High Tide Aquatics

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They take issue with who we associate with at times at frag swaps -- specifically that we court garage and non-retail sellers. It's a bone of contention with "legitimate" sponsors and all retail stores.

I could understand that POV.

Swaps are among the prime sponsorship events.

If "just anybody" can be highlighted as a sponsor at that event, it can devalue the relationship we have with our regular sponsors who support us throughout the year.
 
I could understand that POV.

Swaps are among the prime sponsorship events.

If "just anybody" can be highlighted as a sponsor at that event, it can devalue the relationship we have with our regular sponsors who support us throughout the year.

Yep. They wonder why they are sponsoring and spending the money.
 
Yep. That's the flipped side of the coin about having your sponsor's back.
We have asked all our sponsors if they want to vend at the regional swap pretty much every year and only Jess from diablo has ever taken us up on it. We then move on to other possible vendors.
 
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I am the admin for the Facebook group, Mike (enderturtle) just added me out of the blue, but I do not really use FB I add users that ask to join the group.

I would be willing to add others to help manage the FB group, @Ashalye has sent me a PM and I will be glad to add others and I can be a fallback guy, but have no clue about Facebook.
 
I am the admin for the Facebook group, Mike (enderturtle) just added me out of the blue, but I do not really use FB I add users that ask to join the group.

I would be willing to add others to help manage the FB group, @Ashalye has sent me a PM and I will be glad to add others and I can be a fallback guy, but have no clue about Facebook.

I know too much about FB and spend too much time there. What does managing the FB group entail?
 
We have asked all our sponsors if they want to vend at the regional swap pretty much every year and only Jess from diablo has ever taken us up on it. We then move on to other possible vendors.

Selling at the swap vs. donating to the swap?

It's hard for brick and mortar stores to mobilize and staff to vend at a swap for a few hours then break it all back down and return to the store.

Also, from a sponsor's POV, they would be donating to help promote the swap, and other vendors come in and make sales from the attendance.
 
Selling at the swap vs. donating to the swap?

It's hard for brick and mortar stores to mobilize and staff to vend at a swap for a few hours then break it all back down and return to the store.

Also, from a sponsor's POV, they would be donating to help promote the swap, and other vendors come in and make sales from the attendance.
So we shouldn't have vendors at the regional swap?
 
So we shouldn't have vendors at the regional swap?

I had some people ask on fb if there would be vendors at the swap and I said yes. I know the first year we attended, Matt and I bought a few corals from LC. Now I think our tank is overflowing/out of space, but back then we were trying to fill space. ;)
 
What was the reason for having vendors at the swaps?
People wanted it, asked for it, and have liked it.
I think maybe it's a thing at other frag swaps which there are a lot of these days. Maybe just trying to keep up with the joneses. Wasn't my idea, but seems like that's what people like. Maybe we should have a poll to see what everyone thinks about it?
 
I do like having vendors. They seem to do very well so hard to argue against. If we want people to show up you have to have alittle something extra
 
Perhaps a middle-ground on this would be that sponsors get free table space and signage indicating they are BAR sponsers and non-sponsors pay a fee for their table space.
I think you're missing the fact that our sponsors have not ever wanted to be vendors except for one. It's too hard for them as norm pointed out earlier. That's pretty much the response I've always gotten when I've asked about it. They are welcome and will have free table space for sure.
We are not currently charging any of the vendors to be at the swap. 3 of the 4 vendors we have coming are actual sponsors. @jestersix , @fishdoctor , and Jess from diablo are all actual sponsors of the club. Legendary corals will be there, as they have for the last 2 or 3 swaps I believe. They are not an actual sponsor of the club, only because the club has always had a policy of brick and mortar stores as sponsors only (as far as I have been told). They have asked about bein a sponsor, they are good guys in my opinion, and I think they would be a good fit.
The box I feel the club is being pushed into seems to look like this, either change our sponsorship policy (which might upset current sponsors) and invite legendary into the fold, or not have them as a vendor any more after this swap.
Suppose a poll is in order since we will never get more than 8 people at a bod meeting to have a wide spread input from the club on this or any other important issues.
 
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