RAW 2011!

A huge thank you and recognition go out to our sponsors this year:

Call for Sponsors

In 2011, the Regional Aquatics Workshop (RAW) will be hosted by the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center. RAW will take place May 3-6 at the Sheraton Oceanfront Hotel in Virginia Beach, Virginia. We are excited to bring the conference to the Beach and are looking forward to a successful gathering of Aquarium professionals from around the world.

Download the Sponsorship Commitment Form here:

This conference will be the twenty-fifth RAW. The purpose of RAW is to provide a forum for the presentation, discussion and dissemination of information detailing captive maintenance and husbandry practices in large scale aquaria. It is also a great time to see old friends, meet new ones, and talk fish around the clock! RAW attendees include directors, curators, aquarists, life support operators and other aquarium industry professionals who make the industry �go�.

With over 200 attendees expected, this Workshop provides an excellent venue to showcase your company�s products and speak one-on-one with current and potential customers from many different institutions. RAW 2011 will officially start May 3 with the first full day of paper sessions and conclude May 6^th with the Aquarist Olympics. We hope to have two scheduled evening social events. The RAW Ice Breaker will be held on May 3 at the Virginia Aquarium, and a boat cruise along the Virginia Beach coastline to the mouth of Chesapeake Bay will take place on May 4^th. We will have a hospitality suite at the Sheraton Oceanfront hotel that will provide an informal setting for attendees to mingle and continue to network during the open evening hours of the conference.

The General Sessions will occur May 4 through the afternoon of May 5. General Session topics may include but are not limited to:

Professional Ethics
Conservation and Education
Exhibit Design
Nutrition and Feeding
Legislation and Permitting
Behavioral Training and Enrichment
Collection, Acclimation and Quarantine
Collections Management
Record Keeping
Reproduction
Health Management and Veterinary Services
Animal Welfare

The RAW Program Committee is working on developing two Focus Sessions to be held May 3: (1) Life Support and Water Quality Session and (2) "Swim With" Fee-based Programs Session.

We invite your company to be a part of this very important and informative conference. We invite you to attend the sessions and invite you to become a sponsor of RAW. Sponsors can be vendors, industry suppliers and other relevant companies and donors. Being a sponsor of RAW will provide you the opportunity to advertise your company and distribute materials regarding your product(s) during the conference. (As always, unapproved or unofficial sponsors will not be permitted to advertise or distribute material during the meeting.) This opportunity will afford you the chance to make valuable, direct contact with your established, start relationship with new customers, and showcase your industry-supporting products in an informal welcoming environment.

If you have supported RAW in the past, we hope that your support has been valuable to you and you consider RAW sponsorship again this year. If you have never sponsored or attended RAW, please feel free to contact me if you need more information about this opportunity. We hope you consider being a part of this RAW experience. The following are the sponsorship levels for RAW 2011:

Sponsorship Opportunities

Platinum Sponsorship_____________________________________ $2,500

� Written acknowledgement in the event program and conference website

� 5 minute pitch to the group before scheduled talks-scheduled by HOST

� Name recognition on sponsor board displayed during RAW

� Inclusion of your company�s brochure/advertisement item in the attendee RAW packet

� Two conference registrations

� Table top exhibit area (6 �� x 2 � �) including space for pop-up display

� Key sponsor credit and your logo included on the Conference T-shirt*

* For T-shirt logo inclusion sponsorship money must be received prior to Feb 1, 2011

Gold Sponsorship_________________________________________$2,000

� Written acknowledgement in the event program and conference website

� Name recognition on sponsor board displayed during the conference

� Inclusion of your company�s brochure/advertisement item in the attendee RAW packet

� Two conference registrations

� Table top exhibit area (6 �� x 2 � �) including space for pop-up display

Silver Sponsorship________________________________________$1,000

� Written acknowledgement in the event program and conference website

� Name recognition on sponsor board displayed during the conference

� Inclusion of your company�s brochure/advertisement item in the attendee RAW packet

Bronze Sponsorship________________________________________$500

� Written acknowledgement in the event program and conference website

� Name recognition on sponsor board displayed during the conference

Event Sponsorship__________________________Contact Host for Price

� Breaks in General Sessions (per break sponsored)

� Break during Focus Session: LSS and Water Quality (Morning): (May3)

� Break during Focus Session: Fish Propagation 101 (Afternoon): (May3)

� RAW First-Timer Mixer Event (May 2)

� Hospitality Suite Evening Sponsor (May 3-5)

� Ice Breaker Event at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center (May 3)

� RAW Coastal Cruise (May 4)

� Aquarist Olympics (May 6- held at Sheraton Oceanfront Hotel)

Please direct your sponsorship questions to:

Beth Firchau-Curator of Fishes

Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

717 General Booth Boulevard

Virginia Beach, VA 23451

757-385-0233 (direct phone)

757-437-6363 (fax)

bfirchau@virginiaaquarium.com

We hope you choose to become a sponsor and be with us when we bring RAW to the Beach!

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Last updated: 11/16/2011