What is the best anual reef show around?

king_neptune

Active Member
I want to attend one for vacation next year.
The International Marine Aquarium Conference is being held in LA next May.
 
The total price for:
Round trip plane ticket from WA.
Overnight stay on the Queen Mary(Sweet)
Full day tour of the show w/conference pass in the evening
 
Leave Saturday morning 8am, check into the queen Mary hotel afternoon sometime, tour the ship,
go to bed, wake up and spend the day at the show.
After which I head back to the airport and fly home Sunday night 11pm.
$454.Not too bad for a weekend of fun.
 
Pricing can vary if I want to stay longer...plane tickets that far out dont change, hotel stay is $119 per night, so totally doable to make it last a couple days longer if needed.
 
But that got me thinking....
are there any other marine shows that folks recommend? Is the MAC a good one? or are there better ones?
 

king_neptune

Active Member
Found the Marine Aquarium Expo.
Shows for 2 days, in early april next year.
Slightly cheaper, but a more impressive list of vendors.
Still in LA
 
Only real loss is Its not going to be held on the Queen Mary.
That alone is a really nice perk. But if it means attending an inferior show, Im all for max instead.
 
I wonder which show is better.
 

btldreef

Moderator
Even just the simple frag swaps/events that are held around me by a local reef club are as insane as MACNA. I'm so glad and thankful that I live close to NYC
 

cranberry

Active Member
We've been to them all as vendors and as visitors.
 
The big difference for me is that for some, they are holding the exibit in the hotel where you are sleeping. And for others, you have to stay elsewhere and travel back and forth. I've definately had the most fun at the places where I could sleep and play under the same roof. You could go to your room to take a nap after the previous nights party..... never had to use the "public" washroom.... running back and forth at will. It is a definate plus. If you go with a bunch of people, it's great fun. If it's just you and another (or single), maybe you'd want to see more outside of the place and it won't matter so much.
 
Depends on where MACNA will be held next year that will really tell if this will be "the one".
 
MAX has great vendors and is a great city to explore. The second one wasn't so hot, IMO, but I really enjoyed the first.
 
The last IMAC really sucked. It's a whole different group, but I think a lot of vendors are shying away.
 

king_neptune

Active Member
Ya. Evidently the IMAC is under new management, and they had to postpone it because not enough vendors. Having it on the queen mary is...well...a Hail mary pass :)
 
Really is tempting to attend, but looks like only 27 vendors have sighned on. And they charge $30 a day vs half that for the other 2.I might pass and head to MAX instead. Would be a slightly cheaper cost, but hotel is a few miles away. And wouldnt be nearly as cool as staying on the queen mary.
 
J

jstdv8

Guest
are there any in Vegas?
I'm thinking about going to see Garth brooks and would like to pick up one of these too
 
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