The IPPCA Hosts its Sixth Annual Conference
Photos courtesy of Sandy Meyer/BowTie Inc.
Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010, 8:10 p.m. EST
The International Professional Pond Contractors Association held its sixth annual trade show and educational conference, InfoTanza, on Oct. 20-23 in Atlanta. This year’s InfoTanza event was smaller than previous incarnations, drawing six manufacturers and 20 contractors, according to organizers. Last year’s InfoTanza show drew a record 17 manufacturers and 60 contractors.
IPPCA executive director Dave Jones attributed this year’s decline in attendance to the struggling economy. “That was the only reason I heard from anybody -- the tough economy and money being tight,” Jones said.
Although attendance was down, Jones said this year’s InfoTanza seminar series was a tremendous success. The seminar schedule included hands-on training for concrete sculpting and landscape lighting installations as well as presentations on bog filtration, marketing, fish keeping and rainwater harvesting.
“We had a tough show to try to match, and I think we succeeded with the diversity of not only the speakers but also the topics,” Jones said.
The IPPCA handed out several awards at the show. Jacob Bright, owner of Living Art Water Gardens Inc. in Huntsville, Ala., received IPPCA’s Five Star Contractor Award for 2010. The IPPCA presents the Five Star Contractor Award each year to the association member who receives the highest overall customer satisfaction rating. (Click here for extended coverage.)
This year’s Top Guns awards, which recognize IPPCA members who participated in the annual Ponditat for Humanity event, went to Dave Jones of The Pond Professional; Rocke' Huntington of The Pond Dragon; Michael White of White Water Filters LLC; Freddie Combas of Florida Water Gardens Inc. and Richard Mather of Garden Ponds & Waterfall Co.
The IPPCA also recognized outstanding waterfall and stream projects. The award competition featured eight categories. (See sidebar below for winners, and slideshow for first-place winners.)
InfoTanza 2010 was sponsored by Ewing Irrigation Products Inc., Horizon Distributors Inc. and EasyPro Pond Products. InfoTanza 2011 tentatively is set for Oct. 19-22 in Atlanta.
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Waterfall and Stream Award Competition Winners
Slideshow of first-place winners.
Most Natural Looking Waterfall
1st Place: Freddie Combas, Florida Water Gardens Inc.
2nd Place: Max Phelps, Rock Castles Landscaping & Mountain Waterfalls
Honorable mention: Jeff Krenner, Paradise Ponds
Most Natural Looking Stream
1st Place: Brenda Sorrells, Exotic Aquatics Inc.
2nd Place: Max Taylor, Magnolia Ponds
Honorable mention: Jeff Krenner, Paradise Ponds
Most Natural Looking Waterfall & Stream
1st Place: Max Phelps, Rock Castles Landscaping & Mountain Waterfalls, and Brenda Sorrells, Exotic Aquatics Inc.
Honorable mention: Freddie Combas, Florida Water Gardens Inc.; Max Taylor, Magnolia Ponds; and Jacob Bright, Living Art Water Gardens Inc.
Best Looking Overall
1st Place and 2nd Place: Freddie Combas, Florida Water Gardens Inc.
Honorable mention: Max Phelps, Rock Castles Landscaping & Mountain Waterfalls; Michael White, White Water Filters LLC; Dave Jones, The Pond Professional; Jeff Krenner, Paradise Ponds; and Jacob Bright, Living Art Water Gardens Inc.
Best Integrating with Setting
1st Place: Max Phelps, Rock Castles Landscaping & Mountain Waterfalls
2nd Place: Freddie Combas, Florida Water Gardens Inc.
Honorable mention: Freddie Combas, Florida Water Gardens Inc.; Jacob Bright, Living Art Water Gardens Inc.; Michael White, White Water Filters LLC; Dave Jones, The Pond Professional; Rocke' Huntington, The Pond Dragon; Jeff Krenner, Paradise Ponds; and Larry Moore, XStream Aquatics
Best Landscaping
1st Place: Freddie Combas, Florida Water Gardens Inc., and Jeff Krenner, Paradise Ponds
Honorable mention: Larry Moore, XStream Aquatics; Jacob Bright, Living Art Water Gardens Inc.; and Brenda Sorrells, Exotic Aquatics Inc.
Most Unique Design
1st Place: Max Phelps, Rock Castles Landscaping & Mountain Waterfalls
2nd Place: Jacob Bright, Living Art Water Gardens Inc.
Honorable mention: Dave Jones, The Pond Professional
Overcoming the Most Challenging Setting
1st Place: Michael White, White Water Filters Inc.
2nd Place: Brenda Sorrells, Exotic Aquatics Inc., and Larry Moore, XStream Aquatics
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The IPPCA Hosts its Sixth Annual Conference
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