Anybody else going to IMAC Chicago?

[artful-dodger]

Anybody else going to spend June 1-3 in Chicago?

 

[rmougey]

I looked at spending a day or so there, but the conference hotel is out of IMAC rooms. Rate is a bit high.....

-Rob

 

[artful-dodger]

That's actually why I was posting to let anybody know. They want to book you into a $350/night suite. Yeah, right.

I booked in at the airport Quality Inn (I know, I know) at $53. What the heck, free Internet access, free airport shuttle and free breakfast.

 

[artful-dodger]

4 more days! (the first time I've looked forward to a boarding pass in years)

 

[rmougey]

Hope you have fun.... my trip was cancelled, so.... I'll just have to do without the aforementioned boarding pass for a week. Rats!

-Rob

 

[rmougey]

So how was IMAC????

 

[artful-dodger]

I'd do it again. The speakers were (for the most part) good and some were excellent. Show floor was interesting, but only big enough that you could see every vendor in 3 or 4 hours (max).

Learned a bunch and got some seriously interesting ideas to try out.

Euro-Reef was the best vendor there...lots of variety of skimmers to show, and then they donated sixteen (!) RS-80s and an RC-180 to the raffle. Marineland gave away a 120 w/ stand and canopy. Other big prize was a $1500 PFO Solaris LED light (the guy who won it doesn't even have a reef tank yet!). Tons of smaller prizes.

I'm already making plans for MACNA in September--a great time to visit Pittsburgh--last September's weather was great and the Pirates will still be losing (oops... "playing") until the end of Sept.

Many of the MACNA speakers/topics are repeats from IMAC. If it were me, I'd skip Las Vegas IMAC and go to MACNA instead--a much bigger show. (But then, I don't smoke, drink (much) or gamble so LV has no other attraction for me...)

 

[Steven Pro]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9834362#post9834362 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by artful-dodger
That's actually why I was posting to let anybody know. They want to book you into a $350/night suite. Yeah, right.

I booked in at the airport Quality Inn (I know, I know) at $53. What the heck, free Internet access, free airport shuttle and free breakfast.

I was in the Crowne Plaza and spent $20 a day on breakfast at the restaurant next door and $12 per day for internet access.

By the way, there is free wireless internet access at the Radisson Inn where MACNA is being held and there is a McDonald's a block down the street.

 

[Steven Pro]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10099953#post10099953 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by artful-dodger
Many of the MACNA speakers/topics are repeats from IMAC.

Some of the speakers are repeats, but very few if any of the topics should be. I know Dr. Shimek is giving an updated and expanded lecture on his laminar flow feeding trials that he spoke on at IMAC. Other than that, everything else should be fresh material.

 

[artful-dodger]

It looked like Anthony is giving the same talk on Reef Toxocolgy and fragging workshop. Dr. Ron's other talk on the status of the reefs is, I think, the same. Kelly's and Sanjay's presentation titles aren't listed yet (but I assumed they might be the same...always dangerous).

That isn't a criticism...all of these presentations were great. MACNA has a number of additional speakers and topics, though. If someone were to have to select just one to attend, it seems that MACNA might prove the better investment (plus less opportunity to spend even more at the tables )

Although, on closer examination it does appear that the MACNA tentative schedule only allows one 1 hour for each presentation (less setup time). The IMAC schedule, alternating between two rooms, allowed for a little more time.

(Steven, I owe you an email as well...I hope to find some time over the weekend to get that constructed.)