Macna 2007 - Yes- Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SaraB]

I posted this on another thread, but wanted to share it here as well!

I had a great time at my first MACNA. Thanks to the Pittsburgh hosts and the vendors that made this an awesome show!

I'm looking forward to MACNA XX in Atlanta and the Saturday night banquet dinner at the Georgia Aquarium! I already registered at the show yesterday! Remember to register for Atlanta by the end of September and save $70 on the normal admission fee. I paid $89 at the show and the full price is $159.

 

[SShindell]

Thanks Sara - we look forward on seeing you in Atlanta!

Steve

 

[Carlos]

Marinelife!!!

After all these years, I cannot believe we were at the same conference and we did not get to meet in person!!! WFT??????

Carlos

 

[marinelife]

NO SAY IT ISN'T SO!!!!!!!

Now I am sad now, that sucks I would have loved to chat with you for a while, been talking to you online for years.

 

[saltysteven]

does anyone know when that show will be in the ny area or ct?

 

[marinelife]

no one know until around August of each year, so if you have a large club in your around you can go to MASNA arounf July August and file out forms to host it in your area. They do not work years ahead just one.

 

[Mishap]

As promised here are some of the pictures I took:

Frogspawn with funky little branches

ORA Acro I won!!! No idea what it is lol:

Tunze 6080 Awesome pump, but the mounting hardware is a pita:

The Radison and Expomart:

 

[Mishap]

Misc booths:

 

[Mishap]

Tank shots:

 

[Mishap]

Aquareeferman with the RK2:

Me with the Man, the Myth, the Legend...... Marc "Melev" Levenson:

All in all, one of the best weekends I've ever had.
I met some really cool people from RC, Saw amazing new products.... Vortech Controllers wow. The seminars were very informative.

I can't wait for next year!

 

[GSMguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10784061#post10784061 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mishap
As promised here are some of the pictures I took:
ORA Acro I won!!! No idea what it is lol:

Looks like an ora tort

 

[cato]

Def a super great time!

 

[marinelife]

Pictures
http://www.marinelifeweb.com/other/pittsburgh/pittsburgh.htm

 

[Lunchbucket]

Too funny...Marc is a home Icon

Lunchbucket

 

[melev]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10774879#post10774879 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Misled
... The only question I'm having is Marc, where are you???? I've run into Skip a dozen or so times but have yet to see you. I'll be over by the lounge poster most of the morning, find me!!!!

Do you realize how many times I was approached asking if I'd found you yet? Adam tried to help several times, and others were as well. It was great to meet you finally, and no, you do not look like your avatar. Who is that guy?!

 

[melev]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10779650#post10779650 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by marinelife
I also won a Topdown Photo Box from Melev's Reef

Congratulations. If you happened to get a photo box with a metal screw, contact me so I can mail you a nylon one instead. I tried to find one locally and no-one carried them, but I just placed an order today for more so I'll be happy to replace it.

 

[melev]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10780123#post10780123 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AquaReeferMan
Boy what a wonderful time. Just got back like 2 hours ago. This was my first MACNA. I am glad I made the trip out. Awesome fish, awesome coral, great equipment and nice display tanks. Great seminars as well full of helpful information. Ohh I ran into Marc(melev). I got a picture with him. He probably thinks Im a little weird. All this stuff at MACNA and Im worried about getting a picture with him.:rollface: I came home with a Bermuda 3C skimmer, a nice sized red Monti cap, a Froggy, and I won a gold Maxima clam from ORA. I cant wait till next year in Atlanta. It was the best 3 days of my life.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10780376#post10780376 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mishap
I'm uploading my pics and vids now so I'll post them in a little while. I was in awe the hole time, walked into a glass wall which broke the next day..... hope it wasnt from me.

Meeting Melev was the highlight of my trip as odd as that sounds...

I got a Tunze 6080, a huge Frogspawn, tons of t-shirts, and I won an ORA frag! Pics to come

It is really fun meeting people you've spoken to online for years. I didn't think anyone was really odd, except for... hmm. I better not say. :lol: If you want to guess, I'll just say that he reminded me of one of the Klopeks from The Burbs. I won't fill in the blanks; that's all I have to say on the matter.

What glass wall did you walk into?

 

[marinelife]

sent you a PM

 

[melev]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10784155#post10784155 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mishap
Me with the Man, the Myth, the Legend...... Marc "Melev" Levenson:

All in all, one of the best weekends I've ever had.
I met some really cool people from RC, Saw amazing new products.... Vortech Controllers wow. The seminars were very informative.

I can't wait for next year!

May I have that picture? I've never stood next to the Man, the Myth, The Legend.....Mishap!

I wrote this over on DFWMAS, and think it is completely appropriate for this thread:

Here's the thing. MACNA is about 51 weeks away. If you do everything now to align the planets, it won't cost you nearly as much as it did for Frank. :lol:

He won't mind that I'm mentioning this, because all we did was talk about it all weekend. He booked his flight maybe one day before he left for Pittsburgh, and for what he paid, odds are that was how much it cost to fill up the plane for the flight. They should have let him sit in the cockpit.

If you purchase your entry ticket now for $89, and if you reserve your room at that beautiful hotel for $119 a night (and split that cost with one other person), then the only other expense is the flight itself. Many of us prefer to fly in Thursday evening so you can get settled in before it starts Friday. Three nights at the hotel (by sharing a room) is roughly $180 plus tax. So for roughly $300, you get three to four days of non-stop reefing fun. Add to that your travel (drive 12 hours each way and pay in gasoline, or fly out and deal with airport parking fees and possible car rental/cab fares) which may run $250 or so. $550 total. What's left? You gotta eat, and have beer money every night, right? :beer: Plus if you plan out your budget right, you'll be able to buy new tank equipment at special MACNA prices so have that money with you.

To sum up, if you pay now for the entry fee, book a flight in 6 months, the only out of pocket expense you have at the conference is paying for the hotel room. Sure, I came back with an empty wallet but I had a great time and didn't charge anything to a credit card. Don't think it is just impossible to go due to cost. You've got lots of time to plan this out and budget it over time so it can be affordable. Speaking with one person that only was at MACNA Houston for half a day last year, he was blown away with the full conference at MACNA XIX this weekend. He got to know many DFWMAS members and a ton of RC people as well as the chance to meet vendors from all kinds of companies. Additionally, he met many authors and public speakers, and had a great time. He's already excited about going next year to see everyone again, because now he knows a bunch of people and will be able to catch up on all the latest with them.

If you want to go, don't think you'll be going to a strange land with strange people. You'll be in good company with plenty of our club members milling about, and you'll make a lot of great friends.

So, now that my infomercial is over... At the Saturday night Gala, MASNA announced who won the MASNA Award for 2007: Randy Holmes-Farley, well-known chemistry guru for our hobby. If you are mixing up a 2-part additive using basic household chemicals, that is due to Randy. For years, he spent day after day answering questions about water chemistry to hobbyists from around the world. He wrote many articles in Reefkeeping Online, discussing kalkwasser; magnesium; pH & Alkalinity & Calcium balancing; water change ratios; refractometers & other devices; and much much more. He has truly done an outstanding job in 'being the most helpful in the hobby' and the award was well-deserved.

 

[melev]

Btw, FYI, etc...

Btw, FYI, etc...

I just wanted to apologize for not having the opportunity to say good-bye to many of you as the conference wrapped up. Due to something that was unexpected, I was virtually hustled out of the hotel into our rental car to rush back to the airport early, something I had not planned on doing. Intentionally, I booked my flight after 6pm so that we could all say our goodbyes properly. Instead, I got to thank Steven Pro briefly, shake hands with Marvin and Skip and that was that.

I won't go into the details, but I will never make that mistake again. Leaving in such a hurry left me livid, and my immediate group suffered from hearing me rant about it. Many of you mean a great deal to me, and I enjoy taking the time to speak to each of you annually. That is why I tend to miss many talks.

So for me, MACNA was fantastic other than the final 12 minutes. Pittsburgh, you guys did a slammin' job and I only wish I could come back and do it all over again. Enjoy yourselves, get some rest. You totally deserve it.