Reef-A-Palooza 2010 - What a Show!

I've never been to Reefapalooza, so when I got a call from Greg Carroll, president of SCMAS, asking me if I'd like to speak at their annual event, my immediate answer was "absolutely!" The very first conference was a held years ago in then-president Mark Trimble's backyard, whose home I had the opportunity to visit in 2007. He showed me his tank and then his backyard, reminiscing about how fun it was. Over the years, this conference has grown in popularity. West Coast'ers trek to the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, California to peruse the booths in search of corals that they can add to their collection every year.










Over this last weekend, I had the opportunity to see how a club can pull off a seamless event on a grand scale. Where previously you'd have hobbyists standing behind folding tables or coolers trading and selling corals or used gear, today at RAP (the established acronym for Reef-A-Palooza) you'll see polished booths from major vendors displaying products of every kind. Some items are merely showcased as they must be purchased from fish stores or approved distributors, but the company representatives are there to answer questions to their customer base. New products are revealed, and attendees are excited to find out what it may do to enhance their hobby experience.



It sounds like MACNA, right? For all intents and purposes, it comes pretty close in my opinion. SCMAS encourages education and brought in eight speakers for their two-day event, but know full well that their attendees are more motivated by gear. People streamed into the building, receiving a goodie bag that doubled as a shopping bag. Coolers was used to carry home choice corals. Equipment and lighting was lugged away by happy buyers. Marine Depot had a huge booth that was well-staffed, containing various types of AIO (All In One) Nano systems. They had a spin-the-wheel game of chance that was well received by the length of the line I observed, and the prizes were both varied and practical. MD had to bring in more goodies for Day Two just to keep up with the demand.








Reef Nutrition and Marco Rocks had a double booth when you first entered the hanger-like building. Digital Aquatics showcased their controllers with their modular add-ons. Sunlight Supply provided a sneak peek of a new higher wattage 4' T5 fixture that doesn't overdrive the bulbs, with each bulb running at 95w instead of 54w. ReefGeek used pretty tanks and lighting to get people into their booth, and featured the new LED fixtures by Aqua Illumination that they now carry. Piscine Energetics' booth was a crowd pleaser. United Pet Groups had tanks filled with actual candy to lure people over to discuss products from Marineland and Instant Ocean.








XM Lighting, a local company in relation to RAP's venue, was there to talk about their Metal Halide bulbs; notably changed was their 400w bulb that now bulges in the center to avoid overheating the center envelope. A new product that caught my eye immediately was the Portal magnifier that allows anyone to see a specific area of the tank better. It can double as a glass cleaner since the inner magnetic section has velcro to scrub away nuisance film algae, and a future accessory include a feeding station - this should be available after the new year. Quality Marine had a big booth with a stunning 240g cube tank that was viewable from four sides filled with eye candy and some of the biggest Chromis I've ever seen.












Fin's Reef displayed their LED fixture with optional upgrades that allow end-users to change out optics and even bulb colors. They also carry a line of SCUBA flashlights ranging from around $100 to $1300 (that bad boy was awesome!) using Lithion Ion rechargeable batteries. AquaMedic showcased their wares, as did the guys in the booth loaded with ATB skimmers.
















Reefkoi and Cherry Corals both had their stunning corals for sale, and World Wide Corals was 'in da house' as well at RAP. Actually, there were lots of coral vendors, both local and some that had to travel significantly -- too many for me to list. Like everyone, I have my favorites and tend to flock to my regulars to see what they have to offer. Rarely do I purchase corals during my travels, and with my current situation (not having my aquarium up yet) it is rather pointless to spend a lot of time looking at stuff I can't enjoy at home.




The speakers gave their presentations in an air conditioned room that held about 80 people comfortably which was located directly across from the Reef Addicts booth. Speakers were briefly interviewed in our booth before their talk commenced, and that interview was broadcast wirelessly up to three large screens that were suspended up high in the center of the hanger. SCMAS's Greg Carroll would then raffle off a few prizes just before each speaker's lecture - this streamlined the raffle process and kept everyone on their toes. Speakers like Scott Fellman, Jake Adams, Adam Blundell and myself shared their expertise with powerpoint presentations. Conservation was also covered: the Pacific Garbage Patch was discussed by Dave Weeshoff. Ret Talbot updated us on sustainable aquarium fisheries, and Justin Credible focused on the use of 3% hydrogen peroxide to battle nuisance algae. Greg Morgan ran a Q&A session about lighting, helping dispel myths in the process.










Did I mention eye candy yet? This event had seven gorgeous girls in sexy outfits moving throughout the building both days, representing a newly organized concept of having these ladies come out to help clean your tank at an hourly rate. I loved the idea and if I lived in SoCal I would have to budget their visits into my maintenance plans. LOL Seriously, I doubt the idea will pan out but the concept had me smiling all weekend, constantly re-energized by these lovelies who hailed from different countries with their cute accents and fun outfits. Had this company been a complete farce, leading everyone to believe they were real, now that would have been brilliant. Let every guy head home, hop on their computer to look up the URL, select their favorite girl and then be redirected magically to SCMAS.org's site - that would have been epic!






A few tank builders were on site, such as Vitrea. Their modular systems originated in Italy and are now available in the states. Reef Savvy had one of their sexy rimless tanks displayed in one coral vendor's booth. Acan Lighting displayed their fixtures over coral-filled tanks. Ecoxotic's booth was fun and had a Halloween theme to it: the death of the old (concepts) opens the way for the new.










Reef Addicts was happy to be at RAP, and we made it a point to let as many of the 3000 attendees know about our site. We interviewed various vendors and speakers for our YouTube channel, and got some good feedback from our podcast listeners. We want to specifically thank our loyal addictst that showed up with liquor in hand, ready to drink with us. Now that's the kind of peeps we love. I personally want to thank our minions that were willing to assist with sticker stuff and running quick errands that were simply unavoidable.











The event was drama-free and well-managed. The building was well lit, spacious, and the weather was comfortable. Giant signs and posters were abundant, providing good direction so everyone knew where it was. Volunteers made sure that the vendors and their products were safe, directing people out amicably on Saturday evening so the sellers could enjoy dinner with friends and prepare for Sunday's sales. Vendors worked well together, helping each other out with little things like scissors or zip ties or a spare extension cord. That camaraderie is always welcome and something I've come to appreciate about the people that work in this industry.

If you've never attended an event like RAP, get it together and don't miss the next one. Watch for the announcement and stick it on your schedule as a Must Do, so you won't feel left out. I spoke with a lot of people over the weekend, and the variety was interesting. I met one woman that wanted to set up a saltwater tank in her shop, so I walked her over to the Marine Depot booth to point out why an AIO tank would be best and allow her to enjoy her aquatic experience. I met a number of LFS owners, such as one who was from Montana. He came to RAP, but odds are was in Los Angeles to visit the wholesalers to do some cherry picking for his store. I met a young couple who recently had a baby girl and wanted to get into the hobby, and met someone else that was resuming after a 20-year break. Children in strollers and toddlers bearing big balloons wheeled past our booth, while some younger kids zipped by on Wheelies (shoes with wheels embedded in the heel), scooting along the smooth polished concrete flooring. Food and drink was available both inside the building as well as outside in the Fairgrounds. Adjacent to RAP, a gem show was in progress as well as a hearse convention. The latter was in full Halloween-mode with morbid humor galore. Some of those pictures may make it in circulation if you're lucky. Not far away, a live band provided some music while you downed a $9 cheeseburger and beverage of choice. Some people decided to check out RAP because the other shows were reportedly 'dead', and they wanted to find out what was so exciting. How's that for a boon; more people may join our hobby because of this event. And I didn't even mention half of the vendors in this article; the ones I did were off the top of my head as I sit here typing during my flight home.

Attending RAP is affordable. Parking costs $5, and the entry fee was $10 for the day or $15 for both days (kids under 12 were free). In this hobby, that's a bargain to any addict.


Related Video content from the event:

• Jake Adams and LEDs: http://www.reefaddicts.com/content.p...ith-Jake-Adams
• Dave Weeshoff and the Pacific Garbage Patch: http://www.reefaddicts.com/content.p...-Garbage-Patch
• Precision Marine and their skimmer line: http://www.reefaddicts.com/content.p...s-and-reactors
• Vitrea and a tour of their Italian modular tanks: http://www.reefaddicts.com/content.p...rea-from-Italy
• Portal by Innovative Viewing System: http://www.reefaddicts.com/content.p...ing-Systems%29
• Reefkoi & Evolution LED lighting: http://www.reefaddicts.com/content.p...n-LED-Lighting
• Marine Depot (HOB Calcium Reactor) with bloopers: http://www.reefaddicts.com/content.p...ERS-AT-THE-END