MACNA is Coming! MACNA is Coming
- Thread starter bbrook
- Start date
isis_kitty
New member
Livestock sales will be dependant on the vendor and available stock. I wouldn't be surprised if there are some for sale all weekend. We will also have collapsible coolers for sale that will store your critters nicely, as well as it being something you can clean easily since there is a removable inner liner. Please check out the MACNA forum on the MACNA site for pics.
isis_kitty
New member
What do you mean?
Snarkys
.Registered Member
ummmm I'm asking if it is much different than the imac was in Chicago a few months ago. i noticed that some of the speakers are doing the same topic and i am trying to figure out if it is worth it to go. kinda costly for me to take the few days off and fly down there.
http://www.theimac.org/
I've never been to the macna and don't know what to expect. pretty much the same thing as the imac but a hair bigger ?
http://www.theimac.org/
I've never been to the macna and don't know what to expect. pretty much the same thing as the imac but a hair bigger ?
chrismunn
New member
hey, whats the deal with children at this event? i want to go to the saturday event with my wife and kid. my daughter is 2 years old. will she be allowed to attend? and if so would i have to pay the $50.oo for her day pass? and no i dont know of any babysitters, i just moved to TX like 3 weeks ago...
melev
Well-known member
Guys, if you'll go to my site, and click on <b>Hidden Treasure</b> to get to my links page, scroll down to 'Photography' to see all my MACNA pages. I have images and discussion from the past three conferences compiled over something like 18 pages.
MACNA is more attended than IMAC, and moves around the nation from host club to host club. IMAC stays in Chicago. Normally I wouldn't make comparisons, but it was asked so I'm answering that question simply.
Children are welcome. I doubt MARSH will charge for a toddler to attend the day conference, but you'd have to make contact with the organizers via www.macnaxviii.com to get specific answers. I'm just the narrator. :lol:
It is definitely geared for the hobbyist, and that would include new to the hobby. I remember attending my first MACNA four years ago, and didn't really know much at that time. Speaker after speaker filled my head with way too much information, and I soaked in what I was able. The rest was lost to me, but later snippets from my experience made more sense as I learned more on those topics. If you have any inclination to go, do it! If you have doubts, ignore them. I'm <i>that</i> positive you'll have a good time. I can't imagine not going to MACNA each year. You get to meet the authors and foremost minds in the hobby, and ask your questions face to face. You can thank them in person for the help they've given you online for x amount of time. You can let your hair down and enjoy the evening over drinks with other hobbyists and perhaps some of the speakers, as well as the vendors that are done for the day. And you can finally meet all those people you've been hanging out with on RC!
MACNA is more attended than IMAC, and moves around the nation from host club to host club. IMAC stays in Chicago. Normally I wouldn't make comparisons, but it was asked so I'm answering that question simply.
Children are welcome. I doubt MARSH will charge for a toddler to attend the day conference, but you'd have to make contact with the organizers via www.macnaxviii.com to get specific answers. I'm just the narrator. :lol:
It is definitely geared for the hobbyist, and that would include new to the hobby. I remember attending my first MACNA four years ago, and didn't really know much at that time. Speaker after speaker filled my head with way too much information, and I soaked in what I was able. The rest was lost to me, but later snippets from my experience made more sense as I learned more on those topics. If you have any inclination to go, do it! If you have doubts, ignore them. I'm <i>that</i> positive you'll have a good time. I can't imagine not going to MACNA each year. You get to meet the authors and foremost minds in the hobby, and ask your questions face to face. You can thank them in person for the help they've given you online for x amount of time. You can let your hair down and enjoy the evening over drinks with other hobbyists and perhaps some of the speakers, as well as the vendors that are done for the day. And you can finally meet all those people you've been hanging out with on RC!
isis_kitty
New member
You daughter will not be charged admission.
I will have the website edited to reflect ages allowed in free.
I too remember attending my first MACNA four years ago in Dallas and I loved it!!! Everyone there is very friendly and you meet some of the coolest people, especially since they all have one thing in common with you. I loved shopping for the critters and from the vendors. Mingling at the events and the hotel bar was one of the most memorable parts of the weekend and I look forward to it every year.
We definitely encourage families to come, even if they don't hang with us fishy people. This year the conferance will be in the hotel connected to the Galleria Mall, which is one of the largest in Texas, let alone in the US. Bring the wives who want to go shopping and the kids who want to ice skate in the mall. There is tons of places to eat during lunch and for breakfast around the mall, so you aren't forced to eat expensive hotel food. The Astros will be playing that weekend, so all sports fans there is something for you too.
chrismunn
New member
yeah, i talked it over with my wife. she said it'd be cool, if we all went, but she doesnt think our daughter will make it through the whole day on saturday... thats ok, i still think we'll make it out there. HECK, i cant pass this up, especially since its so close to me! this opportunity wont be back for along time without a plane ticket!
isis_kitty
New member
Right on. We look forward to seeing you there and hope the little one enjoys it.
melev
Well-known member
Here's my article back in 2004:
<b>Why should you attend MACNA?</b><i> By Marc Levenson</i>
That is the question I asked myself about two years ago. I saw the brochure at the LFS, and heard some people talking about it, but I wasn't sure what it actually was. One thread on ReefCentral asked "Who's going to MACNA this year?" and so I finally replied that I wanted to know what it was all about. Duane, one of members of DFWMAS chimed in that it was being held in Ft Worth, and that I would love it. Skeptical, I decided to do more research. I followed a few older threads and a couple of links that lead me to an old newsletter that was written by Nancy Swart, then president of MASNA. In that newsletter, a previous MACNA (Marine Aquarium Conference of North America) was described somewhat, and as I scrolled down I found her phone number listed. I promptly called her up to talk to her about this event that she so obviously loved to attend, and asked her "Why should I go?" Although she protested that she was not the one to be asked, I pressed her for more details because if she loved it that much, she'd be the perfect person to convince me to part with my money.
Yes, that's right. MACNA isn't free, even when your own club sponsors it. Entry fees vary, depending upon when you sign up to attend, and where it is located that year. MACNA XIV was hosted by DFWMAS two years ago, and when I was told it cost $150 to attend, I felt that money would be better suited for more Live Rock or toward an upgrade of my lighting. $150 is a lot of money to most people! Duane and others continued to answer my questions and objections patiently, and I attended my first conference. It was fantastic. I soaked up information from one speaker after another over the three-day conference. We were in a nice air-conditioned hotel, meeting in a very large room filled with tables and chairs facing a stage with a speaker podium and two huge projection screens.
Topic after topic was discussed, most of them going right over my head. Prior to this, all I had was some online help, with the majority of my information coming from the LFS near my home, and that wasn't a lot. Lighting, a very important topic,was discussed in depth, including what was the best ballast and bulb combination as well as which reflectors did the best job. Ron Shimek discussed the downfalls of DSBs, painting a very sad picture indeed. Various ideas were presented by Martin Moe and Steve Tyree regarding multi-zoned tanks, via slides or video. Speaker after speaker was introduced, but I had no idea whom any of them were. Many of these speakers were published, and buying their book(s) is beneficial to anyone in the hobby. But hearing them discuss their findings, and then having the opportunity to ask questions during the 30 minute Q&A period was priceless. Hearing other people's questions answered, I quickly learned more and more. I raised my hand a number of times, eager to fill in the blanks that had formed in my own mind. One of the best moments was the 'round table discussion' with several speakers collectively answering questions posed by the audience. In this way, you could learn several points-of-view as the speakers themselves disagreed on various topics with one another, yet it would always end on a good note or a laugh.
Saturday evening, a banquet is held with a special talk. In this case, Walt Smith came with a great video presentation that we viewed after a delicious meal was served. We saw how the LR was made and placed in the ocean for months at a time, preparing it for our tanks. We saw how corals were harvested and fragged, then placed back in the ocean to create new corals for importation later. One colony would make 40 frags, later to be 40 corals sold in the U.S. We saw how the divers in Fiji lived and worked.
Tridacna maxima clam
Throughout the conference, many vendors were on hand with their products that could be purchased or ordered. Lighting of all kinds were displayed and explained, pumps were demonstrated (I hung out at the Tunze booth entirely too long, but it was fascinating!), corals & clams & frags were available, dry goods and gizmos and books of all kinds... New products and curious items were on hand, such as the circular tank that rotated 360° with a round sump built into the base...I bought my first SPS corals and my Blue Maxima Clam there. I took a lot of pictures at that conference. Barry, the club webmaster, assembled a huge slide show on DFWMAS' site that you can enjoy for probably an hour. If you want to see more, the entire conference is available on DVD for $100.
Between sessions, breaks would be provided to allow us a chance to stretch our legs and meet one another. Often various authors or speakers were surrounded by fellow hobbyists asking questions or relating experiences, or just talking about whatever. Lunch was about an hour long, and we had the choice to leave and eat out, or enjoy the hotel's "Box Lunch" that they offered daily at the pre-arranged rate ($10). The hotel did a fantastic job keeping all of us happy, and there were probably about 500 in attendance. Evenings, those that wished could stay late and visit around the pool, with snacks and a bar offering all kinds of beverages. Many people look forward to meeting their online friends, or rejoining the friends they made at a previous MACNA.
Vendors area
One of the biggest draws for many is the raffle. All the vendors contribute various pieces of equipment or livestock, and everyone has the opportunity to buy some raffle tickets to win. The grand prize at MACNA XIV was a 120g Starfire setup worth $4000!!! Man did I want that tank. It was filled with about 40 clownfish of differing types, a nice pile of LR, an abundance of frags, macro algaes, sump, refugium, stand & canopy, and PC lighting. I was very very tempted to just buy $500 worth of tickets to win that tank, but finally didn't do it. Instead, a guy from Florida won it, and when he got home his girlfriend put her foot down and he didn't keep it. MAN!
I had a wonderful time, so much so that I attended the next MACNA in Louisville, Kentucky a year later. If you'd like to see that conference, you can read more on my site. Tons of seahorses were available that year! Also, I got to participate in a coral propagation workshop that Anthony Calfo offered, learning how to frag corals properly. And yes, I've already signed up to attend this year's MACNA in Boston, MA.
Many people come to me on a regular basis asking me questions about this hobby, and I am always happy to help. But where do you think I'm getting all my information? Books, online forums, and club meetings are good, but MACNA is where the majority of my information comes from. Each speaker discusses their topic for about 45 minutes, and that coupled with their visual presentation provides the hobbyist with an arsenal of information. Over the three day conference, 15 to 18 different subjects will be tackled, and I guarantee you that you will not walk away with any regrets. There is so much to learn, and new things are being studied and applied to this hobby that keeps us moving forward with greater success in sight..
MACNA wasn't created for the clubs as a status-symbol. It wasn't created for the vendors to make money. It was created for the hobbyist, and if you are skipping the opportunity to attend year after year, you are only short-changing yourself. Not only will you be able to help others more -- your reef tank will benefit greatly as you will have a greater understanding of how things work and what to expect from a variety of livestock. Make plans now to attend MACNA XVI this September 10-12, 2004!
Would you like more information? Here are two more articles: MACNA Mania: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-10/kk/feature/index.php
MACNA Summary (PDF): http://www.dfwmas.com/pdf_files/OTR0802.pdf
MACNA review (MASNA 2005 Winter newsletter): http://www.masna.org/ms/winter2005.pdf
11/2004
<b>Why should you attend MACNA?</b><i> By Marc Levenson</i>
That is the question I asked myself about two years ago. I saw the brochure at the LFS, and heard some people talking about it, but I wasn't sure what it actually was. One thread on ReefCentral asked "Who's going to MACNA this year?" and so I finally replied that I wanted to know what it was all about. Duane, one of members of DFWMAS chimed in that it was being held in Ft Worth, and that I would love it. Skeptical, I decided to do more research. I followed a few older threads and a couple of links that lead me to an old newsletter that was written by Nancy Swart, then president of MASNA. In that newsletter, a previous MACNA (Marine Aquarium Conference of North America) was described somewhat, and as I scrolled down I found her phone number listed. I promptly called her up to talk to her about this event that she so obviously loved to attend, and asked her "Why should I go?" Although she protested that she was not the one to be asked, I pressed her for more details because if she loved it that much, she'd be the perfect person to convince me to part with my money.
Yes, that's right. MACNA isn't free, even when your own club sponsors it. Entry fees vary, depending upon when you sign up to attend, and where it is located that year. MACNA XIV was hosted by DFWMAS two years ago, and when I was told it cost $150 to attend, I felt that money would be better suited for more Live Rock or toward an upgrade of my lighting. $150 is a lot of money to most people! Duane and others continued to answer my questions and objections patiently, and I attended my first conference. It was fantastic. I soaked up information from one speaker after another over the three-day conference. We were in a nice air-conditioned hotel, meeting in a very large room filled with tables and chairs facing a stage with a speaker podium and two huge projection screens.
Topic after topic was discussed, most of them going right over my head. Prior to this, all I had was some online help, with the majority of my information coming from the LFS near my home, and that wasn't a lot. Lighting, a very important topic,was discussed in depth, including what was the best ballast and bulb combination as well as which reflectors did the best job. Ron Shimek discussed the downfalls of DSBs, painting a very sad picture indeed. Various ideas were presented by Martin Moe and Steve Tyree regarding multi-zoned tanks, via slides or video. Speaker after speaker was introduced, but I had no idea whom any of them were. Many of these speakers were published, and buying their book(s) is beneficial to anyone in the hobby. But hearing them discuss their findings, and then having the opportunity to ask questions during the 30 minute Q&A period was priceless. Hearing other people's questions answered, I quickly learned more and more. I raised my hand a number of times, eager to fill in the blanks that had formed in my own mind. One of the best moments was the 'round table discussion' with several speakers collectively answering questions posed by the audience. In this way, you could learn several points-of-view as the speakers themselves disagreed on various topics with one another, yet it would always end on a good note or a laugh.
Saturday evening, a banquet is held with a special talk. In this case, Walt Smith came with a great video presentation that we viewed after a delicious meal was served. We saw how the LR was made and placed in the ocean for months at a time, preparing it for our tanks. We saw how corals were harvested and fragged, then placed back in the ocean to create new corals for importation later. One colony would make 40 frags, later to be 40 corals sold in the U.S. We saw how the divers in Fiji lived and worked.
Tridacna maxima clam
Throughout the conference, many vendors were on hand with their products that could be purchased or ordered. Lighting of all kinds were displayed and explained, pumps were demonstrated (I hung out at the Tunze booth entirely too long, but it was fascinating!), corals & clams & frags were available, dry goods and gizmos and books of all kinds... New products and curious items were on hand, such as the circular tank that rotated 360° with a round sump built into the base...I bought my first SPS corals and my Blue Maxima Clam there. I took a lot of pictures at that conference. Barry, the club webmaster, assembled a huge slide show on DFWMAS' site that you can enjoy for probably an hour. If you want to see more, the entire conference is available on DVD for $100.
Between sessions, breaks would be provided to allow us a chance to stretch our legs and meet one another. Often various authors or speakers were surrounded by fellow hobbyists asking questions or relating experiences, or just talking about whatever. Lunch was about an hour long, and we had the choice to leave and eat out, or enjoy the hotel's "Box Lunch" that they offered daily at the pre-arranged rate ($10). The hotel did a fantastic job keeping all of us happy, and there were probably about 500 in attendance. Evenings, those that wished could stay late and visit around the pool, with snacks and a bar offering all kinds of beverages. Many people look forward to meeting their online friends, or rejoining the friends they made at a previous MACNA.
Vendors area
One of the biggest draws for many is the raffle. All the vendors contribute various pieces of equipment or livestock, and everyone has the opportunity to buy some raffle tickets to win. The grand prize at MACNA XIV was a 120g Starfire setup worth $4000!!! Man did I want that tank. It was filled with about 40 clownfish of differing types, a nice pile of LR, an abundance of frags, macro algaes, sump, refugium, stand & canopy, and PC lighting. I was very very tempted to just buy $500 worth of tickets to win that tank, but finally didn't do it. Instead, a guy from Florida won it, and when he got home his girlfriend put her foot down and he didn't keep it. MAN!
I had a wonderful time, so much so that I attended the next MACNA in Louisville, Kentucky a year later. If you'd like to see that conference, you can read more on my site. Tons of seahorses were available that year! Also, I got to participate in a coral propagation workshop that Anthony Calfo offered, learning how to frag corals properly. And yes, I've already signed up to attend this year's MACNA in Boston, MA.
Many people come to me on a regular basis asking me questions about this hobby, and I am always happy to help. But where do you think I'm getting all my information? Books, online forums, and club meetings are good, but MACNA is where the majority of my information comes from. Each speaker discusses their topic for about 45 minutes, and that coupled with their visual presentation provides the hobbyist with an arsenal of information. Over the three day conference, 15 to 18 different subjects will be tackled, and I guarantee you that you will not walk away with any regrets. There is so much to learn, and new things are being studied and applied to this hobby that keeps us moving forward with greater success in sight..
MACNA wasn't created for the clubs as a status-symbol. It wasn't created for the vendors to make money. It was created for the hobbyist, and if you are skipping the opportunity to attend year after year, you are only short-changing yourself. Not only will you be able to help others more -- your reef tank will benefit greatly as you will have a greater understanding of how things work and what to expect from a variety of livestock. Make plans now to attend MACNA XVI this September 10-12, 2004!
Would you like more information? Here are two more articles: MACNA Mania: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-10/kk/feature/index.php
MACNA Summary (PDF): http://www.dfwmas.com/pdf_files/OTR0802.pdf
MACNA review (MASNA 2005 Winter newsletter): http://www.masna.org/ms/winter2005.pdf
11/2004
isis_kitty
New member
Nice review Marc.
I missed the first part stating that it was an article FROM 2004 and when I got to the end and saw the invitation for this September 2004 I though I was once again reading a very old thread. (They do tend to run together sometimes, at least in MY head)
Anyways, it was a nice read, and it is an enticing invitation. I am pretty jazzed about attending.
Anyways, it was a nice read, and it is an enticing invitation. I am pretty jazzed about attending.
