A koi show always seems to make the hobby complete. After all these years in the industry, I still find them fun—but walking up to the show site in the Silverton parking lot in Las Vegas this year was truly exciting. I’ve never been to a show with more than 100 show tanks before.
It was Thursday, and Hector Mardueno, along with the WLim Corporation crew and family, were already on-site organizing the layout. JR from RNR had set up their five-booth space and was helping Hector with setup. Ben Plonski of Matala USA and Mike Swanson of Koi Acres were also there early to lend a hand. Ben and Mike can always be counted on to help out at any show they attend—it’s just what they do.
As I walked through, I saw Wes Glen and his crew from Koi Pros assisting with setup and filling tanks alongside Russell Peters. Andy Moo of Andrew’s Koi oversaw water quality and koi health. Greg Wittstock of Aquascape supplied all the tank netting to keep the fish safe. Greg has attended both shows and is clearly enthusiastic about the future. All the tanks were manufactured by Polytank.
Volunteer Power: Setup and Teardown Heroes
The setup—and eventual teardown—of a show like this is nearly impossible without volunteer support. So let me call out the teardown crew now: Mr. Chen Li of Nijikawa, along with Mikki and Devin Swanson, stayed behind to help the WLim and Stonewall Creek teams break everything down. Shawn Rosen of Koi Market helped pack up all the tanks.
A True Shinkokai Show
The All-American Koi Show is a Shinkokai show, meaning it showcases breeders. “Shinkokai” refers to an association of dealers, in contrast to AKCA and ZNA shows that are club-oriented and focus on the owners rather than the breeders or the industry at large.
There are nine Shinkokai chapters in Japan—and only one outside of Japan, here in the United States. The presidential chairman of the U.S. chapter is Shawn McHenry of Mystic Koi, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help make this event possible.
Why Las Vegas?
The Japanese love Las Vegas, and the Shinkokai organization is no exception. If you gave them a list of 10 U.S. cities to hold a show, and Las Vegas was on that list, they’d choose Vegas every time. They actually wanted to do it 15 years ago, but the economic collapse derailed that plan.
Now they’re back—bigger and better than ever—for their second show in two years, made possible by Hector Mardueno and WLim Corporation in partnership with Shawn McHenry and Mystic Koi.
I spoke with William Lim about the show. Although his health prevented him from attending, he told me he’s very proud of what’s become of his namesake company. It’s a perfect capstone to his groundbreaking career in the koi industry.
Sponsors Step Up
Major sponsorships in the koi world are rare, but this show is gaining momentum. I’m sure I’ll miss a few names, but here’s what I know:
- Brian Fitzsimmons and Fitz’s Fish Ponds sponsored the banquet.
- EasyPro sponsored the water.
- Grand Koi sponsored the event tent.
- Matala handled aeration.
- AquaMeds supplied water treatment and fish health products.
- Tomigai Koi Food and Demi Koi sponsored benching, judging and certificates.
- Pacific West Injury Law served as the premium media sponsor.
- Additional media sponsors included Sera, Merck Animal Health and Wimaca.
- Platinum sponsors were Aquascape and Stonewall Creek.
- Gold sponsors included Atlantic-Oase, Kodama Koi Farm, Sunfish Fish Farms, Koi Pharma, Champion Nishikigoi and RNR Koi.
- Bronze sponsors were Nijikawa, Bristol Koi Farm, Barstow Koi and PS Koi.
WLim Corporation made a serious long-term commitment by purchasing the show tanks from Polytank for $121,000 instead of renting them. This tells me they’re planning to keep this event going for years to come.
Vendors From Near and Far
Walking the show floor was a great mix of familiar faces and new ones. It’s always a pleasure to see Taro Kodama translating throughout the event. Ken Lu from Barstow Koi is always great to catch up with. My close friend Eric Triplett, The Pond Digger, had a booth to introduce his new skimmer. Shawn Rosen of Koi Market was in a booth showcasing a new filter system he’s developing. Gary Cryer of GC Tek had a booth packed with filtration equipment.
Ceramic artist Takahiro Koga from Tokyo made an impressive $75,000 in sales—unheard of at any other koi show I’ve attended. Paul Parszik of Artisan Aquatics shared a booth with Joe Acevedo of Hanako Koi Ponds, two more close friends of mine. Paul specializes in polyurea coatings, while Joe builds ponds using polyurea.
Fitz’s Fish Ponds made their presence known in a big way—literally. Their booth was marked by a massive red inflatable torii gate arch, a visual centerpiece of the vendor section that had attendees lining up for photo ops. Their team was on-site throughout the weekend, connecting with hobbyists and professionals alike. Fitz’s also sponsored the Saturday evening banquet, reinforcing their growing role in the national koi scene.
Most koi shows feature vendors with one booth, maybe two. This show had multiple vendors occupying four and five booths, and several with two or three. There were even vendors from outside the country, and “show fish” from four different countries—clear signs that this event is here to stay. I’ve already spoken with vendors who missed this year’s show but plan to be there next year.
Healthy Hobby Practices
My wife, Janon, couldn’t resist buying a couple of fish, which are now in quarantine until she finishes getting them tested. I hope everyone who buys new fish follows quarantine procedures before adding them to their main pond—it’s just good practice.
Celebrating Champions
The banquet was a hit, with a packed house and plenty of excitement. The Grand Champion was owned by Herbert Frisch. A special “judge’s favorite” category was added this year. My local client, Chad Roy, won the Ogata Award (one of the judge’s favorites), Botan Champion, Adult Champion and more. I was thrilled. Woo hoo!
As the show wrapped up, it was great to see Taro Kodama going tank to tank with the judges, translating for the cameras as they explained why they chose each winning fish.
Looking Ahead
This year’s show was about 30% larger than last year’s—and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Want to learn more about koi shows? Check out our article about Understanding Koi Shows.
