Speakers

[reedman]

Let's keep a list here of speakers we want and topics to have them speak about. Maybe add contact info and costs and keep it for future reference. We need to pick our lineup for the year and start the calling soon.

 

[reedman]

Suggestions from Alice

• Scott Michael
• Terry B
• John Warner
• professor at UW Vancouver who specializes in coral reefs

 

[Alice]

I don't get a whole lot of time to read any of the "big" boards, but I was thinking that I might scan the club threads at RC, to see who other clubs might have been booking.

Anyone else up for homework?

 

[reedman]

I plan to do a little looking over the weekend.

 

[reedman]

Here's what I can see as options. I don't know costs on any of these, so some may be cost prohibitive, but we need to know what is out there first.

• Dana Riddle -
  [email protected]
  Coral farming
  lighting
  coral coloration
• Julian Sprung
  algae control
• Bob Fenner
  wet web media
  Lighting
• Scott Michael
  fish
• Walt Smith
  coral import and farming
• Albert Thiel
  leather corals
• Craig Bingman
  Salinity and Temperature
  Chemisty type topics
  Synthetic Saltwater
• Rob Toonen
  Salinity and Temperature
  Sponges
  Coral Feeding
  Christmas tree worms & other creatures like that
  Deep Sand Beds (he did this for us before)
• Martin Moe
  fish breeding
  water motion
  Multi Environment Aquarium System
• Charles Delbeek
• John Tullock
  water quality
  pH and alkalinity in saltwater aquariums
• Greg Scheimer
  writes for advanced aquarist
  primarily fish & water quality topics
  Fish in the Reef Aquarium: Myths and Misinformation
• Joyce Wilkerson
  clownfish expert

 

[bradreef]

I would love walt smith. He could have some great slides of reefs and his operations.

 

[Wolfesbane]

Just tossing out some other names that I've heard...

Ron Shimek
Steven Pro
Frank Marini

~ Steve

 

[reedman]

Here's the proposed schedule that we looked at at the end of last year. We have 4 speaker slots to fill, the first in October.

---------------------------------------------------------

July - Tank Tour North

August - Tank Tour South

September - Frag Swap

October - Speaker

November - Vendor event (Need a bigger room this time)

December - Social dinner again??

January - Speaker

February - Aquascaping how-to? How to use acrylic rod/poxy/etc. to get the shapes you want. Maybe a LR raffle or give-away at the end

March - Speaker

April - DIY night - LED moonlights, Acrylic phosphate reactor, other small easy to prepackage ideas - Maybe Jonathan (reefan) or Larry from IAP will help with this?

May - Speaker

June - BBQ/Raffle/Elections

 

[Skimmy]

wow reed, nice list of uberspeakers!
i'd have to second walt smith, also dana riddle and julian sprung, they could definately be too expensive. i'd probably be happy with most anyone off that list though.

 

[bradreef]

We need to make sure we have people's input and start getting active with this. What do people want to hear. I think walt would have great pics of actual reef's because he is out setting up growing operations. Maybe someone from ORA to talk about propagation and Reproduction of fish.

 

[Alice]

From what I hear, Walt's a tough one to get. This is a personal observation, but I think he does the big conferences for prestige, rather than from any longing to help out the average hobbyist. Ok,so that probably goes for more speakers than just Walt.

I have been absolutely slammed at work but that's starting to ease up a tad, so I'll find out about the UW Prof.

ORA is a great idea...we also have a few members who are having good luck with captive breeding.

 

[reedman]

Great input folks. Here's my thoughts...we need to get these going now. We need to pick 1 speaker to contact ASAP to fill the October slot. After that is filled I think we have a little more time to poll the population, maybe ask around at the picnic or have a topic/speaker suggestion box at the picnic. I couldn't agree more that we need to satisfy the masses.

We have primarily focused on SPS tanks in the past & I think we might want to consider something on anemones, maybe softies, or something other than SPS (as much as I love talking SPS).

I like the idea of getting someone to talk fish again. I think this is good for the club.

Maybe getting one of the guys that go to the big show that Anthony Calfo was talking about to come talk about the new things available for reefing.

Also, If we are really serious about MACNA we need to get the paperwork done to join and maybe we can get with the Oregon, Spokane, and Tri-Cities Clubs and have a NW conference as a practice. In a professional organization I am a member of, we do this to prep for the big international event. It makes it clear what you are prepared for and what you need to work on before you have all of the people with very high expectations in town complaining.

I know there was interest from teh owner of Waves (I think it was Waves) in hosting one of our meetings. Maybe we can get something out of that for a sponsored event.

We should start a list of local stores to hit up for event sponsorship and divide and conquer.

• Denny's Pet World in Kirkland
• Pet Pouri in Everett
• Salt Water City
• Blue Sierra
• Kevin from Aquitic Dreams might help out
• Crow's Ridge (Chris might be interested in a co-sponsorhsip)
• Indoor Reef
• Ocean Reef Aquatics
• Reefantasea (Jonathan is always willing to help where he can)
• Shark Reef (If we had an event on that side of the water I'm sure he'd help)
• Under the Sea might help....but they are a very small operation
• Midway Pets (although I doubt it)

Add others if you know of some. I even thought about contacting the corporate offices of Petco and/or PetSmart to see what they could do.

 

[reedman]

I propose for October we try to ge Terry B to talk fish and Ryan Gent to talk clams. These two should be easier on the wallet and are good speakers. I think they are both local so no airfare and we should be able to ge them.

What do the rest of you think?

Then we can post a thread asking what people want and maybe PM a few of your freinds to get a pulse on the club and where we should go.

Either that or we try to get someone to talk about fragging and have a fragging meeting in October. Get some nice colonies from Reefermadness or someone like that and raffle a few off to raise money and solicit donations for fragging.

 

[Alice]

Either idea works for me, Reed. We may want to extend an inexpensive hotel stay to Ryan and his wife; they would be driving up from Vancouver and that's a long ride back at night to come up and do a favor for us. I don't think he even has a tank anymore??

Whichever idea we choose, we could use the other for the Vendor meeting in November. I really think we should expand that meeting to a min-seminar and include a couple of speakers and demonstrations. Have it be about a 5-6 hour event. What do you all think?

 

[Alice]

Reed,

I can contact Terry B through RF but do you have contact info for Ryan? I can PM Ed if need be; I know their club has it.

 

[Wolfesbane]

Think members would be interested in having one of the sponsors speak about what it's like & what's involved in running a LFS?

And maybe we can have member speakers... Perhaps Elmo would be willing to talk about his experience raising clowns.... Paul H has the fragging experience to talk about (probably if we let him sell his frags at the same time). Not as flashy as the speakers we've had before, but the info's still good.

~ Steve

 

[bradreef]

I think that would be a good idea to an extent. They could probably give a good 15 min presentation. maybe we combine a couple of them.

 

[jesshimom]

I like the mini seminar idea as well. A little longer meeting and things going on; to give a taste for larger future meetings; etc..

 

[jesshimom]

And I think using people that we haven't had for a while or not at all is a good idea too; as I know for me I hate listening to the same stuff twice. Like lighting; it all went over my head and no lightbulbs came on for me. But that's just me.

 

[bradreef]

Jon at warner marine is willing to do something for us as long as it fits in his schedule. I think it would be nice to learn about chemicals in a reef since we didn't get into that this year. I am sure he would bring tons of samples.