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IALPC 2012 New Judging Guidelines

I have been thinking a lot over those new rules. It could be a train wreck, but it is also better in some ways then the previous way of judging.
The old way was the first 100 and the rest were with lottery tickets about their places.
Now there will be first 200, which is better. The rest will be still on lottery tickets that never win.
The most negative moment I see is that the contestants will have judging vote in one of the stages. Firstly the shear number of Chinese and Japanese participants would inevitably pull the score to their favourite nationals. Well everything should be anonymous, but.... yea.
And on the second place I have seen what happens when the public is allowed to pass judgement on art. It is always a disaster.

In any case ADA will claim responsibility off their shoulders, which is I believe the main purpose here and of course this contest will be more popular than ever.
Well, think about it. Every "aquascaper" out there with couple of gold fish and bunch of valis judging the best of the best along side with the body of judges that were supposed to be carefully chosen.

I know that I may sound a bit elitist, but it just does not compute in my head this kind of voting for a president.

With this kind of voting system I can not see how an European aquascaper will ever get to the top 27.
 
I think that the question one would have to pose, is why would you enter such a competition?

I enter it because it is nice to have a goal to work out for, to show my skills and my own interpretation of Nature Aquarium, and to show my kids my name on the ADA booklet (shallow, I know). :)

I learn lots from the process, I learn from the start up, the maintaining, and all the way to the photography.

Ok, I know that I will not reach the top 100, or even win, but one needs to be realist. The competition is mostly asian, and we are really overwhelmed by their numbers. Last year from the UK there were only 14 participants. Compared with Brazil that had 37, Turkey with 17 and Italy with 22, we only managed to get 14 people to enter their tanks.

Now look at Japan with 526! entrants last year. In statistical terms there will be a big chance that from Japan alone as much as 50 people will go into the first 200. :) ... The UK will be lucky to get one or two into the first round.

But the fault is not with ADA, there is no one to assign fault. It is just the way it works. Also, with the hard times ahead, many people in Europe have started to save money on hobbies, and aquascaping is one to drop out from.

Maybe the future is to get some regional aquascaping contests going. There is the ASE, AGA, and last year were the UKAPS stand in London, so maybe we should divert our attentions to what is happening in Europe, and in the UK, and leave the IAPLC?

Obviously this is hard for people that make a living out of aquascaping, it is a very important event.
 
ASE is gone.
I'm not competing, maybe in the future but I don't have high hopes, anyway for me the new interactive judging is gonna to be fun. :)

Mike
 
clonitza said:
ASE is gone.
I'm not competing, maybe in the future but I don't have high hopes, anyway for me the new interactive judging is gonna to be fun. :)

Mike
Click to expand...
Shame. I did like the ASE. For some resaon they did not get very popular. I was prepared to enter both for large and nano aquariums thie year and it was dissapointing to see that they have discontinued the contest.
Then I tried to enter ASW, but they require more than just front photo and I do not have it. So I could not enter there either. :?
I also can not find any new information about the Russian open contest this year.

It seem there is a lot of fall out from the hobby.
 
I believe that it is the hard times in Europe, and the world, that are putting the hobby on a back burner. :(

I planned to go to Hanover and Vivarium this year, have had to cancel both, money is an issue. :(

The ADA change may see a bigger decrease in entrants. On the other hand we have to be positive, PFK has announced that the next Aquatics Live will be bigger than last years, so why don't all of us get behind that and support the local shops, turn up and enter a couple of competitions?

It is the only way I think... :)
 
mikeappleby said:
Morgan Freeman said:
Is there a UK based aquascaping competition?
Click to expand...

This forum?
Click to expand...

But only if you know about this forum can you enter. I'd like to see a UK based one, possibly set up by UKAPS in which international contestants can also take part.
 
Not a bad idea.. It could be done the same way as AGA did theirs, a form to upload the pictures and details.

With three sections: under 50L, less than 120L and larger than 100L.

We got enough top aquascapers to do the judging. :)
 
You guys could do the contest much better I think.

Better than the AGA etc.


Video(most cameras have this function) or go with a NBAT type thing at the local regional level.
In person home show type of thing.

I think and cannot stress how important IN PERSON interaction and learning is in this hobby.
I know Amano is really keen on this as well. 10 years on line vs 1 year in person is perhaps weighted too much to the web......you just can learn so much more in person.

Judge groups of 3 chosen by the group could go around and shoot video and run down the "criteria".
These are sent to the national and discussed. Vendors can help off set the cost.
Marketing and promotion is key to this. You have enough skilled scapers locally to do this.

Do not get mad, go do your own thing.
I have pretty much all my life.
 
I Have to Agree with Tom in that We as a Forum Could possibly do a Much Better Job, Of holding the Comp.
Look at the Success we had with our Pico Contest, and the great response to the Aquaria Live contest.
 
Morgan Freeman said:
Is there a UK based aquascaping competition?
Click to expand...

Be great if there was a UK one maybe some how tied to Aquatics Live and have prize presentation at the show for the top 10 winners maybe Founders could look at introducing this to UKAPS

Wouldn't have to go to the point of have a cash prize sure many people would be happy with a cup if in top 5 rosettes if you in the top 25 and certificates for the rest. maybe sponsors would get involved

Could also build gallery in to the main site have the top 500 entries displayed

Could also look at possible entry fee of a £5 to process entry sure most members wouldn't mind paying if keen

I would pay to enter it
 
would be easy enough to setup a website allowing people to enter and upload videos+pictures etc and then allow judges to vote.

the hard part would be securing some form of sponsorship with prizes to the top 3 for example
 
Hi all

The idea of a UK aquascaping contest is great, especially if it's different to all the others.

I like the use of video to make it a fairer I also like the idea of visiting tanks in the flesh. But this (visiting tanks) is a huge logistical issue in terms of time and money. However, it is feasable to involve sponsors to help fund such a contest. Time contraints are probably the biggest factor. Most of us have full-time jobs and our weekends are precious.

I'd really like to be involved with helping to co-ordinate something like this but unfortunately with my full-time job in the RAF calling me away for 6 months of this year, with many weeks training before that, I cannot afford the time. Next year is a possibilty though.

However, there is nothing to stop others from leading the way with this. There is a wealth of experience and ability on here - and I don't just mean in aquascaping terms, but management and leadership. To be able to organise such a contest will take a lot of time and hard work.

I organisied the UKAPS-LAC at Aquatics Live last year, a very small contest, and it was hard graft. Something like this is potentially a lot lot bigger.
 
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