RAW Community,

It’s hard to believe that RAW was a month ago. We hope you enjoyed the conference as much as we did introducing you to Chicago and the Shedd. By now, your Whirly Ball bruises should have healed and you have had time to reflect back on the presentations. Don’t forget that those talks will soon be available on-line to all attendees who gave their information to Animal Professionals.

This is a fantastic community to be a part of and we were thrilled to be able to host RAW 2012. Every year this conference gets bigger, but more importantly, better. The quality of talks, participation by new institutions, continued support from many of the same institutions year after year, and the phenomenal support from vendors show that RAW is the place to go for aquatic networking. We hope that everyone involved in this year’s RAW will continue to support the conference for years to come and we would like to say THANK YOU for coming to Chicago. See you in Atlanta!

Shedd Fishes team

Dear Aquatic Professional or Enthusiast,

The John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago is hosting the 2012 Regional Aquatics Workshop, April 8^th through the 13th. The conference will be held in the downtown area at the Swissotel.  It will be a wonderful chance to exchange thoughts and techniques within our very dynamic world of husbandry, research, and exhibiting inspiring aquatic species.  We are putting the finishing touches on the schedule, polishing the exhibits and making sure it will be a memorable experience for everyone involved. Some of the high lights will include; blockbuster enthralling presentations, wonderful Chicago spring weather (bring a coat and some goulashes), an evening event at the world renowned Shedd Aquarium, where we (the staff) will welcome you into our work spaces to be a voyeur at our behind the scenes. For those that are a little braver, a boat cruise on the famous Chicago River, or we even have arranged for some whirlyball (a combination of basketball and bumpercars) on Friday so the groans of agony wouldn’t disturb the presentations!

So, come and enjoy our great architecture, hotdogs and pizza (sorry NY) and not so great sports teams (but we have heart though) in the beautiful windy city! FYI Cubs opening day April 5^th and for you south siders Sox on the 13^th.  Have some delightful conversations with your fellow “fish geeks” or just hang out in the adjacent magnificent mile shopping district.  There are also two great zoos nearby with diverse collections including aquatics.  

We are all super excited to show our city, our aquarium and to take part in the intellectual exchange that the RAW conference is known for. Time is running short though, please please help us out and register today so we may have a better understanding of your needs and how much beer to buy! You also will need to book your accommodations by the 21^st as our web link on this site expires. Hotels can get pretty pricy around the conference area without our discount.

Looking forward to chatting with you!

George Parsons

Director, Fishes Department

John G. Shedd Aquarium

Thanks Beth and the entire Virginia Aquarium crew for hosting such a great event in May.  A new record for attendance and a continuation of RAW’s emergence as the premiere venue for professional aquarist information exchange.  Congratulations on a job very well done.  Thanks also to everyone in attendance.  RAW continues to grow in scope primarily out of the interest and enthusiasm that each year’s attendees bring forward.  A heartfelt thank you to all the vendor sponsors that continue to support RAW.  The tremendous value of each year’s event is due to outstanding host hospitality, continued vendor support and high quality professional discussions amongst the entire assembly. 

As we look forward to RAW 2012 in Chicago at the Shedd Aquarium, here is some helpful information for your budgeting and travel scheduling purposes:

AZA TAG, CAP and other working meetings are scheduled for Monday, 9 April.  Workshop presentations will take place Tuesday through Thursday 10-12 April.  Tentatively planning for a Quarantine workshop on Friday, 13 April.

The proceedings will take place in the Swissotel Chicago, with rooms reserved at $149/night for single and double occupancy, $179 for triple and $209 for quadruple occupancy.  Getting to the hotel from either airport (Midway or O’Hare) is easy with train stops within a couple of blocks from the hotel or convenient shuttles.  If you are planning to drive, please budget for parking, which can run $50/day.  RAW registration fee is set at $75, and please don’t wait until the last minute as it creates all sorts of logistical problems for the host in planning transportation, meals, workshop materials, etc.

Mark Schick will be updating this website with all the relevant information, so check back in the near future for more RAW 2012 goodies.

Looking farther ahead, RAW 2013 travels to Atlanta, Georgia as we join the Georgia Aquarium crew in a spirited game of aquarist Olympic water polo with the giant fish.