Attention! Seal Clubbing II: Beachmaster’s Ball is almost here. Time to get ready! We are just about one month away from the 21st Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in San Francisco. By all accounts this is shaping up to be an epic conference. The plenaries look impressive. The science is going to be better than ever. So to keep in line with this high standard, we are making sure that the student travel fundraiser is the best party yet. This is an opportunity to dance, to mingle, to turn off your brain for a bit, and help support our student scientists. We have been receiving some emails asking for more information so here is almost everything you need to know for the party that you can’t miss. The Venue: Mezzanine (444 Jessie St.) http://mezzaninesf.com/private-events/ This is a great space with lounge areas upstairs and plenty of room on the dance floor. A world-class sound system will ensure the best dance experience all night. Best of all, the venue is a 9-minute walk from the conference hotel! The Music: We know you love to dance. We are bringing on a professional DJ who has been briefed on the musical wants and needs of our marine mammal colleagues. You will be moved to dance! The Date: The party is Wednesday Dec 16. Doors will open at 8 PM and things are shutting down at 2AM. That gives you 6.5 hours of sleep before the Thursday morning poster session. We are here for sciences so don’t miss the poster session! Ticket Prices: Tickets gain you entry into the party and provide a long-lasting warm fuzzy feeling that you are helping our next generation of marine mammal scientists make it to the Halifax conference in 2017. Student $15 (comes with 1 free raffle ticket) Non-Student $25 (comes with 1 free raffle ticket) Raffle Ticket $2 (or 12 for $20) The Raffle: As always we are selling raffle tickets to help raise funds and give you the opportunity to take home some excellent prizes. We are changing things a little this year and having two drawings. The first drawing for most of the prizes will be at the party and YOU MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN. The second drawing will happen at the closing of the conference and you don’t need to be there to win. We will make sure you get your prize. So what are the prizes? Well just to name a few: iPads, GoPros, gift certificates, schwag from The Marine Mammal Center, tacky marine mammal items and more! The more tickets you buy, the better your chances, and the more students get to travel in 2017! Where to Purchase: At this point you are probably asking yourself where you can get these tickets. Tickets to the party can be purchased while registering for the conference. We will make sure that they are part of your registration packet when you check in. Otherwise, we will have a small station set up near registration where you can purchase all the tickets you desire. Cash only!! ESSENTIAL INFORMATION: 1. Must be 21 years old or older. 2. Must have valid ID. For our foreign guests, that means bring a passport! 3. Dress code. Don’t wear your field clothes. Hawaiians, no slippahs (flip flops). 4. Drink Prices: Standard prices for San Francisco. Cocktails between $9-11. So we recommend a few beverages beforehand and enjoying at least a couple at the venue (we do have a minimum bar tab we need to reach people!). Stash away a little extra cash in the next month to make sure you help put a dent in the bar bill! Have any questions? Hit us up on the Seal Clubbing II: Beachmaster’s Ball FB Page! https://www.facebook.com/Seal-Clubbing-II-Beachmasters-Ball-1439791866338284... Cheers, Charles and Ari