2007 Coral Conference and Frag Swap

[DFS]

Registration will be open on Friday January 26, 2007 for our 3rd Annual Coral Conference and Frag Swap. This years event will be held on June 29, 30, and July 1, and will be bigger and better than in years past.

The weekend will be filled with speaker sessions running throughout each day, tours of our Aquaculture Coral Facility and state-of-the-art warehouse and distribution center; the frag swap on Saturday, as well as a cookout for all of the participants on Saturday. Dr. Race Foster and Dr. Marty Smith are scheduled to be the "Grill Masters," cooking up hot dogs, brats, and burgers for the guests. This year we will also have a children's area set up with educational material, games, and activities, so we welcome the entire family.

We hope that you all can join us for this years event!

Sincerely,
Kevin Kohen
Director of LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith

[aquaticvet1]

Just to add on a little to Kevin's post. The Saturday "grill out" will be all you can eat for free--- assuming the weenies are not backordered and FedX gets them here on time.

We hope this event remains a leisure, hang out type of a meeting, not a regimented day of sales pitches. We want people to mingle with each other and ask all the questions that they would like. Children are welcome.

Lastly, please feel free to bring the cameras as we will be jam packed with rare fish and corals.

We will keep you informed as new things come to mind.

Thank you-------Race

[DFS]

Registration for the 2007 Coral Conference and Frag Swap is now open! All of us here at Drs. Foster and Smith invite you to join us for this year’s event on June 29, 30 and July 1.

Please visit LiveAquaria.com to register today:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=366&ref=3788&subref=AS

Happy Reefing!
Kevin Kohen
Director of LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith

[DFS]

Registration for the 2007 Coral Conference and Frag Swap is underway and some of the slots for the tours are filling up fast! We should have plenty of space this year and more tour slots for our state of the art Aquaculture Facility and Distribution Center.

One request we heard over and over again last year was to purchase corals and frags directly from our Aquaculture Facility raceways. As some of you know who attended in years past, it would be almost impossible to give everyone a fair shot at purchasing corals from the facility with the number of attendees. For this reason we have decided to do both an auction for some of the best corals we have in the facility, as well as submit numerous pieces to in the raffles that will be held on both Saturday and Sunday. We plan on donating 10% of the proceeds from the auction to MASNA (Marine Aquarium Societies of North America) in order to help them raise more funds for their scholarship program.

Once again, we hope that you all can join us this year in order to interact among the reefkeeping community, have some fun, and learn more about this fantastic hobby.

Please visit LiveAquaria.com and register today!
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=366&ref=3788&subref=AS

Sincerely,
Kevin Kohen
Director of LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith

[DFS]

I just wanted to add a note about our plans for the auction during the 2007 Coral Conference and Frag Swap. We will have available for auction some of the best corals in our facility, which include both wild harvested colonies, and some very Limited Edition coral frags grown and maintained in our state of the art Aquaculture Facility. In addition we will also auction some of our most sought after rare fish from around the world that are normally sold in the Diver's Den® section of the LiveAquaria.com web site. This should be very exciting as we plan on acquiring some very unique reef fish well before the show, so they are conditioned and properly quarantined. All of us here at Drs. Foster & Smith look forward to seeing you in June!

Happy Reefing!
Kevin Kohen
Director of LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster & Smith

[aquaticvet1]

The reason that we had not sold fish and corals from the Aquaculture Center during the past events was two fold. One, it is not our intention to make money at this event and we do not. Secondly, since the facility cannot harbor 500 hobbyist at once, we could not figure out how to provide everyone an equal opportunity. After much thought , WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A RARE FISH AND CORAL AUCTION,------ every individual will be treated equally. A portion of the auction proceeds will go to MASNA.
This is a first for us. Please realize that auctions are not what we do, but we will give it our best and help MASNA in the process.

Thank you for all of your input and for making this event possible. Hopefully I will see you there.

Race Foster, D.V.M.


Support ReefCentral !

[aquaticvet1]

I forgot to mention, at the 2007 Coral and Fish Conference--- CAMERAS ARE WELCOME. We encourage photographs so that pictures may be enjoyed later. Additionally, we want nothing about us or our company to be left to the imagination. For those that think we are just dropshippers or do not personally handle fish and coral--- well, you are in for quite a surprise ! You will literally see thousands and thousands and thousands.

See you there--------Race Foster

LiveAquaria.com
DrsFosterSmith.com
PetEducation.com

[crescent1]

wow,wish i could make it.

[DFS]

Registration is starting to fill up for the 2007 Coral Conference and Frag Swap. I would like to mention that we only have a limited amount of space for hobbyists who wish to register for one of our Trader Packages. I encourage everyone who is interested to register soon or learn more at LiveAquaria.com.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=366&ref=3788&subref=AS

Happy Reefing!
Kevin Kohen
Director of LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith

[DFS]

As of March 2nd, there are 225 participants signed up so far, and over 50 frag traders registered. If you are interested in signing up as a frag trader, I encourage your to register soon, as there are only a handful of spots remaining. All of us here at Drs. Foster and Smith are working hard to make this a fun and educational event for the entire family.

Happy Reefing!
Kevin Kohen
Director of LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith

[DevilBoy]

im there... i loved it last year. this year sounds like it may even be better then last year.

[Steve_Aquarius]

I would like to confirm if children 10 and under are free. At this web page it says "10 and under"

http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=368

On this page it says "under 10"

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=16324

Looking forward to another great time,
-steve

[aquaticvet1]

Thank you for pointing that out. It should read 10 and under--- and really, anything close is fine. We want this to be a family event.
Thank you again, Race

[Steve_Aquarius]

Thanks for the fast reply as always,
-steve

[DFS]

Steve_Aquarius,

Thank you for bringing this to our attention, we have corrected the mistake. Look forward to meeting you in June!

Happy Reefing!
Kevin

[DFS]

The Drs. Foster and Smith 3rd Annual Coral Conference and Frag Swap (http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=366&ref=3788&subref=AS) is filling up. Don't miss your chance to register for this year's event.

We currently have well over 300 registered guests, and all 70 slots for frag traders are completely filled. If you are looking to trade or purchase frags at this event with 70 traders, there will be an abundance of coral frags to choose from.

All of us here are Drs. Foster and Smith are working diligently on making this the best event every for our customers.

Between the expert speaker sessions, vendor booths, tours of the Warehouse Distribution Center, and Aquaculture Coral and Marine Life Facility, auction for rare fish and coral with a part of the proceeds donated to MASNA's Scholarship fund, and a special area for children activities, there will be plenty to see and do the entire weekend. This event will be an incredible opportunity for all of us in the reefkeeping community to interact with one another, learn more and have some fun.

We are really looking forward to this grand event, and I want to invite everyone who has not considered attending to learn more about this event at LiveAquaria.com (http://www.liveaquaria.com/) and register soon.

Cheers,
Kevin Kohen
Director of LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/)
LiveAquaria.com (http://www.liveaquaria.com/)

[DFS]

We currently have OVER 400 registered guests, and we are sold out of trader slots with a record 70 traders attending. Want a sneak peek at this year’s conference? Check out our updated 2007 Frag Swap & Coral Conference (http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=366) preview pages on LiveAquaria.com. We've just updated several areas, including:

Prizes (http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=372) - Two deluxe grand prizes PLUS over 25 raffle prizes!

Exhibitors - 25 top names in the aquarium supply industry

Auction Times (http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=366) - 2 silent auctions and 2 live auction times added featuring some incredible corals, frags, and rare fish grown and maintained in our state of the art Aquaculture Coral and Marine Life Facility!

Kids Area (http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=424) - Learn more about this new fun area for the whole family

We look forward to seeing you there. Thanks to everyone who's attending. If you haven't signed up yet, there is still time to register! (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=16324)

Happy Reefing!
Kevin Kohen
Director of LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith

[specsirl]

Just to clarify those who at the last minute decide to come can still register at the door correct?

Wow 470 people so far registered? Mr. Foster and Mr. Smith are going to need to be cooking for everyone with both hands and feet!

What a great event this had turned into. Thank you DFS for putting this together for us. I know a lot of hard work and planning goes into this event to make it happen. It's nice to see a company offering this instead of being just on the $$ making side of things all of the time.

Once again DFS goes out of their way and helps out the hobbiest! Thank you!

[dfs/la2]

Specsirl,

The all inclusive Guest Package Registration Tickets purchased before the event comprise the Banquet Dinner (includes keynote speaker), gift bags (filled with freebies from participating vendors), 5 raffle tickets, tours of Drs. Foster & Smith's Aquaculture Facility (Fri., Sat., or Sun.) & Distribution Center (Fri. evening & Sun. only), 10% OFF Coupon to our Retail Outlet Store, Frag Swap & Exhibitors Area, speaker sessions, a Drs. Foster & Smith T-Shirt, Styrofoam shipping box, Saturday lunch, and a continental breakfast on Sunday.

The Basic Guest Package includes all of the above with the exception of the Banquet Dinner with Keynote speaker.

The “at the door/day of” tickets will be available at the Retail Store and will permit entrance into the Frag Swap & Exhibitors Area. No other amenities are included with this ticket.

We hope to see you there!

Ginger K.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster & Smith

[DFS]

Specsirl,
Just adding a little to what Ginger has already posted. First off, thank you for your positive comments; all of us here at Drs. Foster and Smith are working diligently to make this event the best yet.

We encourage everybody to sign up early online as we are selling out quickly! Space for the Aquaculture Coral and Marine Life Facility Tours as well as our Warehouse and Call Center Tours are filling up fast.

Participants who register after June 15th will not be guaranteed a gift bag. In addition we have limited seating available at the banquet dinner, so once again I encourage everyone to sign up now.

Hope to see you all there!

Happy Reefing!
Kevin Kohen
Director of LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith

[Meisen]

Hey guys,

I am getting excited, looks you are going to outdo yourselves this year for sure!

I have two questions for you about the swap:

1) Can traders bring their own frag setups in place of the tank provided or are we restricted to that unit? I found it tough to get all my frags into the 10 gallon tank the first year.....not sure what the swappers tank is going to look like this year?

2) Can I get on a list to pick up a cancellations of another frag trader? I was supposed to register my buddy but waited too long and missed it so he is a bit ticked. He is currently registered for the conference but not as a trader.

Thanks guys, looking forward to seeing you all again too!

[dfs/la2]

Meisen,

Thank you for contacting us with your questions on the Frag Swap. We ask that you use the aquarium setups we have available. At this time we currently have 1 trader post left to purchase. Here is a link to sign up for the last trader package:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=16324. We look for to seeing you at this years Frag Swap!

If we can be of any additional assistance, please feel free to contact our Technical Support Department at 1-800-334-3699 or via email at TechSupport@drsfostersmith.com and we will be happy to answer any question(s) you may have.

Stacie R.
Technical Support
Drs. Foster & Smith

[Meisen]

Cool,

Sine he is already registered for the full conference, is there any way to just add the additonal cost of the frag trader spot to the purchase or is that just too complicated?

Thanks again.

[dfs/la2]

Meisen,

Thank you for contacting us with your other questions. You would need to sign up for the last Trader Option first and then contact us at 1-800-334-3699 and we can cancel the basic package your friend has already purchased. We can then refund the cost you paid for the Basic Package.

Again, we are looking forward to seeing you at our Frag Swap as it is an exciting time.

If we can be of any additional assistance, please feel free to contact our Technical Support Department at 1-800-334-3699 or via email at TechSupport@drsfostersmith.com and we will be happy to answer any question(s) you may have.

Sincerely,
Stacie R.
Technical Support
Drs. Foster & Smith

[t5Nitro]

Can you buy a ticket at the door?

I wish I could go to the aquaculture facility tour, but they are fully booked correct? Or at least for days out they are booked anyway?

[dfs/la2]

T5nitro,

To ensure an opportunity to attend our Annual Coral Conference & Frag Swap, we highly recommend getting a ticket in advance. Currently, our Saturday Aquatic Tour schedule is full, however we still have tour openings available for Friday and Sunday. If you are interested in attending the tours offered on these days, we suggest registering as soon as possible to reserve your spot.

Mike S.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith

[Meisen]

Thanks guys, looks like we got it all figured out.

See you in a few weeks!

[siropa]

Is there any kind of confirmation besides the email you get after ordering? Is something coming in the mail regarding registration or is it just show up and be on a list that you already registered? pardon my paranoia, but I don't want to drive up there and have it messed up :)

[dfs/la2]

We encourage everybody to sign up early online as we are selling out quickly! Space for the Aquaculture Coral and Marine Life Facility Tours as well as our Warehouse and Call Center Tours are filling up fast.

Tickets purchased “at the door/day of” will be available at our Retail Store and will permit entrance into the Frag Swap & Exhibitors Area. Other amenities, such as gift bags, banquet dinners, tours, etc. are not included with this ticket, as we cannot guarantee quantities.

Further details regarding our exciting 3rd Annual Frag Swap tickets can be viewed here, please click on the following link:

3rd Annual Coral Conference and Frag Swap (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/general.cfm?gid=404)

We will be sending an email to all registered participants around June 11 verifying your package selection and tour information. A file for the schedule will be included in the email with a link to a large map of the event grounds, details on the auctions and links to the auction pages. Further information regarding where to obtain badges and gift bags will be included.

Traders will receive information on early set up times and a link to the Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce for other area events.

We hope this additional information is helpful. We look forward to seeing you all at our 3rd Annual Coral Conference and Frag Swap.

Joyce F.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster & Smith

[t5Nitro]

How much will at the door tickets for the frag swap be? Will it be less than $15 a piece since you don't get a gift bag/tour?

[dfs/la2]

T5nitro,

Thank you for your questions. As of this time, we have not yet determined an exact pricing for tickets that will be available "at the door" on the day of the event. We will be checking with Management in regards to this, and will post any information as soon as it is available.

Mike S.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith

[dfs/la2]

t5Nitro,

We are all getting very excited for the Frag Swap that is coming up at the end of the month!

We highly encourage purchasing tickets ahead of time in order to receive the best value for your dollar. You may purchase tickets at the door the day of the Frag Swap, however, the cost of these tickets will be $15.00 this year.


Jessica H.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster & Smith

[aquaticvet1]

Hello Everyone,
As of this week there are well over 500 attendees signed up for the Fish and Coral Conference. This does not include our own staff and support team of over 100. Kevin, Steve and Jaime are working overtime to make sure that we meet your expectations.

The new facility is mostly completed and operational and Kevin exceeded our expectations both in terms of quality and function. I think you will agree.

For the past several months Kevin has been rounding up thousands and thousands of dollars worth of the best corals and fish available in the U.S.. Some will be for propagation and others will be sold once quarantined, examined and treated. Additionally, he will be traveling to various Wholesalers/Importers over the next week in search of corals and fish for the future. You will see these under acclimation when you tour.

Hope to see you all there------ Race Foster

[mntropical]

I'm really looking forward to the drive down (yes I live way north of there), and it looks like everything is well laid out. I'm sure it's going to be a great event. :)

Thanks to everyone for all of the hard work and planning.

Edit: forgot to ask - will bagging equipment like oxygen be available to purchase for those of us who aren't traders? The Holiday Inn said it's okay for us to set up holding tanks in our rooms, so we will need to re-bag everything when it's time to go home.

[dfs/la2]

T5Nitro,

It ‘s wonderful to see the large number of people interested in joining us for the 3rd Annual Coral Conference and Frag Swap. There will be tickets available at the door, and at this time there are still openings for the Coral Farm and Warehouse tours. If you wish to take the tour of our recently expanded Aquaculture & Marine Life Facility, we suggest ordering you ticket(s) online. Today is the last day for open registration and to guarantee a spot for any of our tours. We have provided a link for the open registration.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=16324

If we can be of additional assistance, please contact our LiveAquaria Department at 1-800-334-3699, via email at customerservice@LiveAquaria.com, or PM us at DFS/LA2.


Gwen S.

[PAS Photography]

Question about the Frag Swap. Can anyone go thru and purchase corals if they are not signed up for the swap?

[dfs/la2]

PAS Photography,

Thank you for your interest in purchasing corals at our Frag Swap event. Anyone may purchase corals at our retail store; however, to purchase corals from traders at the event, or to participate in live and silent auctions, admission to the event is required. Tickets may be purchased at the door for $15.00 for anyone who has not signed up in advance.

Nate M.
Drs. Foster & Smith
LiveAquaria

[DFS]

Coming to this year's Coral Conference?

Now you can preview nearly 100 of the corals and fish we'll be featuring in one of our silent or live auctions.

Be the first to sneak peek the amazing selection we've reserved especially for our visiting guests.

Here is a sample of this years items! (http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=434)

Hope to see you at this year’s event and bring your cameras!

Happy Reefing!
Kevin Kohen
Director of LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith

[t5Nitro]

Put some alt text on those pictures :) Very nice stuff!

[Steve_Aquarius]

Where are all the leathers :)

[dfs/la2]

T5Nitro and Steve_Aquarius,

The photographs posted for your “sneak peek” are captive grown Maricultured or wild harvested corals we have amassed over the last year. They are some of the hardest to find corals in the United States. Information on these beauties will be available at the auction.

We apologize that Leather corals will not be offered in the auction.


Ginger K.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster & Smith

[t5Nitro]

What do you recommend dipping your SPS corals in before putting them in your tank? I'm sure there will be lots of people selling SPS corals at the frag swap :D

[dfs/la2]

T5Nitro,

Thank you for your interest in the Frag Swap. We expect to have a beautiful variety of corals available at the event. We recommend performing normal quarantine and acclimation before adding any new corals to the display tank. Further information on acclimation procedures can be found here: http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=19&ref=3319&subref=AI

In addition to our quarantine procedures, you may wish to try Reef Dip for your corals. Reef Dip contains an elemental Iodine mixture, which protects the slime coat and gently cleans your corals. It is also effective in treating and protecting against bacteria, fungus, and protozoan infections. This product is listed at the following link:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4881&prodid=9102&catid=3

Mike S.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith

[moonyguy]

Hey guys

I am all excited to come down to the frag swap. Having never been to one in my life I have several questions and was wondering if there is any beginners guide to a frag swap? If I buy corals from traders do I have to have a holding tank to keep them alive till Sunday or will there be a place to keep them? What about the retail store? Simple things like that. Help would be appreciated.
Vishnu

[dfs/la2]

Moonyguy,

Great question! We strongly suggest that persons purchasing corals provide their own holding tank(s) and method of transport. Live items purchased at the Retail Store can be shipped on Monday for Tuesday delivery; the cost will be $14.99.

See you this weekend!

Ginger K.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster & Smith

[moonyguy]

cool. Thanks for the information.

[Meisen]

I didnt get any kind of itinerary or registration stuff in the mail, did something get sent out or is all the info online?

Thanks

[dfs/la2]

Meisen,

We are happy to hear you have plans to attend our fun Frag Swap. You will receive your itinerary and registration forms when you arrive. If we can be of any additional assistance, please feel free to contact our Technical Support Department at 1-800-334-3699 or via email at TechSupport@drsfostersmith.com and we will be happy to answer any question(s) you


Pat S.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith

[mntropical]

Well, we got here yesterday and it looks like a good time to be had by all. :)

[Meisen]

What is the earliest swappers can get in to set up their corals in the tanks on Saturday?

Thanks.

[dfs/la2]

Meisen,

You are able set up your display tonight, Friday 6:00pm – 9:00pm or Saturday starting at 7:00am.

We look forward to seeing you!

Joyce F.
Drs. Foster & Smith
LiveAquaria

[adalon]

I registered a friend for the swap who will not be attending will I still be able to use his raffle tickets, get his gift bag and t-shirt

[dfs/la2]

Adalon,

You are able to pick up the gift bag and T-shirt for your friend. However, you would be unable to use his raffle tickets, as you must be present to win.

Luci Z
Drs. Foster & Smith
Liveaquaria.com

[DFS]

Good morning!

Everybody at Foster & Smith is anxiously awaiting the official start of the Coral Conference & the Frag Swap this morning. Set up went well yesterday, and as we closed down the lights around 9:30, all 70 traders were ready to go and all the exhibitors ready as well to accommodate the more than 575 registered guests.

The first rounds of tours for both the Warehouse distribution center and the Aquaculture Coral and Marine Life Facility were yesterday. We think everybody was excited to see the newly expanded facility.

The silent auction was a success, and with 2 more silent auctions and the two live auctions – we think we will be able to generate a nice amount to donate to the MASNA Scholarship fund.

Be sure to pick up one of our limited edition T-shirts at our retail store – they’re amazing & are going to sell out fast!

Thanks to everyone who is attending – we’ll see you there this weekend!

Happy Reefing,
Kevin Kohen
Director of LiveAquaria.com

[siropa]

I went to the swap on saturday and I have to give my thanks to all the F&S staff. It was very well run and seeing the aquaculture facility in person was just amazing. It was so worth the drive up for it.

[aquaticvet1]

I want to thank everyone who made the trip north to visit us. Much is planned for today including some incredible warehouse tours.

Friday and Saturday have been outstanding with well over six hundred attendees from almost every State. Most importantly, it has become a true family event. A place where something can be learned by all levels of the hobby and in a very relaxed environment. I personally enjoyed the last two days just meeting hobbyists and saying "Hello".

I also want to thank my employees for working overtime and planning this event. It takes about six months to put the details together. We have learned a few things that we can do better for next year and planning for 2008 will begin with our 2007 "critique meeting" next week.

Thank you again. This hobby is wonderful and I am glad to be a part of it.

Race Foster

[aquaticvet1]

Thank you again to all hobbyists, speakers, vendors, MASNA and staff that made the 2007 Liveaquaria Conference the best ever.

Please post as many pictures as you can so that all may view and enjoy the success.

Race Foster, D.V.M.

LiveAquaria.com
DrsFosterSmith.com

[mntropical]

I too would like to send a big thank you out to the entire staff and everyone who was involved in putting this great event together.
The tours were great and the entire staff was very helpful, friendly and hard working throughout the weekend.

I now have a full SUV full of hard good, frags and other goodies to get home tomorrow. :) Now to figure out where I'm going to put everything....

I have a photo gallery started, but there are many more to add.
Here's the link to what I have so far.

http://thumb9.webshots.net/t/52/452/9/32/88/2676932880033164709OHyNwo_th.jpg (http://pets.webshots.com/album/559691280NWnWwP)

[Chads29]

I just wanted to thank everyone working at the frag swap for a wonderful time this weekend. It was very enjoyable and I am all ready looking forward to next year. Sorry no pictures until after I recieve my last coral on tuesday of the two corals I was lucky enough to win in the silent auctions.

Thanks,
Chad

[johnanddawn]

i just got home and dipped and placed my new corals in the tank and just had to write what an awesome a time we had. dawn and i really enjoyed the swap this year, it was great. we got to talk with some new freinds and some old freinds from previous years, and just had an great time. i really want to thank dr's F&S for all that you do and the many people with them that make it such a great experience. the venders, speakers and employees all went way out of their way and i can't say thank you enough. a few personals to kevin, steve, jamie, jodi, terri, patti, our wonderful auctioneer ( and yes that acan is SWEET!), and so many others that made it a wonderful experience. you all are to be truely commended for effort on this weekend and in general for our hobby!
thank you for all you do we can't wait to see what you have in store for next year!

[specsirl]

I too have to agree that Drs Foster and Smith, Kevin, Steve, Jamie, Jodi, Terri, Patti, Chris, and all of the staff have really outdone themselves for this event. It was great to meet alot of new people and put faces to names. All of the vendors did an excellent job and all of the traders had awesome specimens this year! We too are already planning on next year!

Hats off to everyone for putting in all of the hard work and long hours to make this happen for us! It is much appreciated.

[SPStoner]

I am still travelling home to Cleveland, OH from the swap this weekend, and figured I'd use my long layover in Chicago to say a few things about the event. First off, I echo everyone else's sentiments about the staff. An outstanding job by all involved, far too many people to list them all. Every employee was extremely friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. The expanded coral farm just left me speechless. So many rare and unusual fish and corals, more than I have ever seen in one place, it's just hard to convey in words. The facility was well stocked with healthy animals, and was immaculately clean and organized. I was particularly impressed with the quarantine and treatment protocols for all animals at the coral farm. I would venture to say that the level of care these animals are given prior to sale is unequaled anywhere in our industry. I don't know of any other places that hold their animals so long for observation prior to sale.

The speakers were world class, the auctions were a neat new twist to the usual "frag swap" format, and the banquet dinner and keynote speech from Scott Michael were outstanding. I even bought one of the T-shirts at the retail store and I swear I saw some of the corals on the back while touring the corals farm!!

Well done to all involved in putting together this event. Hopefully you all get some well deserved time off after all of your had work this past week! Can't wait to see how you can possibly top this next year!

[DFS/LA1]

Thank you to everyone for your photos, comments and compliments. It means so much to us to hear that you all enjoyed our 3rd Annual Coral Conference and Frag Swap as much as we did. It is always an exciting weekend for everyone involved. Every year we learn more and discover new ideas for the next year. Making the swap an educational, memorable and enjoyable experience is our objective. Your support of the event is most welcomed and appreciated. We hope to see you all again next year!

Donna
Supervisors
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster & Smith

[aznepydna]

Dr. Foster,

The number one asset that your company has is not your state of the art coral and fish facility or that large warehouse. Both are magnificent by the way. It is the 700 plus people that work for you. Everyone was extremely friendly and helpful. The thing that impressed me the most was that I did not see a single frown or a long face on any of your people the two days I was there. My wife who is not a fish person spent lots of time just talking to the people in the orange shirts. Thankyou to all your employees for a most wonderful weekend.

Andy and Vicky Penza

[shred5]

Yep it was an awsum event. Thanks for putting this on... I got to hang out with some old freinds plus meet a few new ones. I have to say the aquaculture facility is awsum....
Dave

[johnanddawn]

OK time for the eye candy!
i just can't believe how great this year turned out to be for us
we had so much fun - the auction was a blast
i sold all my frags and scored about 10 new corals and WOW are they awesome!
THANKS again to you and all your wonderful staff!
here is a sample:
this is a hoek - a coral i have been seeking for over a year - it was an auction item and to show you how well cared for your corals are - IT WAS POLYPED OUT in the bag when i got it home!
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e86/johnanddawn/hoek.jpg
this is the acan that broke the budget :) this spectacular piece is the kind that normal, everyday hobbiest like myself would never be able to own and enjoy in our tanks if it weren't for you
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e86/johnanddawn/acan-1.jpg
the deep water is a LE ORA that dawn insisted i buy (she was right - it is really cool!) and the rest i got from other hobbiest - i really love the purp polyp nasuta, the baby blue stag is very unique and the blurry one is a crayola plana, all top end corals. there were so many fraggers there with awesome corals it was very difficult to choose the pieces i wanted. people with limited budgets could have easily filled their tanks with high quality, hobbiest raised corals
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e86/johnanddawn/4frags.jpg

[shred5]

johnanddawn Wow that is a huge acan....

Also that acro with the purple polyps is spectacular.

Also I have to say one thing to Dr f&S.. you guys either need a new camera or someone who can take better pics because the pics of your livestock on your website do not even come close to how spectacular some of these corals are in person.

Dave

[Ryan009]

My family and I were at the 2007 Coral Conference at F&S this past weekend. It was the first Frag Swap I had ever been to.

I was so impressed with the Foster & Smith facility that I HAD to post on this thread to let everyone who wasn't able to attend know how OUTSTANDING this place is. The coral farm and detail on how they care for the animals is fantastic. I'm even more inclined to buy from F&S than I was before. I just can't say enough about healthy everthing looked.

With all of that said, the facilities pale in comparison to their real Gem - their people! For those of you who aren't from the area, Rhinelander WI is a town of about 8000 people in the north woods of Wisconsin. I don't have first hand knowledge, but if they get a coupl of dozen customers on any given day I'd be impressed. Then WHAM hundreds from frenzied reefers descend on this place and stand it on its head. I don't think I ran into one single employee with an attitude. Everyone was exceptionally helpful, organized, and cheerful (all traits that we as consumer appreciate - yet is disappointingly rare).

Kudos to Foster & Smith for putting on a top notch event.

Ryan

PS: My only suggestion would be to allow people to purchase corals that they see on the Coral Farm tour. I was much more motivated to buy these items after seeing them in person vs. the website or catalog and would have spent significantly more $$$$ if I could have started buying what I was seeing in person.

[SaraB]

I ditto all the sentiments above regarding the great event and the wonderful staff on hand to assist in making this a fantastic event. This is my 3rd year attending and it gets better and better every year! I can't wait until next years event to see old friends and make some new ones alike.

Thanks to all!

Sara

[aquaticvet1]

Andy, Vicky and all,

Thank you for the wonderful comments. In my 24 years with the company it is my employees that have made me the most proud. They have never let me down and no matter how tough things become, they have always been there. Thank you for recognizing their efforts.

Race Foster

[sidd129]

I had a great time at the swap. I must say that there were some great deals in the auctions on some awesome stuff. I bid on an orange green acanthrastrea echinata on Friday and it is outstanding and I got a great deal on it. The staff were always there to help and there was even a lady going around at the traders tables asking if they needed anything. The store was stocked with fish and corals. I will definitely try to attend next year. There was even a fund raiser for the humane society.

[gooch]

I had a lot of fun. Unfortunately I was only able to go for one day. But I got in to see the farm and was very impressed with how clean and organized everything was. TOP NOTCH even for an old reefer like me. My 400 will be getting wet real soon and I know a lot of my corals will be coming from Live Aquaria. I just need to get my wife up there to see the place some time. She has the final say over the checkbook.............and I need to stay married.

gooch

[horkn]

Do you happen to have a list of the raffle winners?

One of the Drs F &S staff members told my girlfriend and I that as long as your raffle tickets were filled out with name address and phone # that you need not be present to win them, and that items can either be shipped, or picked up at the retail store.

Hopefully that is true, since we stayed only until 4pm on Saturday on the advice of your staff.

Tom

[Meisen]

Yeah, fun time! Good to see everyone again and as always, F&S took great care of us. Thanks again for making it a great weekend for coral enthusiasts! Kudos especially to Kevin for his sucessful attempts at WOWing us with the corals he got in for the event. I missed getting to look at his office tank(s) though, that always floors me to see what he cherrypicks!

I did have a couple of minor suggestions for next year. Who is the new coordinator of the event so I can send my thoughts along to him or her?

[horkn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10258140#post10258140 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ryan009

Ryan

PS: My only suggestion would be to allow people to purchase corals that they see on the Coral Farm tour. I was much more motivated to buy these items after seeing them in person vs. the website or catalog and would have spent significantly more $$$$ if I could have started buying what I was seeing in person.

A laptop with a wireless broadband card could have easily remedied that.


heck, we had our laptop there and could have let you use it to purchase the ones you just saw.

maybe next year:)

Tom

[mntropical]

I thought I'd post some pics of the frags I picked up at the swap.
I set up a temporary tank to hold them for a quarantine period.
There are more mushrooms, but they detached in transit and are under the egg crate.

Green zoas
http://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/2168/2908826580033164709S600x600Q85.jpg (http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2908826580033164709EOqHtX)

Maroon zoas
http://inlinethumb42.webshots.com/6057/2610247220033164709S600x600Q85.jpg (http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2610247220033164709CnkRrT)

This was the most expensive one I bought at the ($20) but I can't remember what it is, so if anyone knows, feel free to comment.
http://inlinethumb08.webshots.com/3463/2482955320033164709S600x600Q85.jpg (http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2482955320033164709DLpqAq)

Silver tip Xenia
http://inlinethumb26.webshots.com/5977/2895047890033164709S600x600Q85.jpg (http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2895047890033164709fulKQn)

Yellow polyps
http://inlinethumb01.webshots.com/3840/2389625480033164709S600x600Q85.jpg (http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2389625480033164709huagLV)

Pipe organ (I think)
http://inlinethumb28.webshots.com/3675/2257731110033164709S600x600Q85.jpg (http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2257731110033164709gkQVOa)

Mushroom rock. The pink thing on top just popped up this morning and I don't know what that one is either.
http://inlinethumb17.webshots.com/3216/2890232720033164709S600x600Q85.jpg (http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2890232720033164709SanIVq)

Button polyp
http://inlinethumb06.webshots.com/3717/2160874410033164709S600x600Q85.jpg (http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2160874410033164709rqYuOs)

This one was in a "free" tank and I'm not sure what it is. The bag had leaked all of the water out by the time I got home, so I'm surprised it's alive.
http://inlinethumb13.webshots.com/4236/2575870350033164709S600x600Q85.jpg (http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2575870350033164709fKcEsJ)

I'm looking forward to seeing more pics from everyone else. :)

[dfs/la2]

Tom,

Thank you for attending our 3rd Annual Coral Conference and Frag Swap. You are correct; you did not need to be present to win. All raffle winners of the items from the event have been notified. If you have not been notified your ticket was not drawn. You will have another chance to win other items next year at our 4th Annual Coral Conference and Frag Swap. Hope to see you there. Good Luck!

Joyce F.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster & Smith

[dfs/la2]

Meisen,

We are happy to hear you had such a good time at the 3rd Annual Coral Conference and Frag Swap. There is a team of coordinators who work very hard to make the event successful every year. You are able to email any suggestions for next year’s event to:

jaimie.anderson@drsfostersmith.com

Joyce F.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster & Smith

[horkn]

mn, the one you think is pipe organ is. the next un ID'd one is a nice frogspawn, and the one on top of the shroom rock is a kenya tree.

[mntropical]

Thanks horkn. :)

[DFS]

On behalf of all of the staff here at Drs. Foster and Smith, I would like to thank everyone for joining us at our 2007 Coral Conference and Frag Swap. I had a heck of a lot of fun seeing some familiar faces, watching all the excitement, and interacting with the participants, speakers, and vendors. I hope all of you who were able to join us feel the same way.

For highlights and a recap of the event please visit LiveAquaria.com Coral Conference Wrap Up (http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=366&ref=3788&subref=AS) for highlights, photos, and comments about the weekend.

We have already begun planning the 2008 event which will be held on June 20, 21, and 22, so mark your calendars! Our staff has already come up with some great ideas to make the show an even grander event, with the help of the suggestions already submitted by numerous participants of the event. Please feel free to keep these suggestions and feedback coming by emailing us at fragswap@liveaquaria.com.

Thank you again and Happy Reefing!
Kevin Kohen
Director of LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith