The “Mile-High City” of Denver, Colorado hosted the 2024 Atlantic-Oase Professional Conference (APC) at the Rally Hotel downtown.
Pre-Conference Tour
Early attendees signed up for the pond tour, with three vans leaving the hotel at 9:00 a.m. At the first stop, a lovely home with a panoramic view of Marston Lake, the homeowner and the pond builder, Jesse Schumaker of Urban Flow, were outside to greet our group — all 50 of us. The location of the pond, some 10 feet below the walk to the front door, offered great views from both upper and lower floors of the immaculately landscaped home. The adjacent sitting areas invited closer interaction. A stream with numerous falls started high on the slope opposite the steps down to the water’s edge. This created a pleasant soundscape to match the well-designed and enchanting layout.
In this perfect example of the Clear Water System, ProfiClear filtration is fed by an AquaMax Eco Premium pump in the bottom of the pond to maintains the koi. An Atlantic Skimmer housing a L-Series pump removes floating debris from surrounding lawn and gardens and powers the vigorous waterfalls.
Our next stop offered completely different, but equally stunning views. Located at the top of a mountain accessible only by a single lane and hairpin turns. attendees enjoyed both landscape and waterscape from a unique perspective. The views from the mountaintop complemented the view into the koi pond through a large window. The superb rock work went from the bottom of the pond to the top of the waterfall. It matched the surrounding natural outcrops seamlessly. The project showcased the work of Art of the Yard, the A-O Contractors of the Year who were on hand to explain the inner workings of the pond.
We then traveled back down the mountain to the next project, also by Art Of The Yard. A pair of connected ponds were built into a steep back yard with a bridge crossing between them. The charm of the small ponds and the falls between them made their construction even more impressive. All of the material had to be brought into the back and down the steep slope by hand.
Lunch was served via food truck back at the home of Shane Hemphill of Art Of The Yard. Here, visitors admired his 17,000-gallon pond and magnificent large koi, with a lucky few seated at a table sporting both a running stream and dancing flames. Wow!
Then we visited the site of the 2019 Koi Pond Build to see how well the first-ever Clear Water System had held up. There, the backyard koi pond exhibited crystal clear water and excellent water quality. Owner Kyle Weemhoff confessed to practically no maintenance whatsoever! (It has been such a success that the same exact system is now available for sale, #94632.)
Conference Kickoff
The pre-Conference tour ended back at the Rally Hotel with a delicious buffet and drinks on the rooftop terrace. Afterward company president Jeff Weemhoff shared a few words of welcome.
The conference seminars kicked off promptly after breakfast with a powerful keynote presentation by Jim Davison, a survivor of the massive 2025 Nepal earthquake. Davison was trapped at 20,000 feet during his first ill-fated climb up Mount Everest. The story of how he and his team survived and went on to successfully summit the world’s tallest mountain only two years later, brought many to tears. His message, finding the resilience to survive and succeed under even the most challenging conditions, will not soon be forgotten.
The seminars started immediately afterward, highlighting best business and construction practices as well as new technology and products. Eric Triplett counseled contractors on Sales Communication; B.J. Linger spoke on effectively marketing locally; Isaac Mashman discussed personal branding and Laura Reale her techniques of email marketing.
Distributors enjoyed a multi-staff discussion with Regional Managers Kyle Weemhoff, Todd Rosendahl and Tyler Fisher on enhancing the distribution side of the business. On the construction side, Shane Hemphill weighed in on Mastering Koi Keeping. Filtration and water quality took a major role in the rest of the presentations.
Clear Water Pond Systems featuring the Clear Water Guarantee took center stage. Sean Bell and Jim Chubb shared their personal perspectives of Life with a ProfiClear, the systems that clean themselves. In Profitable Bog Filtration, Demi Fortuna and Sean offered modular solutions for those features too large for typical filtration options. Newcomer to A-O but a veteran in the field, Greg Wagner explained the latest technology in Lake Therapy. These are large-volume water treatments offering astounding results, especially in reduction of sludge. The New Products presentation with Frayne McAtee was especially well attended. Attendees learned about innovations Pulse 6, new pump technology that combines increased power with lower operating costs in almost total silence.
At the end of the productive day came the awards ceremony, followed by the a trip to Wynkoop Brewing Company for more networking and good times. A delicious and abundant farewell dinner was served. Partying only a block from the hotel was a real boon, as the revelry continued well into the night. A wonderful time was had by all!
