MACNA is Back !! Is anyone excited or will wait and see?

[reefwiser]

MACNA’s are a learning event. This coming MACNA we have a whole day Friday of talks for beginners thru advanced hobbyist. Frag workshop’s. I alway tell people if you just wander around and look at booths you are missing a lot of what makes people coming to MACNA for. It’s having questions answered from the experts and others in your same situation. Talking to hobbyists from around the world. In the vendor area you can get your questions answered about that piece of equipment you are thinking about adding to your aquarium. So much more than a just a coral show.

 

[jft]

I would rather spend my money on my tanks than waste money and time on travel and pricey hotels, admission costs and come away disappointed. Shame they NEVER came to Pittsburgh as I might have gone. Not to mention the prices of corals these days. LOL

 

[Jedi Knghit]

Mac-who?

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

NY. Ty.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

Mac-who?

Return of.

 

[zoomonster]

Sorry guys Orlando has always been one of the top convention destinations. Unless of course you heed the absurd travel advisories from NAACP and the alphabet orgs that FL is a hostile and dangerous place to visit. More direct flights, hotels, dining, amenities, beaches, attractions etc. and the weather is usually reasonable that time of year (barring hurricanes). Sorry but steel town and beer town really don't have much to offer for travelers and no way I would ever go to anything in corrupt Chicago with shootings ranging from 20-40 (already at 15 just this Friday-Saturday night) on any given weekend. San Diego, Las Vegas and Denver are about the only other locations I would consider going to. IMO MACNA has to up the game and at least be on par with shows like Reefapoloza in terms of vendors and manufacturer displays. Presentations/discussion are good, but people want to be able to see, touch and buy at shows/conferences.

 

[Reefering1]

I won't be attending anything in Florida, especially at the beginning of hurricane season. I feel similarly about Texas. I would love something in Chicago or Vegas though! I will try to tune in to the virtual sessions, if possible.

Aww, come on down man... just look at all that sun, beautiful beaches and pretty skies. We won't let a hurricane won't eat you. Hurricanes only hit here within a couple months a year and get a week or 2 heads up. Plus Orlando is far enough inland to never get a direct hit. Everywhere else gets tornados, earthquakes, wildfires, blizzards. I'll take the occasional hurricane. Just make sure your in something built after 2000, with the concrete block walls and strapped rafters if you need to go through one

 

[Lou Ekus]

I’ve never been to MACNA, and honestly probably never will (same with RAP and whatever the other big one is). Main part is location. I find it hard to justify spending money (airfare, hotel, tickets, etc.) just to possibly spend more money from vendors whose products I can buy online at the same or similar cost (including shipping).

Unless the shows miraculously end up somewhere in Ohio, you’ll likely never see be there.

Just to clarify a little, MACNA is not just about spending money. If you want to learn anything about the hobby, MACNA is the place to get the education. Not putting down the other trade shows at all. But this is a defining factor of MACNA. It is also the only non-profit trade show that runs and profits go to scholarships and educaitonal programs.

 

[Lou Ekus]

Sorry guys Orlando has always been one of the top convention destinations. Unless of course you heed the absurd travel advisories from NAACP and the alphabet orgs that FL is a hostile and dangerous place to visit. More direct flights, hotels, dining, amenities, beaches, attractions etc. and the weather is usually reasonable that time of year (barring hurricanes). Sorry but steel town and beer town really don't have much to offer for travelers and no way I would ever go to anything in corrupt Chicago with shootings ranging from 20-40 (already at 15 just this Friday-Saturday night) on any given weekend. San Diego, Las Vegas and Denver are about the only other locations I would consider going to. IMO MACNA has to up the game and at least be on par with shows like Reefapoloza in terms of vendors and manufacturer displays. Presentations/discussion are good, but people want to be able to see, touch and buy at shows/confe

Last years was the weekend after Labor day and this years was orginally scheduled for the weekend after.

MACNA 2024 was always scheduled for Labor Day wekend.

 

[KStatefan]

MACNA 2024 was always scheduled for Labor Day wekend.

OK
I never said anything about the 2024 MACNA

 

[Lou Ekus]

OK
I never said anything about the 2024 MACNA

OH, got it. I was taking "this year" to mean 2024....only becasue we have been working so hard at it, it has taken up so much of our time, that the cancelled 2023 seems like distant history. I guess, yes, 2023 would have been "this year"... Sorry for misinterpreting!

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

I attended the 2019 MACNA in Orlando and really enjoyed the educational aspect of it, I caught @Lou Ekus session on testing as well as a lot of other sessions and spent a lot of time on the show floor as well. We did have a lot of vendors start packing up and running home early because of the hurricane coming in but my wife and I found the show to be 100% worth it.

I've looked at the schedule layout on the website for this year and I know they've restructured but I can't tell if it has as much of the education on the weekend or if the education sessions are only on Friday - which for me which be more of a let down. Being local to Central Florida we already have easy access to RAP, Aquashella, and a host of quality local trade shows so I don't think we need another trade show as much of the educational/industry convention that MASNA/MACNA has put on in the past.

 

[Lou Ekus]

I attended the 2019 MACNA in Orlando and really enjoyed the educational aspect of it, I caught @Lou Ekus session on testing as well as a lot of other sessions and spent a lot of time on the show floor as well. We did have a lot of vendors start packing up and running home early because of the hurricane coming in but my wife and I found the show to be 100% worth it.

I've looked at the schedule layout on the website for this year and I know they've restructured but I can't tell if it has as much of the education on the weekend or if the education sessions are only on Friday - which for me which be more of a let down. Being local to Central Florida we already have easy access to RAP, Aquashella, and a host of quality local trade shows so I don't think we need another trade show as much of the educational/industry convention that MASNA/MACNA has put on in the past.

I appreciate your comments, js. Just to clarify, the whole point of us moving the education to Friday is to accomplish eactly what you are talking about. Friday will be a complete day of education. This is something that is VERY different from RAP, Aquashella and other shows you may be attending. The problem with the old MACNA format is that the education/lecure sessions kept pulling attendees off the show floor. This was not beneficial to the vendors, and made the day very disorganized for attendees. We will still have one general session lecture on Saturday and one on Sunday as well. But this gives you the opportunity to attend 5, very focused lectures, that are tailored to your specific experience level. That is something you will not get at other shows .If you are looking for the same, old MACNA format, it is not it. But if you are looking for the kind of education/industry convention that MASNA/MACNA has put on in the past, this is all of that, only better organized and enhanced!

 

[Snoopy 67]

Personally, I'm not thrilled with the new pricing.

 

[Lou Ekus]

Personally, I'm not thrilled with the new pricing.

Snoopy, can you be more specific about your pricing concern. We were able to get an incredible deal from the hotel, compared to thier regular pricing. That is true for the room rate and the banquet. the new Education Day and floor opening structure, give attendees the ability to skip the extra cost of the lectures if they desire to focus on the show floor. I had thought we did really well with the pricing, considering how much everything has gone up since we were there ins 2019. I would love to know your specific objections so we can try to addressd them next time around.

 

[Snoopy 67]

All my past conference full passes were around $109 including the Saturday banquet on an early sign up @ the conference.
Now it's $205 with an early bird sign up. I expected an increase but not almost double.

 

[Lou Ekus]

All my past conference full passes were around $109 including the Saturday banquet on an early sign up @ the conference.
Now it's $205 with an early bird sign up. I expected an increase but not almost double.

Understood.... the Education Day comes with a full day of focused classes on three different levels of experience. That day includes one hands on practical session and a morning and an afternon coffee break. This is a very different kind of day than MACNA has ever been able to offer. If you chose to skip the intense instruction on Friday, and purchase tickets for the open show floor, that will include a general session lecture on Saturday and one on Sunday, and add on the Saturday night banquet ticket, the increase in the overall price, from previous years, is minimal. Granted, those tickets won't be open for purchase until March 1st. But that will be more comparable to the Full Conference Pass of times gone by.

 

[Snoopy 67]

Only 1 speaker on Saturday & Sunday?

 

[Lou Ekus]

Only 1 speaker on Saturday & Sunday?

There will be one general session on each of those days. One of those sessions is going to be a panel.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

It seems that advertisers, promoters try to make it sound like it's a mecca, and I don't think that's the way to approach it.

It definitely should travel to different locations across the country so that people that refuse to make a vacation out of it can attend.

I understand the need to have it in popular tourist destinations in order to justify round trip tickets and hotel expenses. But it seems only the die hard hobbyists or new hobbyist that fall for the online hype attend these long distance venues.

I agree with others that unless it's close by, I'll just attend virtually (which is a great option).