Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

Join the Reptile Guild on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/reptileguild

Dr. Tom Harbin Reptiles Memorial Endowed Scholarship in the College of Veterinary Medicine: https://give.auburn.edu/campaigns/dr-tom-harbin-reptiles-memorial-endowed-scholarship-in-the-college-of-veterinary-medicine-1

The Reptile Guild went international. In this episode of The Reptile Guild Podcast, Shane Kelley of Small Town Xotics joins Josh and Alisha Harbin of Herpin Harbins to recap our recent trip to Canada for the Canadian Reptile Breeders Expo, better known as CRBE. This was Josh and Alisha’s first time experiencing the show, so we’re talking about their first impressions, how CRBE compares to reptile expos in the United States, the vendors, the crowds, the atmosphere, and whether a show of this size is worth traveling for. But this trip was about more than reptiles. We stayed in Niagara Falls, explored the area, took in the falls, visited Toronto, went up the CN Tower, spent time with friends in the reptile community, and got another reminder that some of the best parts of this industry happen outside the show itself. One of the biggest takeaways from this trip had nothing to do with buying or selling reptiles. Traveling together, meeting people, building relationships, and spending time with friends reminded us why the community side of the reptile industry matters so much. Building Knowledge. Growing Community.

Hosts Shane Kelley of Small Town Xotics Josh and Alisha Harbin of Herpin Harbins

Technical Producer Jay Kaps of Greenline Morphs

Episode Talking Points 1. Why did we decide to make the Canada trip? 2. What was the drive from Tennessee actually like? 3. Crossing the Canadian border with reptile people. Any surprises? 4. First reaction when we finally saw Niagara Falls. 5. Was Niagara as impressive as we expected? 6. Journey Behind the Falls. Worth doing? 7. The boat ride and getting that close to the falls. 8. Our overall impression of Niagara Falls as a destination. 9. The good and bad parts of staying in such a tourist-heavy area. 10. The drive from Niagara into the Toronto area. 11. Helping with CRBE setup before the show opened. 12. Josh and Alisha: what did you think when you first walked into the venue? 13. Did CRBE feel more like a reptile expo or a complete pet expo? 14. How did the reptile section compare to major U.S. shows? 15. What stood out about the vendor booths? 16. Did you see species or products you don’t normally see at home? 17. What did you notice about Canadian reptile buyers and keepers? 18. How was the crowd compared to U.S. expos? 19. Did the show live up to the hype? 20. What could American reptile expos learn from CRBE? 21. Was there anything U.S. shows do better? 22. The networking and social side of the weekend. 23. Spending time with friends outside of the convention. 24. Why trips like this can be valuable even if you never sell an animal. 25. Going into Toronto and visiting the CN Tower. 26. Favorite meal or food discovery from the trip. 27. Favorite non-reptile experience. 28. Favorite reptile-related moment. 29. Biggest surprise of the entire trip. 30. If we went back next year, what would we change?

Keywords CRBE Canadian Reptile Breeders Expo Canada reptile show Toronto reptile show reptile expo Canada Canadian reptile expo reptile show review Niagara Falls Canada Toronto Canada CN Tower reptile road trip reptile community reptile breeders Reptile Guild Podcast Small Town Xotics Herpin Harbins Greenline Morphs