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ANGFA 
Convention 2019
Melbourne
11th - 13th October
The Australia New Guinea Fishes Association Victoria (ANGFA Vic) in conjunction with ANGFA Incorporated (ANGFA National), are proud to present the world renowned ANGFA Convention for 2019. This is the largest event focusing on Australian and New Guinea fishes anywhere in the fishkeeping realm.
This year's convention is fast approaching, and you can still get the early bird discounted registration rate if you register before the end of June. Our speaker list is now complete with a couple of the speaker bios attached for your perusal. Presentations cover a diverse range of topics such as exploring remote habitats in New Guinea and Tasmania, fish parasite management, and the discovery of new species.
This years convention programme also allows more time in the speaker presentations for some Q and A and plenty of time during the intervals to catch up with your mates or learn more about our amazing native fish and their habitats.
And at this years ANGFA Convention Mega Auction – you can get your fish delivered to your door!!
The ANGFA Convention Mega Auction is a great opportunity for convention delegates to purchase rarely offered Australian and New Guinea aquarium fishes. But for delegates flying in from interstate, getting these fish home can be problematic or simply too much of a hassle.
But thanks to Alan at Livefish.com.au, we are excited to announce that at this year’s Melbourne convention, we can have your fish delivered to your door – they might even beat you home! For a very low price of $20-25 per 5kg box (depending on state destination), Livefish will ship your auction-fish purchases on the Monday after the convention to your home anywhere in Australia. (A 5kg box typically holds 6-8 adult rainbows).
So make sure you come along to the Melbourne Convention, have a great time and have a few beautiful fish shipped home as an extra bonus!
We have listened to all the feedback from our last convention and this year’s venue is large and comfortable, with the registration area and bar right next to the convention and dining rooms. The single and twin share accommodation rooms (4 star quality) are in close proximity to the convention facility.
For those wanting breakfast included in their room bookings, the Motel dining restaurant is just across the gardens from the convention centre. The daily buffet breakfast is moderately priced for ANGFA convention attendees who are booking a room at the venue.
Ample car parking is available immediately outside the convention building.
The venue (Best Western Airport Motel and Convention Centre) have just upgraded their function rooms so we've secured a comfortable and spacious light filled venue, with built in technology ready to go.
There are heaps of great prizes being donated by our sponsors so we'll be seeing a lot of smiling attendees with something special to take home.
Orders for convention clothing is also now open, please note all clothing orders need to be in by Sunday September 15.
(*Orders post this date will still be accepted – but they will not be available in time for Convention, and will incur a delivery fee.)
A 3 Course ANGFA dinner will be held on the Saturday night and you can book your dinner attendance when you register for the convention. The dinner is always a great chance to mingle with other like-minded enthusiasts from Australia and overseas.
Prior to the convention dinner, our ANGFA Convention Mega-auction will take place late on the Saturday afternoon. We expect a plethora of Australian & New Guinea fish species, aquatic plants and invertebrates to be available at the auction. Regular auction updates of what will be on offer will be provided through the year. Visitors are welcome to attend the auction even if they cannot make it to the convention proper.
For secure online payment use the PayPal buttons further down this page. You can pay with your credit card or via a PayPal account if you have one.
Convention in a "Nut Shell"
Location: Best Western Airport Hotel and Convention Centre (Melbourne) (see www.airportmotelmelbourne.com.au for venue information )
Registration Costs:
- Members $195 AUD (early bird paid before 30 June 2019 $165 AUD)
- Non-members $240 AUD (early bird paid before 30 June 2019 $210 AUD)- both options include a bonus 12 month ANGFA membership for non-members
- Single day attendance: $120 AUD
- Saturday Evening Dinner $60 AUD (three courses)
- Room bookings to be organised directly with Best Western Airport Motel by phone or e-mail as per Accommodation details listed below.
- *Ensure you mention you are an ANGFA delegate when booking your room to receive the special convention accommodation deal.
For payment and registration information see the Registration section below.
Registration & Other Convention Details
Here is where you can find more details covering Registration, Venue, Events, Accommodation Options, Convention Merchandise.
This is a great opportunity to attend the ANGFA biennial convention to catch up with old friends, learn more about fish and fish-keeping, aquatic plants, new fishy discoveries and take home a new species from the auction. It doesn't matter if you keep rainbows, gudgeons, gobies, angels, tetras or goldfish, in fact any type of fish or plants from anywhere in the world - this is the convention you need to attend, we hope will see you there! As with all things in life, the convention price has had a modest increase in cost to help bring to you the highest standard and a hassle free convention you have come to expect. . But if you book early, you can pay the early bird lower rate. And compared to many conventions around the world, ANGFA conventions are extremely competitively priced.
Contacts for the convention are:
Greg Martin (mobile: 0407 094 313) – ANGFA Vic Committee
John Lenagan (mobile: 0413 730 414) – ANGFA Vic Committee
Glenn Briggs (mobile: 0408 771 544) – ANGFA Vic Committee
Or email the ANGFA Victoria Secretary at
The Convention and presenters schedule is currently being prepared and under review.
Registration
For registration and payment please use the secure PayPal buttons below. The first one you select will open up a PayPal window and you can return to here from there to add all of the items you want, ie don't check out of that window until you have everything you want. Your membership status will be checked and if you are not a current 2019 member you will be required to pay the non-members price. Therefore it's best to join up or renew your membership before purchasing your convention ticket!
For any membership enquiries please email ANGFA’s Secretary David Shoesmith:
Use each of the PayPal buttons below to select what you want. You add each item to you 'cart' (which will open in a seperate tab or window) separately and then 'continue shopping'. Once you have all of the items you want in your 'cart' you can 'check out' and pay for them all in one secure transaction.
See below for details of the Convention Dinner.
See below for details of the Convention Shirts.
Speakers
ANGFA Convention 2019 - some of our Melbourne Speakers
Wim Heemskerk
Collecting Blue Eyes in West Papua
Wim’s presentation is about his 2017 expedition to West Papua where over the 20 days he set out to find P. reticulates amongst many other rainbows from the streams and creeks of the Vogelkop, lake Ayamaru area.
Michael Hammer
Surprising Pseudogobius: New Species of Australian Snubnose Gobies
This tale of discovery of Pseudogobius involves a journey across our major Australian cities, in thigh-deep anoxic mud a paradise to but only the very keen puddle pirates, and of course goby taxonomists. Come with Michael on his quest for the many different Snubnose Gobies.
Phil Littlejohn
Introduction to parasites of aquacultured and wild native fishes
Phil will take us through his approach to finding and identifying the diverse range of parasitic infections to be found in our fish and the various treatments tried and proven.
Greg Martin
Tasmania’s Tarkine and the annual BBF Bio-Blitz – 4 years of discovery, education and Conservation
Greg has been the leader for the Fish and Macro Invertebrates Field work over the last four years on the Bob Brown Bio Blitzs in the Tarkine district North West Tasmania, his presentation will cover some of the amazing habitats and unique aquatic life to be found and the hands on conservation and education programmes Greg and ANGFA have been running.
Venue
About the venue: The Best Western Airport Motel and Convention Centre, located at 33 Ardlie St Attwood, Vic, Australia
website http:// www.airportmotelmelbourne.com.au
The 2019 convention venue offers an all in one and all together convention venue to maximise interaction for all our members at the ANGFA convention, combining a spacious location only 10 minutes drive from the Airport, a lofted convention setting, 4 star accommodation with single or twin share rooms located immediately under and adjacent to the convention facility. The venue was chosen for its excellent location and unique opportunity to hold a convention where we can all be together.
The venue operates a free transfer mini bus to and from the airport, saving you money on taxi fares. There are other accommodation options in the area, however for value for money and to get the full convention experience, we highly recommend staying at the convention venue.
The ANGFA National Annual General Meeting will be held at the venue on the Friday night of the 11th October, followed by drinks from the bar immediately next to the convention rooms. We plan to have a merchandise table set-up on the Friday night, plus you can “sign-in” for your convention registration that night as well, so there is plenty of reason to arrive in time for the AGM.
Accommodation
There is 4 star accommodation located at the Convention venue with 36 rooms reserved for ANGFA Delegates (with plenty of other rooms also available if the 36 are booked out). We have negotiated discounted room rates for Delegates, so please remember to mention you are attending the ANGFA Convention when making your booking. To avoid disappointment, we suggest you book your room the earlier the better, and at least one month prior to the convention.
The venue will reserve the 36 “ANGFA rooms” (if not already booked) until 28 days prior to the convention, after that time they cannot guarantee rooms will be available.
Recommended Facility
Given feed back from the last convention we have sought a quality venue with quality rooms available adjacent.
The negotiated rates provided by the owner for delegates of the ANGFA 2019 Convention are exclusively available for ANGFA 2019 delegates. Delegates need to make booking directly with the resort, quoting: “ANGFA Delegate” to receive these quoted room rates. Booking is advised to be done early. The rates below are in AUD, per night, per room, payable direct to the resort.
Best Western Motel and rooms
Corporate accommodation and accommodation including full buffet breakfast:
Motel Room Only ~ $150.00 single or twin share
Motel Room & Breakfast ~ $165.00 single or $180.00 twin share (2 breakfasts)
If you would like to book a room, please contact the venue direct by phone or e-mail:
tel 61 3 9333 2200 or e-mail:
Make sure you mention that you are attending the ANGFA conference to receive the special conference accommodation rate.
A La Carte Dinner: Open 7 nights a week in the Reflections Restaurant where you can choose from the a la carte menu. Bookings are Essential
Please speak to the reception staff to book your table (Max 10 per table)
Buffet Breakfast: 6.00 am to 9.30am – Full Buffet Breakfast included in room price as above. Otherwise cost is $22.00 pp
Bar: From 5pm in “Reflections” Restaurant for Happy Hour
Courtesy Bus: A Free Courtesy Bus operates to and from the Airport.
Please ring 9333 2200 on arrival at the airport to arrange pick up.
Due to parking restrictions at the Airport, the Bus is unable to meet Guests at a prearranged time, however as the venue is close to the airport, wait times are not long.
For your return trip to the airport, a time can be booked by contacting Reception
Features and Changes
Once again, we've strived to keep convention costs as low as possible to ensure the weekend is affordable, but still provide the range of activities that ANGFA conventions are renowned for. As a result, we'd like to point out some minor but important changes.
Firstly, we are requesting you book and pay as soon as possible as seating is strictly limited. Do not leave it until later in the year as we expect this convention to be sold out and bookings will be treated on a first come, first served basis. An early bird rate has been provided as extra incentive to book early.
Secondly, ANGFA has committed to holding the traditional Saturday night dinner at the venue. But we need a minimum number to make this affordable for all so we request that consideration be given to booking your Saturday night dinner with ANGFA. Bring family and friends! Please support ANGFA if you can.
Thirdly, the Convention Mega Auction is scheduled for 4.30pm Saturday afternoon and needs to finish by 7.00pm.
Fourthly, as usual, the AGM will be held on Friday night at the venue and includes discussion of ANGFA Regional Reports and other committee-related matters at the venue. The AGM starts at 7:30pm on the Friday and interested members are welcome to attend the AGM.
Convention Dinner
Saturday evening will again feature the Convention Dinner. The price for the 3 course ANGFA dinner will be $60 per head and will be held at the convention facility. There is a limit of 100 people for the dinner so get in quick. Canapés will be served before dinner where you can order drinks from the in-house bar. If you prefer vegetarian meals or have special dietary requirements, please explain your requirements, so that we can ask the venue to prepare a suitable alternative.
Convention Shirt
A regular feature of ANGFA Conventions is a Convention shirt. Merchandise will be arranged of the 2019 convention.
Logo Design TBC
The shirt will be available in the following sizes:
MEN (measured across the chest)
S - 52cm
M - 55cm
L - 58cm
XL - 62cm
XXL - 64cm
XXXL - 71cm
LADIES
size 10 - 49cm
size 12 - 51cm
size 14 - 54cm
size 16 - 56cm
size 18 - 59cm
size 20 - 62cm
All shirts are $45 each.
