American Tarantula Society Conference

[Bill S]

It's come up a couple times in past threads - but for anyone interested, the dates of the 2009 American Tarantula Society Conference have been announced. The conference will take place in Rio Rico, Arizona (just north of Nogales) from July 23rd to the 26th. It will be held at the Esplendor Resort. I have not yet seen a list of speakers or field trips. At last year's conference there was a large room full of vendors selling books, t-shirts, supplies, and of course tarantulas. I'm sure it will be the same this year. I also expect that there will be a raffle like last year's, with lots of spiders being donated and dispersed. (I wound up with half a dozen new tarantulas from the raffle alone.) Details about the conference will no doubt be posted on the ATS website as they become available.

[xhexdx]

Please keep us posted, I'd like to attend this year.

[the nature boy]

Yeah, I'd like to meet in person all the people I've hacked off and the mods who know me so well, lol.

[Moltar]

This sounds quite interesting and like something i'd like to attend. I'll be watching for updates.

Curious; when people travel (fly) to events such as this or Arachnocon how do they typically deal with transporting the animals they've purchased back home? Do they ship them to themselves, do they toss 'em in a backpack and just cross their fingers? Do they drive to avoid such concerns?

[becca81]

Originally Posted by etown_411

do they toss 'em in a backpack and just cross their fingers?

I've personally done the "backpack and cross my fingers" routine, but I don't necessarily recommend it.

The first time I did this, I happened to leave my laptop in my carry-on and didn't remove it and had my bag searched. By some stroke of luck, they searched every single pocket of my backpack except for the tiny side pocket with a few slings were tucked away.

I've also put a spider or two in checked luggage without problem.

[xhexdx]

I assume there is an admission fee, right? Does anyone know approx. how much?

[Elytra and Antenna]

Originally Posted by xhexdx

I assume there is an admission fee, right? Does anyone know approx. how much?

I think I recall around 60 last year but I can't find it, just the page with photos http://atshq.org/conference.htm.

[Bill S]

I don't remember what the fee was, but $50 or $60 sounds about right. I remember that it was cheaper if you paid far enough in advance.

Last year the first evening was a BBQ or some such thing - just a social gathering so people could get to know each other. The next two days were formal lectures and workshops in one large room, and dealers in an adjoining room. Evenings and on the final day there were field trips.

Last year we had excellent summer rains in southern Arizona, so the field trips were great. We'll keep our fingers crossed for this coming summer. At least our winter rains have been OK.

[Uglykid2]

I went last year and the admission was $40 in advance and I got a t shirt with info packet on arrival. Hotel rooms are $87 a night this year for ATS attendees which is a GREAT deal considering the quality of the rooms and resort.
http://hhandr.com/esplendor.php
Just send them an email saying you are attending the ATS conference and how many nights you are staying. They don't even ask for a credit card, they hold the room for you, give you a confirmation number and you just pay on arrival/checkout.
I bought a few tarantulas and had one of the dealers ship them to my house for me so I didn't have to risk taking them on the plane with me. Slings would probably be OK though.
I had one of the best times of my life and am returning this year. I highly recommend it!

[xhexdx]

Yeah, I think I'll be attending this year.

[equuskat]

I have a job interview tomorrow. If I get the job, I'll still be on track to go to Rio Rico. If I don't get the job, I probably won't be able to make the trip. I've used up a lot of my conference savings since I haven't had a job for a month and a half!

[Elytra and Antenna]

I booked my airline tickets so I'm pretty excited.

[Anansis]

The American Tarantula Society is pleased to announce that our eleventh annual conference will be held in Rio Rico, Arizona, July 23rd to 26th, 2009.

For more information and to pre-register go to:

http://www.atshq.org/conference.htm

This will be our second year at this location and this year promises to be even more spectacular than last.

Ollie Meidinger
Public Relations Officer
American Tarantula Society

[dianedfisher]

I'm booked and ready to go again this year. The Spider Mall and Guest Speakers were well worth the admission price. There is much information on the ATS site about shipping purchases home. Last year I packed tarantulas in containers I brought from home and put them in my checked baggage on AA. They were checked and everything went well. Spider Mall vendors will also pack and ship your purchases for normal shipping costs. The hotel has several acres of hiking trails right on the property. Di

[Anansis]

Hi Diane,

I'm looking forward to seeing you there again this year. Only 14 weeks or so.

Ollie