TRADE ONLY EVENT

2011 Pondemonium Event Descriptions

Lawn & Garden Distributor Meeting
This meeting is for our lawn and garden distributor partners only. Special announcements regarding this meeting will be sent directly to these members.

Authorized AquascapePRO^TM Distributor Meeting
This meeting is for our Authorized AquascapePRO^TM Distributors only. Special announcements regarding this meeting will be sent directly to these members.

Shedd Aquarium Kick-Off
Pondemonium® officially begins here! Join us on the outside terrace at Chicago's John G. Shedd Aquarium for drinks and appetizers while you enjoy an advanced water feature installed by Aquascape. Get there early before the aquarium closes to take full advantage of one of the best venues in the city. Or just swing into town early and enjoy all the museums in the district!

Chicago Bar Outing
Not ready to go home after the Shedd Aquarium kick off? Jump on the bus and head uptown to hang out at some of Chicago's hot spots. There is no formal schedule for the outing - just an opportunity to hang out with fellow Aquascapers! Class begins bright and early the next morning so don't miss the bus ride home and be stuck downtown all night.

Cup of Coffee Roundtables
Something new this year, these mini round table discussions start off each day with a jolt. We will be selecting speakers from our own network of pond experts on various topics related to business and water features in general. If there is someone you've heard about in the past from other customers or distributors, most likely they will be here as a speaker. Just peruse the list of speakers ahead of time or just swing on in and find a topic that interests you. These sessions are available on Friday and Saturday morning but speakers may be different each day.

Check out the different speakers and topics.

Dinner at Ball Horticultural Company
Just a shuttle ride away from Aqualand is Ball Horticultural Company and their beautiful 9-acre display garden. We will tour this inspirational property and have dinner with our green industry partners, Ball Horticultural Company. Anna Ball, President and CEO of Ball, will also be in attendance to address the group.

"Raise the Roof" Celebration and Awards
Join us as we honor the efforts of our top customers.

Ed's Beer Garden and BBQ Dinner
Back by popular demand... it's time for networking and relationship-building with everyone's favorite Sustainability Guy, Ed Beaulieu and the rest of the Aquascape Crew. Aqualand will once again be the home of this event. Join us as we relax and wind down from a jam-packed couple of days.

CAC Special Build
This is a special event for Certified Aquascape Contractors only. Do you remember Brian's build or have you heard about it from a fellow CAC? Well, we are doing it again. So maybe it won't be quite as grand as Brian's backyard oasis but we will sure try!

Standard Build-A-Pond Day
In this construction-based course, we will cover the 20 steps to building an Aquascape pond and demonstrate how simple the process can be. The instructor will guide customers step-by-step through the time-proven Aquascape method of pond building. The hands-on seminar focuses on the general design, sales, marketing, trouble shooting, and time-saving tips that our construction crew has perfected over the years. Upon completion, you will have a good working knowledge of the Aquascape system and the function of its main components. Most importantly, they will understand how to build ponds beautifully, efficiently, and naturally.

Bus Tour of Professional Ponds
Hop on the bus and enjoy your last day in Chicago touring ponds hand-selected by Brian Helfrich. This half day tour will take you to ponds that Aquascape has built over the years, some brand new and some that have been in the ground for many years.

Pondemonium® Welcome Lounge/Pre-Conference Planning
Work one-on-one with an Aquascape staff member to plan your conference experience. Get the inside scoop on the presentations, the extracurricular events and the logistics of the conference. You're encouraged to drop by, grab a drink, have some appetizers and leave your suitcase in our Pondemonium® Welcome Lounge at Navy Pier, Room 322. Meet-up with fellow Pondemonium attendees and have a base-camp before you partake on whatever activities from the IGC show to the Shedd to Chicago sightseeing. Aquascape staff will be there to answer your questions and load your luggage onto buses for delivery to St. Charles hotels after the Shedd reception. This event is strongly encouraged for first time attendees as well as veterans to get the inside scoop as well as your questions answered.

Water Feature Ribbon Cutting at Shedd Aquarium
Join us on Thursday, August 18th at 6:00pm when we will be having a ribbon cutting for water features at the Shedd Aquarium during the kick off party.