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MACNA Today

It is really tough to do one in the state of New Jersey for one big reason, the convention centers are run by the unions. This is NOT a bash on unions at all so please don't take it that way I am just stating the fact here. The cost of dealing with the unions for an event like this is almost prohibitive. Why? Since there is water involved, plumbers have to be on hand, since their is electricity, electricians have to be on hand. So if I wanted to setup a tank, I needed a plumber to pour the water in and an electrician to plug it in and I am being completely serious. When we threw it last time our cost for the union OVERTIME, not regular cost, ran into the 5 figures.

Also to be very honest these things are a massive massive undertaking that are not to be taken lightly. This really does take a solid dedicated group of people working year round and pretty much around the clock. You give up countless hours of your own time and have many many late nights. Figure you are going to have to take time off of work and miss many weekends. I am not saying we are not capable of doing it, I am just saying you really need a dedicated team.

Yeah i can only imagine what it takes but I did not know there were that many hoops to jump through regarding the union. i understand. Itd be nice if somewhere within a reasonable driving distance held it. i do not have the time or money for the 3 day trip with airfare and hotel as I imagine many of you dont either but a one day drive would work. Ah maybe someday
 
MACNAs past. While I feel like the club learned a lot from Atlanta and made a lot of changes to accommodate what people wanted, I sorta doubt MASNA would choose NJ again so soon. Also a lot of the core knowledge from people like john/phyl/mikem/rod/brian etc which would be beneficial to have is not here anymore since they are not as active or flat out not with the club anymore.


I – Marine Aquarium Society of Toronto April 22-23, 1989
II – Cleveland Saltwater Enthusiasts Association April 21-22, 1999
III – Windows to the Sea Marine Aquarium Society (New Jersey) April 20-21, 1991
IV – Florida Marine Aquarium Society September 20-21, 1992
V – Marine Aquarium Society of Toronto September 12-13, 1993
VI – Cleveland Saltwater Enthusiasts Association October 14-16, 1994
VII – Louisville Marine Aquarium Society September 14-16, 1995
VIII – Kansas City Metro Aquatics Council October 11-13, 1996
IX – Chicago Marine Aquarium Society September 12-14, 1997
X – Marine Aquarium Society of Los Angeles September 25-27, 1998
XI – Louisville Marine Aquarium Society September 10-12, 1999
XII – Florida Marine Aquarium Society (Fort Lauderdale) September 29 – October 1, 2000
XIII – Chesapeake Marine Aquarium Society (Baltimore) August 17-19, 2001
XIV – Dallas-Fort Worth Marine Aquarium Society September 27-29, 2002
XV – Louisville Marine Aquarium Society September 5-7, 2003
XVI – Boston Reefers Society October 14-16, 2004
XVII – Washington D.C. Area Marine Aquarium Society September 16-18, 2005
XVIII – Marine Aquarium and Reef Society of Houston September 22-24, 2006
XIX – Pittsburgh Marine Aquarium Society September 14-16, 2007
XX – Atlanta Reef Club September 5-7, 2008
XXI – New Jersey Reefers Club (Atlantic City) September 25-27, 2009
XXII – Orlando Reef Caretakers Association September 3-5, 2010
XXIII – Greater Iowa Reef Society (Des Moines) September 9-11, 2011
XXIV - Dallas Fort Worth - September 28-30, 2012


Next up XXV: -
Florida Marine Aquarium Society (Fort Lauderdale

what is windows to the sea in regards to MACNA III
 

mnat

Officer Emeritus
Staff member
Moderator
Was an old club here in New Jersey that pre dated NJRC that no longer exists.
 
It is really tough to do one in the state of New Jersey for one big reason, the convention centers are run by the unions. This is NOT a bash on unions at all so please don't take it that way I am just stating the fact here. The cost of dealing with the unions for an event like this is almost prohibitive. Why? Since there is water involved, plumbers have to be on hand, since their is electricity, electricians have to be on hand. So if I wanted to setup a tank, I needed a plumber to pour the water in and an electrician to plug it in and I am being completely serious. When we threw it last time our cost for the union OVERTIME, not regular cost, ran into the 5 figures.

Speaking as someone who used to do trade shows, don't expect a NYC or Chicago MACNA anytime soon! We used to have to keep a fat bankroll just to grease the Teamsters! God Bless 'em!

Also to be very honest these things are a massive massive undertaking that are not to be taken lightly. This really does take a solid dedicated group of people working year round and pretty much around the clock. You give up countless hours of your own time and have many many late nights. Figure you are going to have to take time off of work and miss many weekends. I am not saying we are not capable of doing it, I am just saying you really need a dedicated team.

I almost think that once you see what's involved, all aspects, your club would not want to do it again. Where did all those folks go? Maybe you need to wait till a new generation of reefers join the club, to flush out the "institutional memory" of MACNA!
 

Tazmaniancowboy

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Yeah i can only imagine what it takes but I did not know there were that many hoops to jump through regarding the union. i understand. Itd be nice if somewhere within a reasonable driving distance held it. i do not have the time or money for the 3 day trip with airfare and hotel as I imagine many of you dont either but a one day drive would work. Ah maybe someday
I was strictly a member at the time of our MACNA and didn't have any time to volunteer. It was my first and only(so far) MACNA and all I can say is it was AWESOME! It is a shame that it is such a labor intensive thing to run. As stated earlier, it was great for the club in general, but it burnt out some GREAT people that we had. The stress level was so crazy! The unions were absolutely ridiculous from what I understand also. I was in a union and know about them and all I can say is that they definitely took advantage of the situation. It is a total shame that we allow unions to run the rates through the roof for these events.

I am friends with a lot of people who attend MACNA and I can tell you it turns my stomach to sit back wishing I was there with them, but with a family, I just can not afford it. I believe the next MACNA is going to be awesome, but again I think I'll be living it from home through other peoples posts :sorrow:. I was hoping it was awarded closer to home so I could possibly drive it, but I guess I can only hope to go again someday.


If you do get a chance to go, I HIGHLY suggest you do though.
 

TanksNStuff

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Yea, I'd love to go to a MACNA too. When our club hosted it, I unfortunately had other plans that weekend and couldn't attend.

Next year in FLA probably would have worked because my wife is from FLA and she's always looking for an excuse to hit Disney/Sea World/MGM/etc. But we've already commited to suffering for a week in Turks & Caicos next May. :tan: So, there's about a 0% chance I'd make it to MACNA next year too.
 

redfishbluefish

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Sorry to jump in here but I was just curious if our club has any intentions of putting a bid on to host 2014?

Sent from my SGH-T769

I think, in reading other site’s posts about this year’s MACNA, that people think there is a professional group of convention experts that pull this all together. The truth is that it is a local club that has to apply and win the right to put on this show, with virtually no assistance from MASNA. The club has to organize, plan, contract all the aspects of the show……a major undertaking even for a professional convention company……and yet they are just a group of fish folks.

I was fortunate enough to be involved with MACNA Atlantic City in 2009. It still amazes me what a relatively small group of fish-people did in organizing and pulling off this major feat….at a cost great than the average cost of a house in NJ. I still have my MACNA appreciation plaque in my fish room to remind me of this amazing weekend (and year of planning). To top it off, we were in the red on opening day, and prayed that we had sufficient walk-ins and raffle dollars to pull us into the black. In the end, it all worked out to be a fantastic show.

I agree that you have to wait some time, in my case, for senility to set in, before I would consider doing this again. Wait…..at my age, that’s not very long.

Lets do it.

I can only say that Ed is suffering from early stage alzheimer's. :grin:
 
Jim - Thanks so much for the updates. I can always count on LMAO at your witty quips. (i.e. about people having to tackle the waiters etc)

I had the time of my life at our Macna as well. It was the only one I have attended. I carried along some serious guilt by attending it without helping. Short side note - I remember I was bedridden for a week with severe back spasms a few weeks before the event and then had more unexplained pain during the show weekend. It turns out it was a raging staph infection in my lower spine that ate away a disc and part of two vertabrae. Three months of daily IV daptomyacin (antibiotics) along with frequency therapy took care it, thank God. Remembering this from the event today places a distinct unforgetable memory around it.

Should the day come where we host another, I would defintely be there to help. Hearing again about the incredible efforts involved makes me feel grateful again that I was able to attend stricly as a participant, especially in those touch circumstances back then. I thought the raffles went well, all things considered and the magnitude of it. Granted I won a slick T5 light donated by Reefgeek which made me feel even better about it, but I don't recall exorbitant wait times or logistical jams. While I was outside the involvement of running it, I guess I am still surprised to think any outside organization would shy away from us hosting again. It's too bad that these good folks mentioned above aren't active. They did high impact good thing for the club

Bob
 
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