While we've had quite a few attendees and vendors come from out of the area (and from out of the country!) to attend previous AquaMania's ... I think that this one is really going to be the breakthrough in bringing lots of folks from out of town.
As the person who was Chair of our first two AquaMania events, I can't emphasize enough how important it is for members of our club and local fishkeeping community to help make our event a success. It really takes very little from a bunch of people (or a WHOLE LOT from a handful) to pull this off.
So what can you do:
- Mark your calendar and register early. It makes a huge difference to prospective sponsors, vendors, and the organizers to have a bunch of people committed to coming. You know you're coming. It doesn't cost much to register. So please do it early.
- Be an ambassador for our club and the event - Tell your buddies, LFS and vendors that you support that they should participate in AquaMania. Tell them about it and the dates. Give them a flyer or a stack to hand out. Post them on a bulletin board at work. It takes a moment of your time but can make a huge difference.
- Help out in planning and running our event. There are a million little things to do before, during and after the event. Please sign up for SOMETHING when there's a sign-up sheet. At the event, ask if you can lend a hand. There's nothing worse than having to beg for help...
- Stay over at the hotel. We've negotiated an amazing rate. Supporting the Hilton in Gaithersburg allows us to get excellent room rates, rates for meeting rooms and otherwise continue to hold events there. I know that staying over isn't in the cards for everyone (like me), but if you can, please do!
- Err on the side of supporting your club. If your debating whether to register for the full event or just the Marketplace, register for the full event. The included free food and drinks alone will more than make up for the difference. If you're debating whether to split a Marketplace table with a buddy or two or sell stuff in the parking lot, please support your club and get a table. If you're debating whether to donate some fish for the Rare Fish Auction or not, support your club
Remember - Friday evening, Feb 27 - Sunday afternoon, Mar 1, 2015. Put it on your calendars now!
Matt