Our Own Coral Farmers Market?

[chorse]

I had a thought recently that it might be cool to organize a coral farmers market seperate from the NW-CFM. Please share your thoughts on the topic with us.

[vanz]

That would be a great idea! Instead of once a year, make it once a month? Kinda of like a flea market with used goods and stuff.

[SamatSLS]

http://www.pnwmas.org/forums/showthread.php?t=8650

 

lol. We're on the same page Chorse.

[TankIt]

reefers market

 

I think this is a great Idea to..... This is more of what I expected from the NWCFM! Everybody thought I was nuts for denoting on it but I thought it would be so much bigger with so many more booths. Someone in the club should be appointed to take charge in this with others lending contacts and help of course..... This should be a well organized event!!!! I think it has great possibilities to be HUGE, we just need to be very organized about it>>>>>>> With the right advertising this could be an event for the whole westcoast!!! I think anyone should be allowed be to buy a booth to sell homemade tank products and some of the people on this site have large systems that could be fragged and then they could sell them there to make some cash.... Or TRADES for that matter. Guest speakers are a great Idea, as would some of the more local companies giving demonstrations of their products...... Just to give some ideas........... I am already accited!!!!!!

 

LETS GET THIS THING ON THE ROAD!!!!!

[Michael7979]

I too would love to see this happen.

 

BUT....

We must stay focused and realize that something like this will take some time to build into a HUGE event. It could be started as a once, (maybe twice) a year thing. And then grow into ONE BIG ONCE A YEAR SHOW.

 

I think it should start out as a club thing allowing members and non-members to buy/sell stuff. Then into the second show/year we should ask local bussiness' to come in, (like SLS, PFO, PCI)and set up booths. Then at the next one try and pull in some Seattle area store/vendor and maybe a speaker.

 

Basically... I'm trying to say grow slow and steady. So we can learn as we go and continue to make it bigger and better. That should get peoples attention more then having a big show and then it never grows.

[pledosophy]

So I remember the first "Reef a Palooza", was living down there at the time. Just a bunch of hobbyists at a guys house for a BBQ and like 40 coolers filled with food and frags.

 

I think it would be cool to start something like this, but let's try to be realistic with where we are at as a club. The BBQ last week would have been the perfect time, everyone just brings the frags they have, when interest was gauged on the boards no one was really interested.

 

IMO instead of trying to start out huge to legitimize ourselves, let's accept who we are as a club and just try to do a local get together, and people can bring frags as they like. If it gets huge great, if not then that is fine too.

 

The market in Southern California is very different then it is here. There is a lot more money in the hobby there, and many more hobbyists. The population difference in itself is amazing. They draw from an area 10x+ or so larger then ours. There events are going to be bigger. Just because we can't be them does not mean we can't be us.

 

IMO it would be better if we started small and see what it builds into, then trying to compete or redefine anything in this industry. Even Reef a Palooza started in a backyard.

 

JMO

[Michael7979]

I agree with what you say.... ^^^^^^^^^ pledosphy.

 

But I think if we were to have a set date somewhere down the road for poeple to look forward too. Then people could have time to grow out whatever they wanted to frag. Just a thought.

[TankIt]

Reef Market

 

It does not have to be 2,000 people, but pretty much you start with something the size of the NWCFM........ Which had a bunch of empty tables so what I am saying is lets fill those tables!!!!! Have the local coral farmers, hobbyists who are interested in a tank (or a couple who want to go in together and share the tank if they do not have enough to fill them.), hobbyists who have hand built items like sumps or overflows or skimmer....... Give stores here the option of a booth, and invite one of the local companies to come in and provide a demonstration for us at a certain time (like noon) and a guest speaker to come in and spend the day talking with members at a booth then at a certain time like (3pm) give a speech on their topic of specialty...... This would not be HUGE at first since it would be the first time of the event. But with word of mouth this event could double by the next year. I think it could be pretty large compared to what we are used to But that does not mean it would be a bad thing at all............ Obviously some people may not think that a big event in this area is a good idea, However I for one do think its possible and would be a really fun idea! We should make it once a year type of thing at the opposite time of year as the NWCFM so as not to infringe on them. Maybe next fall or something in October maybe. After school starts and before the x-mas spending period really starts. Spring is no good cause everyone parties or leaves town for spring break, and then summer begins again. Many people are traveling during the summer so I think after school starts would hopefully allow more people to attend since they will generally be home, and on a saturday this time, maybe.

 

This is what I think I know there are those that will appose this, but not everyone can always be happy. There is always someone who thinks something should be done a certain way, but without change everything would be the same. And without trying new things there would never be progression.............. We need to give something like this a shot, why not try it(plotting)

And this club needs A LOT of both if it is to survive!!!!!!!!!

[pledosophy]

But I think if we were to have a set date somewhere down the road for poeple to look forward too. Then people could have time to grow out whatever they wanted to frag. Just a thought.

 

Completely agree. Maybe make it a meeting day, or part of one of the meeting. Set it up in advance so people have time to grow stuff, frag it, mount it, let it heal, and then bring it to the event.

 

I think that would work.

 

JMO

[pledosophy]

It does not have to be 2,000 people, but pretty much you start with something the size of the NWCFM........ Which had a bunch of empty tables so what I am saying is lets fill those tables!!!!! Have the local coral farmers, hobbyists who are interested in a tank (or a couple who want to go in together and share the tank if they do not have enough to fill them.), hobbyists who have hand built items like sumps or overflows or skimmer....... Give stores here the option of a booth, and invite one of the local companies to come in and provide a demonstration for us at a certain time (like noon) and a guest speaker to come in and spend the day talking with members at a booth then at a certain time like (3pm) give a speech on their topic of specialty...... This would not be HUGE at first since it would be the first time of the event. But with word of mouth this event could double by the next year. I think it could be pretty large compared to what we are used to But that does not mean it would be a bad thing at all............ Obviously some people may not think that a big event in this area is a good idea, However I for one do think its possible and would be a really fun idea! We should make it once a year type of thing at the opposite time of year as the NWCFM so as not to infringe on them. Maybe next fall or something in October maybe. After school starts and before the x-mas spending period really starts. Spring is no good cause everyone parties or leaves town for spring break, and then summer begins again. Many people are traveling during the summer so I think after school starts would hopefully allow more people to attend since they will generally be home, and on a saturday this time, maybe.

 

This is what I think I know there are those that will appose this, but not everyone can always be happy. There is always someone who thinks something should be done a certain way, but without change everything would be the same. And without trying new things there would never be progression.............. We need to give something like this a shot, why not try it(plotting)

And this club needs A LOT of both if it is to survive!!!!!!!!!

 

Amanda I totally agree with your enthusiasm, but those empty tables your reffering to, were empty because local business, local manufactor's, and local frag farmers were not interested in participating. The options were open, the notifactions were made in plenty of time, the advertisements were out, they just weren't interested. IMHO a more local and less funded event would start out drawing less involvement, not more. I could be wrong.

 

It's kind of one of those "If you build it they will come" philosophy's in my mind.

[pledosophy]

For those who are interested in frag party's and trading, this might be helpful. No time like the present.

 

http://www.pnwmas.org/forums/showthread.php?t=8323

[andy]

Perhaps start planning a frag event as part of our Christmas party? We'll be getting together already anyways, so travel will be less of a problem. We have a lot of lead time, so can arrange up orders for a couple of colonies to dissect and distribute... maybe a sweet acan and an SPS. People could buy into one or both up-front, so we'd know how many polyps/branches to pay for. Maybe a zoa too?

 

The usual holiday gift swap is fun, but I could go for something different this year. Anyone else interested in "A Very Merry Frag-mas"? Maybe a tropical interpretation of a classic, "A Christmas Coral"?

[defigart]

I personally thinnk this is great idea. Someone suggested once a month, but think of it like this. If Christmas, or your birthday was everymonth, it would loose it specialness. The anticipation of it coming would wear off quickly, and it would soon loose its appeal. I would suggest once a year, but 5 to 6 months either side of CFM.

[Michael7979]

Amanda I totally agree with your enthusiasm, but those empty tables your reffering to, were empty because local business, local manufactor's, and local frag farmers were not interested in participating. The options were open, the notifactions were made in plenty of time, the advertisements were out, they just weren't interested. IMHO a more local and less funded event would start out drawing less involvement, not more. I could be wrong.

 

It's kind of one of those "If you build it they will come" philosophy's in my mind.

 

 

Those tables were empty because you had to 'rent' them. Why would a LFS rent a table at the CFM when they have a store front that most of us probably went to before or after the CFM.

 

BUT... I wish that SLS, PFO, and/or PCI would set up a table and become part of the CFM trade show. These are the people that we should start to work on. If we can get them to start coming others could become interested. Thus creating a buzz in the industry and getting "OUR" show on the map and hopefully they would start to attend also.

[TankIt]

Reef market

 

This is sort of the point I was getting at too. We need to contact them directly in person or over the phone and make a formal invitation to one of the companies to give a real demonstration of their product/s..... Anything done in person will always get more then sending them a generic invitation to rent a booth. And I talked to several of the store owners about the NWCFM and I know many of their reasons for not being at the CFM. But this event was supposed to be geared around aqua-cultured coral only! A "Reefer's Market" is geared toward anything under the sun (or the Halides:p). For example Joel over at Waves makes some of the best glass tanks around, He could have a couple of the smaller nano tanks there to sell and as examples so he can get orders for larger tanks. Among livestock or new/used dry goods if he wanted to. The whole idea is to try and make this a real event that they are going to want to attend. This needs to be an event where they can showcase their "specialty"........

[180Brandy]

I think it sounds like a great idea. Start out small then if there are lots of people who want to get involved they can. Another thought is maybe starting out at one of the trade shows. I think there is one in the Eugene area twice a year and I think there is one in the Salem area twice a year too.

 

 

This could really work if organized right!!!! Any volunteers?

[Michael7979]

Another thought is maybe starting out at one of the trade shows. I think there is one in the Eugene area twice a year and I think there is one in the Salem area twice a year too.

 

 

This could really work if organized right!!!! Any volunteers?

 

What shows are you taking about? Where are these shows held?

 

Please more info. on these 'trade shows'.

[kriswaters]

I think it sounds like a great idea. Start out small then if there are lots of people who want to get involved they can. Another thought is maybe starting out at one of the trade shows. I think there is one in the Eugene area twice a year and I think there is one in the Salem area twice a year too.

 

 

This could really work if organized right!!!! Any volunteers?[/quote

 

My thoughts exactly!!! ANY VOLUNTEERS???(rock2)

 

As I posted in the other forum and on the other thread...this is a FABULOUS idea...one that could certainly become timeless for our club...but we need help. Bottom line. With SOLV, monthly meetings, Christmas parties and the likes, we need great minds to step up and help bring these things to light! I am so totally for them, but completely mind boggled on HOW (nutty).

 

Kris

[180Brandy]

Mike what I was talking about was I think there are two trade shows. I think there is one coming up soon in Eugene Home and garden where local business can sell their products. I went to one a long time ago. At that time there were two saltwater shops there. I don't know if any have been there since.