MACNA XX - Atlanta

[kj_yoda]

This is to begin the thread on MACNA XX September 5-7, 2008 in Atlanta Georgia.

Full admission price is $159.00 for the conference, but is discounted through 9/30 at $89.00

To register, click here (http://www.macnaxx.com)

Some Details
Venue: Westin Peachtree Plaza (tallest hotel in the western hemisphere and the 3rd tallest hotel in the world).

We will be emailing out confirmations of your registration to MACNA XX with a special link so that you can reserve your room beginning 9.25. The rooms are already filling quick, if you ned a room, register for MACNA XX, then you can reserve your room. If you contact them directly, they will not give you the $119.00 per night rate (it will be more like $300)

Trade Show: We are planning the largest trade show at any MACNA. It will be held in the America's Mart which is attached to the Westin and next to all of the speaker rooms, etc.

Saturday Night Banquet: Some of you may have heard, we have a small aquarium in Downtown Atlanta. The Atlanta Reef Club has developed an impressive working relationship with the Georgia Aquarium over the past several years, even hosting our SaltwaterU Conference there the first year it was around.

That being said, we are hosting the banquet at the Georgia Aquarium. Stay tuned for more information on this including discounted admission tickets to the Aquarium, etc.

Speakers Confirmed
This is the first place I am posting this information...
- Bruce Carlson (georgia aquarium)
- Sylvia Earle

Grand Prize Raffe Announced
Walt Smith has graciously donated his trip for 2 to Fiji (10 days, 9 nights) airfare from LA.

In order to win this raffle, you will need to keep returning to the MACNA XX website over the course of the year and solve the Mystery. Check out the MACNA XX Website for details.

[wildeone]

Thanks Kevin. I am looking forward to it and already got the registration completed!

[Amphibious]

I'm in, can't wait..

[lReef lKeeper]

my local club is thinking of making this a group outing !!

[CarmieJo]

What do you guys think, shall we have the Second Annual TR MACNA get together?

[Rob]

What do you guys think, shall we have the Second Annual TR MACNA get together?
sign me up...
oh.. wait... im already signed up.. :D

i think its a great idea..

i cant say much, but i can say we will be there, and we will be partnering with some other groups, we will have a booth, and you wont miss us if your there... ;)

[Pinecone_Jeff]

I just signed up yesterday! This will be my first MACNA and my first visit to that "little" Georgia Aquarium! ;) Here's the link for the aquarium: Georgia Aquarium (http://http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/). And here's the link to the confernece: MACNA XX - General Info (http://www.macnaxx.com/).

I'm really looking forward to seeing who all the speakers will be and I'm really curious to see what Rob has been keeping a secret!!!

But mostly, I'm really looking forward to meeting all you folks and putting faces to handles.

[CarmieJo]

Great Jeff! I will look forward to meeting you.

[gwen_o_lyn]

I signed up Tuesday at our meeting. See ya'll there!!

[Amphibious]

gwen-o-lyn,

Your absence has been most noticable. Several TR members were asking about you at MACNA XIX. Didn't know what to tell them. Glad your back. We will definitly see you at MACNA XX. We owe each other a HUG!!!

Dick

[gwen_o_lyn]

Hugs to you too. I missed you guys as well.

It's been a busy summer and things have slowed down a bit. I'll be spending much more time here.

Can't wait to meet you and everyone else at MACNA. It seems so far away. I guess we need to get a countdown going!!

[fat walrus]

Hugs to you too. I missed you guys as well.

It's been a busy summer and things have slowed down a bit. I'll be spending much more time here.

Can't wait to meet you and everyone else at MACNA. It seems so far away. I guess we need to get a countdown going!!
Blubber missed Fair Gwen.

[Amphibious]

Blubber is back! Did you hear me, everyone??? Blubber is back!!!

Hey man it is so good to hear your voice. Oh wait a minute I can't hear you but your post screams at me. Good to have you back Blub.

Dick

[CarmieJo]

Gwen, its good to see you back.

[gwen_o_lyn]

I missed you too FW!!

:whazzup:


EDIT: Thanks Carmie!!

[CarmieJo]

Walrus, you too but I already SCREAMED at you in another post.

[Rob]

Gwen and Blubber...
Welcome back to both of you.. its just not the same without you 2..

[wildeone]

Wow, must be this time of year. We all see the weather changing and decide to concentrate our efforts of the reef stuff again!

Good they hear from you FW, I'll bet you PM box is full!

Gwen, nice to hear from you as well, missed you at MACNA!

[Kevin McG]

This one I actually may be making. The wife and I are moving next year from NH to the Raleigh NC area. I won't have to go as far to macna :)

[Mr. Tang]

Kevin McG

Give us a shout when you move to NC. There are a couple of us TR Crew living in the Raleigh area!!!!! And we have a couple good SW stores here too!!!!

[Pinecone_Jeff]

Its funny reading this thread. When I started coming to TR, I was just about to get back into reefing. But then I got a promotion at work and that took most of my time. So I put my plans back on hold. But now that I've settled into my new position and since summer is over, I thought it'd be a good time to get back into the swing of things and really start obsessing over all the details of my new tank. :)

I'm just glad to be in a forum with so many nice folks. TR is such a nice breath of fresh air compared to other forum sites. It feels like an online reefing family here. Ya always come back home. :D

[Kevin McG]

Kevin McG

Give us a shout when you move to NC. There are a couple of us TR Crew living in the Raleigh area!!!!! And we have a couple good SW stores here too!!!!

Sweet!!! we sure will :)

[CarmieJo]

Hey Kevin,

I'm in the Raleigh area too! We have a couple of great LFS! One Down Under Saltwater Fish and Coral (http://www.downundersaltwater.com) hosts a super frag swap every couple of months. Also please visit Raleigh Aquarium Society (http://raleighaquariumsociety.org/). A lot of the people there are freshwater but every meeting there are more SW members. I'm the VP this year.

[Rob]

Its funny reading this thread. When I started coming to TR, I was just about to get back into reefing. But then I got a promotion at work and that took most of my time. So I put my plans back on hold. But now that I've settled into my new position and since summer is over, I thought it'd be a good time to get back into the swing of things and really start obsessing over all the details of my new tank. :)

I'm just glad to be in a forum with so many nice folks. TR is such a nice breath of fresh air compared to other forum sites. It feels like an online reefing family here. Ya always come back home. :D
thanks for all the kind words.. this is exactly what my goals are for this community...
one big happy family.. :)

and at MACNA, it really shows..
all of the Talkingreef members showing up and hanging out.. its really a GREAT time

[kj_yoda]

Just to keep you informed... as of right now, the hotel is sold out on 9/4 (we are working on increasing our block), we should know more tomorrow. It is crazy that we have sold so many rooms so early (we still have more than 10 months).

This is going to be HUGE

[Pinecone_Jeff]

D'oh! I should have signed up for a room! I didn't think I needed to so soon. Please let us know if you guys get another block! :)

[kj_yoda]

We have increased our room block, but it is filling up quickly. We never anticipated to have this many people get rooms so quickly. I suggest that you get your rooms while you can.

Speaker lists coming soon

[Marc]

WoW
sold out 10 months ahead?
Thats crazy, Time to start thinking big! :)

BTW I see you must have been successful in increasing the room block.
I booked 2 today
and two booths at Pitts
Holy crap what's going to be left for me to procrastinate :mrgreen:

[CarmieJo]

Hey everyone, Who's going to MACNA? Last year a bunch of people from TR and ProjectDIBS got together for dinner before the cocktail party. Would anyone be interested in doing that again? Or we could do lunch on Saturday.

[mysterybox]

Just an FYI that The Titanic will be on display at the same time you guys are all here.

http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/

[CarmieJo]

Here are some MACNA shots. The opening address was given by Dr. Hugo Freudenthal.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f198/CarmieJo/MACNA%20XX/DSC_1594-1.jpg
Dr Hugo discovered the lifecycle of zooxanthellae 50 years ago. His talk gave me a better understanding zooxanthellae, photoinhibition and the phenomenon of bleaching.

His wife Dr. Anita is an expert in human diseases caused by marine organisms and I was able to ask her about the toxicity of zooanthids. She believes that there are people who are very sensitive to palyotoxin, have been stung multiple times and developed a sensitivity or have palyotoxin driven deeply into the body who can have a serious reaction. These serious reactions are not common but it behooves you to use reasonable caution. She advises wearing gloves and eye protection when handling zoas.

Next I heard a talk by James Fatherree on T5 and LED lighting.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f198/CarmieJo/MACNA%20XX/DSC_1595.jpg
One of the things he talked about was how much light corals need and I was surprised to see how little! James also mentioned photoinhibition due to overlighting. He also introduced us to his new ezine Liquid Medium (http://www.liquid-medium.com) where you can read some of the research (with more to come) that he used in his talk.

I heard Bruce Carlson's talk about coral reefs. I was amazed when he showed photos of reefs that had been destroyed by storms, crown of thorns or other problems that had nearly recovered 10 years later. I walked out of his talk think that if we get our act together that maybe the reefs aren't doomed.

[CarmieJo]

Of course, if you were tired of listening to the talks you could go over to the Exhibit Hall.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f198/CarmieJo/MACNA%20XX/DSC_1596.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f198/CarmieJo/MACNA%20XX/DSC_1600.jpg

[rayme07]

That couple looks real good together at least they can enjoy what they love together. Thanks carmie for sharing what you learned with me and others I learned a lot like I didn't know that some people are amune to zooanthids and some can cause serious problems. Also great pics of the clam, frags and the shrimp they look great. Thanks again
Raymond:)