MACNA Cancelled?

[GARRIGA]

Time will tell for sure.

Wonder how many stores loaded up on yellow tangs when Hawaii was closed now sitting on inventory below cost or perhaps forced to dump at loss?

 

[IntrinsicReef]

Dang Melev and MARCNA putting them out of business. JK. I always wanted to attend a MACNA, but unfortunately I have been unable to talk my wife and daughter into taking our yearly vacation to a aquarium conference. Maybe some day.

 

[BeanAnimal]

We put on MACNA XIX here in Pittsburgh in 2008 - it was a tremendous undertaking to pull off. As I remember, MASNA provided little more than encouragement and some contractual underpinning and I think some advertising grants. We had to take out our own insurance, underwrite all of the risk (show space, room night guarantees, banking, etc. ) and do all of the planning, booking, scheduling, advertising, signage, etc.

It was wildly successful for the club and MASNA and the hobby. While we did profit, the risk was shouldered by us (not MASNA) and mostly in the form of guarantees. That risk was very substantial with upfront cash outlay for deposits, supplies, etc. I will not post financials here, but the costs/risks involved would bulge some eyeballs for sure. Example, to reserve the space and rooms in the hotel we had to guarantee contractually thousands of room nights and we had to do this BEFORE advertising or selling tickets. Chicken and an Egg thing....

Prior MACNA events did not go as well and many after did not. I think at some point MASNA stopped allowing clubs to host and brought the entire show back in-house. (Forgive me if I misspeak, I don't really keep up with MASNA or MACNA).

We were asked to host again 4 or 5 years later and could not come close to making the numbers work the second time around, even with the city giving us $30K to help offset the cost and bring the conference here.

The hobby has changed and so has sales in general. Travel, food and lodging are exponentially more expensive, as is conference space, decorator, drayage, and other costs. This makes putting on a "convention" extremely expensive and high risk.

I would guess that MACNA is gone for good. Two years cancelled and I am not sure that anybody in the industry cares and in-fact would bet many are relieved. They don't have to spend the money to ensure they are seen along side (and not missing) where competitors show up.

 

[blecki]

Wonder how many stores loaded up on yellow tangs when Hawaii was closed now sitting on inventory below cost or perhaps forced to dump at loss?

None here. They sell before they come in.

Sales industry wide are down

Useless statement without numbers and sources.

 

[KrisReef]

 

[Mickey]

I'm really disappointed. I've been going to MACNA almost since I got into the hobby (saltwater side) in 2000. I also attended the IMAC conventions when they were around. I went for the education and to see what new things were around, rarely bought any "live" items.

I was kind of disappointed with this years schedule. Education Day is a good idea but mostly for beginners, or those in the hobby a couple of years. Content was less valuable for those around a long time - not enough variety.

Where will I go now? Tried RAP and didn't really like it as it was solely focused on sales with little to no education topics, at least the one I attended.

 

[braaap]

Nothing to be gained by going. Their speakers rarely have any value. The manufacturers there put out better info online. It wasn’t worth going. 10 years ago? Sure. But not now.

It also doesn’t help that they almost ALWAYS host them in Florida. Maybe a more central location? Or do an east coast one year and west the next. Maybe they did that but I don’t recall it.

 

[braaap]

Useless statement without numbers and sources.

Lots of vendors and manufacturers have stated as such. Covid was the absolute peak of the hobby. And it’s seeing a massive retraction in spending over the last 16 months.

It’s still a lucrative business for these companies. And is still likely at pre COVID sales levels. But if you look at sales during covid and now it’s WAY down.

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

I'm really disappointed. I've been going to MACNA almost since I got into the hobby (saltwater side) in 2000. I also attended the IMAC conventions when they were around. I went for the education and to see what new things were around, rarely bought any "live" items.

I was kind of disappointed with this years schedule. Education Day is a good idea but mostly for beginners, or those in the hobby a couple of years. Content was less valuable for those around a long time - not enough variety.

Where will I go now? Tried RAP and didn't really like it as it was solely focused on sales with little to no education topics, at least the one I attended.

Yeah, anymore educational content is also for marketing. I understand there are costs involved for them, but it seems hardly anyone is sharing info without a sales pitch beside it.

 

[areefer01]

People aren’t going to the shows as much as they used to. I’m going to one that is two months out that still has half its vendor booths available.

There are a lot of varying reasons. One is probably that there are too many shows now and the hobbyist has to choose which one to attend. There are differences between them of course but at the end of the day they are all competing for the hobbyist conference/show budget.

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

There are a lot of varying reasons. One is probably that there are too many shows now and the hobbyist has to choose which one to attend. There are differences between them of course but at the end of the day they are all competing for the hobbyist conference/show budget.

True, lots of shows now too. Even in the summer. I was speaking of Aquashella Chicago. But maybe it will fill up.

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

I think the way @melev did MARCNA is the way they should go, but maybe not all night.

 

[alindell]

People aren’t going to the shows as much as they used to. I’m going to one that is two months out that still has half its vendor booths available.

Well yah when vendors want $100 for a little piece of coral and people can't afford to survive because of the outrageous inflation we have had in the past few years the hobby is the one to take the cut.

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

Well yah when vendors want $100 for a little piece of coral and people can't afford to survive because of the outrageous inflation we have had in the past few years the hobby is the one to take the cut.

Another reason vendors charge so much is table fees and transportation expenses. To have a table at Aquashella Chicago for example, it is $850. Plus lodging and transportation. So yeah, frags won’t be cheap at the big shows. The vendors are already ~$1300 in the hole when they start, and have two days to come out ahead. That’s a high end example, but something to consider for all shows.

 

[Mickey]

Yeah, anymore educational content is also for marketing. I understand there are costs involved for them, but it seems hardly anyone is sharing info without a sales pitch beside it.

Agreed, but that's sad.

There are a lot of varying reasons. One is probably that there are too many shows now and the hobbyist has to choose which one to attend. There are differences between them of course but at the end of the day they are all competing for the hobbyist conference/show budget.

I always attended MACNA when I could, and also IMAC in Chicago years ago. More recently I went to Reefapalooza in New Jersey/New York. Is there a show in particular you would suggest that includes some educational talks? I read a lot on R2R but there's a lot of "noise".

 

[thedon986]

Attendance is way down. Sales are in the toilet. Sad to see this happening but the hobby is in need of a serious reset.

That's definitely putting it lightly. I'm glad to see it come, personally.

 

[TardWrangler]

Sales at shows are down. The hobby is doing better than ever. It's booming. If anything we are only seeing less new people enter as rising prices and stagnating wages conspire to make this a rich man's game only. But people actually buying livestock are buying more than ever.

Just... I wasn't going to buy anything alive at MACNA anyway. I would have to fly it home somehow. We have a yearly local frag swap that scratches that itch. You just need to live closer to a big city.

Booming??

Lol. You must know something the people in the trade don’t know

 

[TardWrangler]

Lots of vendors and manufacturers have stated as such. Covid was the absolute peak of the hobby. And it’s seeing a massive retraction in spending over the last 16 months.

It’s still a lucrative business for these companies. And is still likely at pre COVID sales levels. But if you look at sales during covid and now it’s WAY down.

This is correct

 

[KrisReef]

Well yah when vendors want $100 for a little piece of coral and people can't afford to survive because of the outrageous inflation we have had in the past few years the hobby is the one to take the cut.

I heard that inflation wasn’t that bad?
Same voice saying that the climate is going to hell.
I don’t know what to think about what I keep hearing except that the truth seems to be rare again.

 

[alindell]

I heard that inflation wasn’t that bad?
Same voice saying that the climate is going to hell.
I don’t know what to think about what I keep hearing except that the truth seems to be rare again.

Everything has gotten so expensive in the past few years and if you are not getting raises then you are making less than what you did just a few years ago.