President’s Message by JOSEPH FERDENZI
I
don’t remember exactly when the idea hit me. Maybe it was after returning from a Northeast Council weekend in Connecticut. Maybe it was after attending a North Jersey Aquarium Society show. Or, perhaps, the idea hit me after going to an American Cichlid Association convention, or an American Killifish Association convention, or an American Livebearer Association convention, all held in New Jersey. The idea that hit me first came in the form of a question: “Why aren’t any events like this held in our part of New York?” What struck me even more as I thought about it was the fact that we have four major aquarium societies that are headquartered in each of the four counties located on Long Island (two of these counties are also in New York City). Why couldn’t we combine our resources and bring a major event to this area? Greater City had recent experience in putting on shows, usually every two years, including one at a hotel near La Guardia Airport. The other clubs hadn’t done shows recently, but they staged giant one-day auctions just about every year. It was clear to me that, among the four clubs, there were some talented and experienced people who could pull off a major event. So, sometime in 2005, I decided to hold a meeting at my house to discuss this idea. I invited all of the current Presidents, as well as some other current or former officers — in other words, my personal list of the local “shakers and doers.” Of course, I had no idea how my concept was going to be received, but, heck, if even one other club wanted to join Greater City in the undertaking, I was prepared to recommend that we do it. To my delight, my proposal was well received. This did not totally surprise me because, of course, we are all friends and dedicated to this hobby. As friends, we trust each other — a key ingredient for a group to work well together. And our dedication informs us that we need to both serve our members and promote our hobby — a major weekend event was a missing ingredient in the New York City/Long Island aquarium hobby scene. Each President had to discuss the project with their membership or Board, and gain the necessary approval. All of these discussions required a few months. Once this occurred (and,
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)
by the way, each society was very much in favor of the project), we faced our first major step: finding a location for the event. The representatives of all the clubs were sent to scour the countryside for a suitable location, much like missionaries being sent to proselytize in their native land. Many options were considered, but one feature was eventually agreed upon — it had to be a hotel. Our joint experience told us that only a hotel has all the amenities and resources that make for a successful weekend event. Of course, we also wanted to find a hotel that was somewhat centrally located and reasonably priced. Centrally located probably meant Nassau County. But, as we were to learn, Nassau and reasonably priced were mutually exclusive concepts. The search for a suitable hotel became a frustrating and prolonged process. Eventually, Greater City’s Frank Laudato came forward with a proposal that seemed promising. Astutely, Frank had been in touch with the Long Island Tourism Bureau. When he mentioned bringing a convention to Long Island, they were pleased to help. At some point, they mentioned that the founders of the public aquarium Atlantis Marine World in Riverhead were planning a new hotel right next to the aquarium. Although the location, Riverhead, was in eastern Suffolk County, the sacrifice of distance seemed to be compensated by the ability to have an event next door to a well-regarded public aquarium. Everyone seemed to think that this was the one venue that held promise. So, Frank and I began to focus on this location. The other consideration was when to have the event. Initially, I had suggested the Columbus Day weekend. I chose that weekend for several reasons. One, a three-day weekend gives all the people who work or attend the convention an extra day of relaxation. Two, the weather on Long Island is beautiful at that time of the year. Three, it wouldn’t fall on the same weekend as other area aquarium events. Four, it wasn’t prime-time wedding season (which can “bump” you out of many hotels). After many months of exploration and negotiation, mostly by Frank, we had a hotel and a date. As it turned out, it did not appear that the hotel to be built next to the aquarium would be open by 2007. So, we booked the nearby Best Western Hotel, which is on the same street and is right next door to a popular shopping mall, Tanger Outlets. We wanted to have our Saturday night banquet at the aquarium, but they were booked with wedding after wedding. So, instead, we decided to have the Saturday night banquet at the hotel in 2007, and we booked the aquarium for the banquet in 2008. However, the aquarium has generously agreed to donate one hundred free
June 2007
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