IMAC & MACNA

[dirk griffin]

Some questions came up on another thread about the marine aquarium conferences coming up this year.
IMAC--International marine aquarium conference is June 24/5/6 in Chicago sleeplessly right next to Ohare.
MACNA--Marine aquarium conference of North America is September 16/7/8 in Washington DC, this year.
More details are available on their web sites. They both will have rooms still available.
Basically speakers are lined up every hour or two, most of them are familiar names in the hobby, others are not but still are usually interesting to listen too. This is nothing except discussing fish, corals and reefs.
There is an exhibit hall where I will be in a booth.....with vendors showing and selling aquarium products. Drink beer all night exchanging stories and asking questions with other hobbiests and occasionally with the speakers. The next day start the fun all over. The first one I went to is where I listened to Steve Tyree's presentation on sps. **** him still......
They start mid day friday and end late sunday afternoons with a hour long raffle. These conferences are always a GOOD time and are just like our meetings but with a few hundred more people.
I just received an email this week offering a discount to Reef Central members for the IMAC show. Chicago is as close as they get for these kinds of shows.

[otolith]

I may have to try and talk the wife into letting me go to IMAC. It would be fun to go and hang out with other reef geeks. I hear there's a bunch of frag trading that goes on...how do people arrange that when you're there for 3 days? How do you keep the frags alive? Wouldn't mind doing some trading, or buying, that's for sure. Anyone else interested in going?

[Fahz]

Steve and I from Duluth have it on our list to attend. It's only a ten hour drive for us.

Fahz

[tico mike]

I was planning on going til last night. My sister called and is changing her wedding date from September to that weekend. Thanks for nothing...

[dirk griffin]

I have been contmplating setting up a tank at the show again but not sure the blood pressure could handle it. Not sure what the traders do, some have even set up small tanks in their rooms....generally things you buy are picked up on sunday afternoon. This is what most do and it gets to be very hectic. I used to sell corals/clams but the stress/time was too much. Plus there are weather variations, the drive/fly home, reacclimating and hotel temperature issues.

Traffic is the biggest concern I would not want to chance. One year on a trip, 94 was blocked off to 1 lane for a bridge fix-up half way thru wisc. The highway was down to one lane for 40', traffic was backed up for over 10 miles--both lanes...with tons of more traffic still coming, luckily I was going the other direction.

[tico mike]

Funny thing is, her other date coincided with the conference in DC. So now I'm free to go to that one. Again, thanks for nothing...

[the_colonel]

I am planning on going to IMAC. I have agreed to help Dirk with the show.

[spazz]

its only 8 hours from duluth to ohare airport. i drive that route all the time. some weeks i think chicago is my second home. its 7 hours from the cities.

Originally Posted by Fahz

Steve and I from Duluth have it on our list to attend. It's only a ten hour drive for us.

Fahz

[Fahz]

Originally Posted by spazz

its only 8 hours from duluth to ohare airport. i drive that route all the time. some weeks i think chicago is my second home. its 7 hours from the cities.

8 hours is without stops and traffic. I-94 in Wisconsin use to be the most ticketed interstate in the US not sure if it still is but it has my attention. It takes me 9 hours to go from my house to Racine.

Fahz

[Irenicus]

My fiance is from the Milwaukee area and we drive I-94 frequently to get down there for wedding appointments. It looks like the most ticketed interstate in the US. They are ruthless there.

[spazz]

it take alot longer to go through millwaukee than going down 90 it cost me an extra 45 min.