Information for Private Sellers and Others

I'm posting the following information in case any of the private sellers did not receive the email.   Some of the information may be valuable to non-sellers as well..
-JB

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Dear Fall Fest Seller,
First off, thank you for pre-registering as a non-commercial seller at GIRS Fall Fest ‘09.   At this point it’s looking like all of the spots on the floor will be spoken for so we should have a great event!
We have a rough idea of where everyone will be placed in the room, but we are still trying to gather some information from all sellers so we can plan accordingly.

We would appreciate it if you could send us the following information ASAP:
1) Frag tank size & dimensions (30G limit for non-commercial sellers please)
2) Total power requirement (in watts) for tanks (including lights, heater, powerheads, etc.)
3) If there is another seller or vendor that you would like to be placed next to.
We will use this information to adjust the floor plan so that everyone has as much table space as possible and so that the power load is distributed evenly across the available circuits (don’t want to blow any fuses!).
In order to help you with your own planning, I’ve included some additional details about the event and venue.   If you have any questions or concerns about the items below, please contact us and let us know ASAP.   We want to make this a fun and successful event for everyone involved!
Thanks!
Jason Brunken
2009 Vice President
Greater Iowa Reef Society
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Space:  This year’s venue is a little bit smaller than last years and given that we’re probably going to have a sell out,  it’s going to be a bit tight.   All non-commercial sellers will have 4’ total space available (½ of an 8’ banquet table).   We will also try and make sure there is at least 3’ foot of space behind each table for seating and 1’ between tables for getting in and out without having to walk behind other tables.
Water:  We have attempted to contact Caribsea about providing saltwater to all sellers, but we have not heard back from them.   We will continue to pursue this, but at this point please plan on bringing your own water for your tank.
Setup:  Unfortunately, it’s looking like we will NOT have access to the venue for setup the night before.  However, we will have the doors open for setup at 9AM in the morning giving a full 3 hours to setup and let your corals open up and display their full glory.
What to Bring:  In addition to your tank, equipment, corals and yourself, please remember to bring a power strip and one or two towels.  The event venue has tile floors so we ask that everyone try and help us keep the floor dry to minimize slippage.    In addition to a power strip and towels, the following items would also be helpful if possible:  A short grounded extension cord and a mat to place in front of your table (again to prevent slippage).
Food & Lodging:  There are no restaurants or hotels immediately around the event venue, but Marion is not a huge town and there are a number of restaurants and hotels 5 or 10 minutes away.   There is a pop machine in the venue and we also plan to have a booth selling food (probably walking tacos) during the event.
Promotions:  We are actively trying to get a newspaper or TV station to a story prior to the event.  In any case, we will place our own ad in the local paper the week before the event.   The event will also be promoted by “Pet’s Playhouse” the LFS that is co-sponsoring Anthony Calfo.   We will be posting information about the event in Craigslist and other club forums whenever possible.   We will also be sending out several emails about the event to the 450+ registered users on our website.  Anything that you can do to help spread the word is also appreciated!