After standing in line for my ticket, I entered to a busy hall of activity. The numbers of people and how busy each both was both impressed me and pleased me. It was fun to run into so many people I know with the bonus of seeing YouTube reefing celebrities. What a great place to ask questions and keep up with the goings on in the community. My focus this year was on getting an overview of the event, so I did not stop at any coral booths, of which there were many.
A fun and happy surprise was the freshwater vendors. MC Aquatics was right up front, and they had both corals and supplies. Sera had a booth again this year with products for both sides of the hobby. The surprise was a vendor from the Kansas City area, Pet World, Lawrence KS. Many of the other booths were long time regulars. Fish Crew from Fort Collins had a big booth with live plants and some excellent display tanks. One of my favorite booths was Aqua Cultures booth with live saltwater fish. It was hard to get a good photo as there where so many people surrounding the booth.
The flow pattern this year was really nice as they had broken up the rows so there was a narrow aisle down the center running left to right. They had two large sitting areas with tables and chairs for those who needed to sit and rest or have a snack. All the usual companies where there, Fritz, ICP-Analysis, Hydrospace, Hanna Instruments, Eheim, Red Sea, Seachem, and Two Little Fishes just to name a few.
This year there was no raffle, but they did have a great silent auction and there were some good giveaways from the booths. I have to say this year was even better than last year with the nice flow around the event space, tables and chairs to rest, and lots of knowledgeable reefers to visit with and to answer questions. I also heard there where some great deals on corals.
Sequoia Elisabeth
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