Possible Club meeting at the Georgia aquarium?

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Reefchef

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Good evening everyone, I'm only asking the question and putting the idea out there. So please don't shoot me if I don't send this through the proper channels!!!

I don't know if all the meetings are planned for the rest of the year, but I was wondering how cool would it be or if it would be possible at all to maybe have our November or December meeting at the Georgia aquarium.

I feel this along with the back stage tour would be amazing, getting to see how they work on such a large scale and maybe get to see the big ole bag of salt! They offer a group discount, which honestly isn't a whole lot but I think the experience would be worth it.

I would love to know what you'll think of this possible idea. I've listed some of the bod members, sorry if I missed you no harm intended.

@FutureInterest @trizzino @anit77 @dball711 @jcook54
 
We have floated the idea of having our holiday party there but the cost for that is a little too expensive. The club had also attempted to hold the Expo there I believe 6 years ago. The problem is you can not bring any livestock on their premises. So along those lines there can be no frag swap at that facility.

I think doing a group outing with a back end tour is a great idea. Nathan, @wildernet volunteers there and dives pretty frequently. Maybe he can see what type of deal can be worked out and also how big a group can be accommodated at one time. I have a feeling there would need to be a limit of 10-20 at a time, so there may need to be multiple groups with staggered start times.
 
I’ve been on a behind the scenes tour. Before I got in this hobby so it wasn’t that amazing until I look back on it. My favorite was events we would do (catering and whatnot) and being able to go through the exhibits alone. There’s NOTHING more amazing I’ve experienced in life than standing before the Home Depot display with thousands of fish before me, all alone. I still dream of that. I have a friend who’s a diver there. I’m gonna be hitting him up soon to dive with the whale sharks :-)
 
This is always a popular destination for folks in this hobby, I go once a year. Not sure what's on the meeting agenda for the rest of 2019 but I'm sure this could be worked in at some point this year or maybe next. While Nathan checks info as an "insider" I've requested info on group pricing/events for non profits to share with the BoD.

Even if we cant work this in to the club meeting schedule, an option would be to have a club outing with some discounted pricing.

aestheticlibra said:
I have a friend who’s a diver there. I’m gonna be hitting him up soon to dive with the whale sharks :)
Click to expand...
Our own, Nathan @wildernet as a volunteer dives there...
 
anit77 said:
We have floated the idea of having our holiday party there but the cost for that is a little too expensive. The club had also attempted to hold the Expo there I believe 6 years ago. The problem is you can not bring any livestock on their premises. So along those lines there can be no frag swap at that facility.

I think doing a group outing with a back end tour is a great idea. Nathan, @wildernet volunteers there and dives pretty frequently. Maybe he can see what type of deal can be worked out and also how big a group can be accommodated at one time. I have a feeling there would need to be a limit of 10-20 at a time, so there may need to be multiple groups with staggered start times.
Click to expand...
Could we do the Holiday Party there where members pay a small amount for tickets? And Supporting members get a bigger discount?
 
aestheticlibra said:
I’ve been on a behind the scenes tour. Before I got in this hobby so it wasn’t that amazing until I look back on it. My favorite was events we would do (catering and whatnot) and being able to go through the exhibits alone. There’s NOTHING more amazing I’ve experienced in life than standing before the Home Depot display with thousands of fish before me, all alone. I still dream of that. I have a friend who’s a diver there. I’m gonna be hitting him up soon to dive with the whale sharks :)
Click to expand...
The behing the scenes tour is awesome for the money. I was talking to my wife about going on it again just so that I can take another look at it from a new perspective of being in the hobby. Also I want to see their frag tank again. lol
 
ZapataInc said:
Could we do the Holiday Party there where members pay a small amount for tickets? And Supporting members get a bigger discount?
Click to expand...
These are the numbers we got quoted last fall.

Georgia Aquarium
Participation in the Winter Wonderland holiday celebration
Catered by Wolfgang Puck
$75-$100/per guest (Afternoon or evening admission)
Plus drinks cash bar or $8 drink tickets
$4600-$6000

Buckhead Pizza is like $12-15 a head. I think we could swing $30 a head tops, with a 100 person cap. That would mean $40-$70 out of pocket per person for Supporting members. Non-supporting would be on the hook for the full price. It's hard to justify spending more than we take in for the membership. We only get $28.83 after fees from PayPal or Stripe and the other members dues would be subsidizing the attending members bill if we covered more than that, bound to be some that would be upset if that were the case. This would also eat up all the raffle money for the party. The only items we could have would need to be donated by sponsors.

In the end it would be up to the board to approve. If there's enough interest you guys might be able to swing some votes.
 
anit77 said:
These are the numbers we got quoted last fall.

Georgia Aquarium
Participation in the Winter Wonderland holiday celebration
Catered by Wolfgang Puck
$75-$100/per guest (Afternoon or evening admission)
Plus drinks cash bar or $8 drink tickets
$4600-$6000

Buckhead Pizza is like $12-15 a head. I think we could swing $30 a head tops, with a 100 person cap. That would mean $40-$70 out of pocket per person for Supporting members. Non-supporting would be on the hook for the full price. It's hard to justify spending more than we take in for the membership. We only get $28.83 after fees from PayPal or Stripe and the other members dues would be subsidizing the attending members bill if we covered more than that, bound to be some that would be upset if that were the case. This would also eat up all the raffle money for the party. The only items we could have would need to be donated by sponsors.

In the end it would be up to the board to approve. If there's enough interest you guys might be able to swing some votes.
Click to expand...

If behind the scenes tours are included, as well as open access to the aquarium displays, I’d gladly pay that.
 
aestheticlibra said:
If behind the scenes tours are included, as well as open access to the aquarium displays, I’d gladly pay that.
Click to expand...
I honestly don't know how the all access tours are handled. I would assume it's not something that is readily available for larger groups just due the the sheer man power and logistics needed on their part, plus the liability. All it takes is one person doing something stupid and they would have big problems. Not to mention the potential loss of livestock and the dollars start getting real high real quick.

FYI, Most large aquariums will not take livestock from hobbyists because of QT issues and trace ability. There are only very, very rare exceptions.
 
We did my daughter's birthday party there this year. That was about $40 per head with a behind the scenes tour, party room, and cake.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
If this plan falls through; you may want to check the pricing at the Chattanooga Aquarium. IMHO, it's worth the short ride from Atlanta. You may be a little surprised on the pricing for a group event. I'd make a phone call. The Backstage Pass was limited to 15 people when we were there.

They also have the Grand Movie Theater just across the street from the Aquarium. I took the children there some years ago and it was well worth the drive.

Wannabee
 
I am also a volunteer diver there (have been for 4 years) and dive frequently.

As to the question about learning scuba diving, as a divemaster who has been diving since 1999, I would recommend anyone interested hit up a local shop. No one in the club wants to assume that type of responsibility, but we have lots of connections with local dive shops. It would be great to take a group to places like the FL Keys to teach/show/work on coral issues.

Once folks are certified, pulling together a diving group/traveling together is easy!
 
I belonged to another smaller reef club several years back and we went on the behind the scenes tour twice. Being we were a reef club and I think a club member new someone in administration our tour was free with aquarium admission.
 
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