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2014 Catfish Convention - Going?

Going to 2014 Catfish Convention?

  • Yes - registered and ready to go!

    Votes: 20 62.5%
  • Yes - but only free stuff

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • No - Why?

    Votes: 4 12.5%
  • Not sure

    Votes: 8 25.0%

  • Total voters
    32

dogofwar

CCA Members
Our sister-club PVAS is holding the 2014 Catfish Convention October 16-19 at the Hyatt Dulles (2300 Dulles Corner Boulevard, Herndon, VA 20171): http://catfishcon.com/

Hoping to see a lot of CCA members supporting this great event!

Are you going?

Why or why not?

Matt
 

JasonC

Members
not sure what my work schedule will allow me to do, but at least trying to make spree on 3 and part of the auction.
 

Becca

Members
I'm hoping to make it for some of the Friday events. If I get there, I'll register when I get there. My parents decided to visit that weekend.
 

festaedan

potamotrygon fan
I cant go, its home coming weekend at the school my dad works at so I have no way to get there :(
 

mchambers

Former CCA member
I'm registered and will be there, at most of the convention events, but I'm not staying at the hotel or going to the dinner Saturday.
 
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Frank Cowherd

Global Moderators
Staff member
If you want to see examples of the best fish of almost every variety, come to see the fish show. THE SHOW WILL BE ABOUT 50% CATFISH AND 50% ALL OTHER TROPICAL FISH. Bring your camera.
If you want to buy stuff for your fish or aquariums at good prices, come to the vendors room.
If you want to buy fish, many you will not see in local stores, come to the vendor room and to the Friday night spree on the third floor of the hotel. At the spree many local fish breeders will have their fish for sale. And there will be two hospitality rooms on the third floor too in case you get thirsty or hungry.
 

Frank Cowherd

Global Moderators
Staff member
THe auction is all day Sunday. Starts early and probably will go to 5PM

The fish show is Saturday. It is open to the public from 7 in the morning until we start judging at about 12:30. Then it is open after judging until the banquet starts. The show will be down by midnight because we use the same stands for the auction the next day.
But Saturday also has the vendor room with lots of different vendors selling fish and equipment and foods and --- well you name it and the prices will be good. Registered attendees will get a goodie bag at the registration desk which will contain tcikets that you can present to the indicated vendor and get a free container of fish food. The free food will total around $50 retail, as I understand it currently. We have found some great sponsors and vendors.
 

Tony

Alligator Snapping Turtle/Past Pres
My mom said I can go for one day. Which day do you all think I should go to? I really want to do the auction and see the fish in the show


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

The auction is great, but if I had to pick one day, I'd go on Saturday to see the speakers. Check out the lineup. http://catfishcon.com/index.php

These speakers are *the* experts on catfish. Of the 6, 4 are from Europe, 1 from Canada and the last is Melanie Stiassny, who very very rarely accepts speaking engagements (we were trying to get her as a speaker and she declined). It really is one of the most amazing lineups of any convention I have ever seen.


My butt will be in a seat in the hall all day on Saturday.
 

verbal

CCA Members
The auction is great, but if I had to pick one day, I'd go on Saturday to see the speakers. Check out the lineup. http://catfishcon.com/index.php

These speakers are *the* experts on catfish. Of the 6, 4 are from Europe, 1 from Canada and the last is Melanie Stiassny, who very very rarely accepts speaking engagements (we were trying to get her as a speaker and she declined). It really is one of the most amazing lineups of any convention I have ever seen.


My butt will be in a seat in the hall all day on Saturday.


It really is tough to pick just one day of the convention :)

One great thing about the convention is it is pretty any day justifies the trip/registration. The Friday Spree on 3 is in many ways the signature event of the convention. Even if you just browse/hangout it is a great experience. Also Friday evening has 3 talks, so even if that is all you can do it is a pretty good experience.

Tony explained very well how great the speaker line-up is on Saturday. Also the Fish Show will be full and the vendor room will be packed with vendors and manufacturers.

The PVAS auctions are always great events, although I may be a little biased. I think this event will be a little more catfish focused than past convention auctions. In addition to the many catfish in the auction, there will be a raffle of some of the best donations.
 

dogofwar

CCA Members
I'm frankly surprised that more CCA members haven't voted that they're registered and going. Of the 14 who have voted that way, I'd bet that at least half are also PVAS folks or otherwise involved in the event or leadership for one or both clubs.

That leaves ~150 other CCA members.

Are you going? Excited about events like this? Don't get what the big deal is?

I know that CCA (and PVAS and other clubs) try to organize events like this for maximum appeal - both for their own members and for folks from out of town. PVAS is literally flying speakers from around the world for this. And some people are flying around the world on their own dime to participate.

So often it feels more like a push (by the people who volunteer to put events like this together...with the intent of having them be fun and exciting for their members and other people in the fish community) to get people to participate than it should.

Are we wasting our time and effort?

Matt

P.S. I'm not involved in planning for the Catfish Convention and won't be for AM3 (after chairing AM1 and AM2)...just trying to understand the seeming lack of appeal to so many in club.
 

mchambers

Former CCA member
I think you're reading way too much into people not responding to a poll on the forum page. Maybe people have better things to do than respond to polls. (Sadly, I'm not one of them.)
 
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