<!--quoteo
(post=3429:date=Dec 31 2006, 07:05 PM:name=bobrfish)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bobrfish
@ Dec 31 2006, 07:05 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=3429"><{POST_SNAPBACK}
></a></div><div class='quotemain'>Statement does not tick me off Dan but it is
surprising coming from a business man.
<span style="color:#3366ff"><!-
-/coloro-->Actually the problem occurred because I was in business. Things always happened when i
planned to be away from the store (San Antonio, New Orleans, Ft. Worth). I booked a flight,
registered a room, but waited until I knew I'd be able to go, then i get a letter in the mail
saying my room reservation had been cancelled because I hadn't pre-registered for the
convention. BTW, I wasn't planning to rip off the Cincy Club or the ACA.
<!--colorc
--></span>To make matters worse, many NON ACA members and ACA members who are NOT
registered for convention were using discounted rooms to sell their fish, hard goods or whatever.
Thus, these freeloaders were making money off the backs of host club members working their tails
off to throw a convention.
<span style="color:#3333ff"><!-
-/coloro-->I've heard that this happens but haven't seen it. I have seen t-shirt vendors
with limited stock and a few selling books from their libraries. Nothing to compete with legit
dealers though. It also indicates that the host clubs don't know how to handle promotions. It
should be obvious to almost anyone that a $45 fee to advertise your products and your room
number in prime locations is a good idea and relatively cheap. If extra advertising fees are
charged they should be reasonable. If someone leaves signs posted in the hallways and elevators,
just take them down. Make the ad boards plentiful and large. BTW, it's $10 to get into
most gun shows here to sell a gun legitimately vs untold trouble in the parking lot.
I'm not trying to say there's NO logic in the procedure. I just think the effort is
ineffective in handling unscrupulous vendors (offering all males or sick fish) and penalizes
innocent ACA members. I wish they'd have put this much thought into some of the other
productive things that could have made them more money. I also have to wonder if this is a
conscious decision or part of the "rules" they carbon-copied from previous
conventions.
Also, if Schadle, Wise or the Aqualog people are worried about selling
books, Harvey's not going to show up with books. He'll just charter a bus and take people
to his house. As for buying fish at a convention I've pointed out in tips for beginning and
seasoned "conventioners" that the risk is high and that the connection should be the
target by a serious fish buyer.
</span>ACA and host club
provided freeloaders with chance to pick up thousands of dollars with not a cent going to those
doing the work. This is unheard of for a major convention.
<span
style="color:#3333ff">I paid for a lot of college hustling pool. There's always a
game when there's a tournament in town. Play poker? There's always a "private"
game. Some level of freeloading should be expected. If there's no bar I'm sure some
enterprising people, probably from the Northwest, will have some booze to sell.<!--colorc--
></span>
As a professional with memberships in other orgs, if I want to
attend a professional convention and recieve a discounted room rate, then I must be a member of the
org and register for convention. This is the model ACA is currently using.<!--coloro:#3333ff--
><span style="color:#3333ff">
The only time I've seen this in other
organizations the room was part of the convention package. The fee was paid to the organization and
the room was "free." (included in the fee)</span>
It goes beyond this though. Consider travel, boat and sport shows. Imagine vendors set up in
show lobby attempting to sell their stuff but not wanting to pay for their sales space.
<!--
coloro:#3333ff--><span style="color:#3333ff">
It happens here all the time, at
street festivals, tail-gate parties & baseball games, although outside the grounds. Selling
things in your room isn't equivalent to selling in the vendor areas. Also, convention vendors
are probably set-up to deal with credit cards, an unlikely event in room sales. In my experience,
ACAers flashing cash want everyone to see them spending it. Buying something in a private room
wouldn't accomplish that.</span>
Dan you are a business
man. Is it OK for local fish breeders to squat outside your store and sell their fish?
<!--
coloro:#3333ff--><span style="color:#3333ff">
I no longer run the store. Also,
this is Texas. We have nice weather 2 or 3 times a year. The rest of the time it's too hot or
too cold. I wouldn't think a breeder would do it more than once. As I've said before, I
think on this forum, the only customer harder to deal with than an African cichlid customer is a SW
customer. There have been times that if someone did this I'd have sent those
"special" customers out to him.</span>
PS
It
is surprising also that Sacramento Aquarium Society is not using ACA forum to promote the
convention.
<span style="color:#ff0000">
I find that
remarkable. It's like refusing to supply a flyer to be inserted in a mailer at NO CHARGE.
Obviously, they don't have much of an opinion of this forum. Or that it could benefit them.
They should at least have a shill come in and ask questions about the convention.<!--colorc--
></span>
I checked and room rate is $99 a night. Must place
NAC in the Group/Convention code box when obtaining a reservation.
Note that Cincy
situation does not apply here. The only time the extra $100 a night is added to your hotel
bill is if one does not register for convention.
<span
style="color:#3333ff">Sorry, I misread the info at the link posted at cichlid.org.
Sometimes when i see something I react before re-reading the post. </span><!--/colorc
-->
Which would save some non fish folks money. They could pay the $45
registration fee or whatever it is and then stay for a week at $99 a night and never attend
the convention.</div>
<span
style="color:#3333ff">Ok, I give. What would you do in Sacramento for a week with no
car? In a hotel with no bar? I'd have to rent a car and go see Pam, Gary and their new
fishroom. Dan
<span style="color:#ff0000">
**update**For those reading this for the first time, the bar issue has been settled. THERE IS A
BAR !!!</span>
</span>