't be too bad. I will just hold out hope for 2019.

[AlanM]

I did a purge of all my handouts before coming back because I was really limited on space, but maybe if someone still has all of the swag and ads from the event they could start posting up the MACNA discount codes?

[AlanM]

Yeah LA is a bit far (and a bit too hot). I had really been hoping for somewhere like Philly for 2017 which wouldn't be too bad. I will just hold out hope for 2019.

The New Orleans one sounds fun, and they guarantee that you can get from hotel to convention entirely in the air conditioning. Also the reception venue is air conditioned. 8)

[s2nhle]

Thank you Tom for making me missed macna.

[Origami]

Thank you Tom for making me missed macna.

Ha! You're welcome.

 

It's in New Orleans next year. Tickets are at their cheapest now. See http://www.macnaconference.org/2017for details.

[s2nhle]

Thank you Tom. Let me get permission from my spouse to go or taking the whole family to New Orleans with me.