Scaling Up in South Carolina: The Greenville Repticon Preview

Jay Tacey

[energetic] Welcome to the show everybody! I'm Jay Tacey, here with Michael Arnold, Lisa Parker, and Guy Mc Farlane. And Michael Arnold, [warmly] picture this: it's 9:00 AM on a Saturday. A seven-year-old walks into a MASSIVE exhibition hall, and right there, not behind aquarium glass, but two feet away on a handler's arm, is a DIAMOND Python.

Michael Arnold

[excited] A Diamond Python. [chuckles] You know exactly how to get my attention, Jay. That is the DREAM snake right there.

Jay Tacey

I know it is. But that moment -- [nostalgic] that exact interaction where a guest's face LIGHTS UP because they are inches away from an animal they've only seen in books -- that is the entire fabric of what we try to build in zoological parks. But Lisa Parker, you're doing this every single weekend across the country with Repticon.

Lisa Parker

[laughs] We are! And that specific scenario you just described? [enthusiastically] We are bringing that exact energy to Greenville, South Carolina on June 6th and 7th, 2026. We are setting up shop at the Hejaz Temple over at 119 Beverly Road.

Guy Mc Farlane

[curious] June 6th and 7th at the Hejaz Temple. So for a massive logistical operation like this... how are you structuring the educational component? Because in the zoological projects I oversee in the MENA region, we have to carefully balance guest throughput with animal welfare and education.

Lisa Parker

That is exactly why we run Live Animal Encounters and seminars on the hour, EVERY SINGLE HOUR, every day of the show. So Saturday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, there is always a structured, scheduled educational beat happening.

Guy Mc Farlane

[impressed] On the hour, every hour. That kind of predictable operational rhythm is brilliant for crowd control... and it ensures the animals aren't being over-handled. You're giving them dedicated exhibition windows.

Michael Arnold

And it gives families a chance to actually ask questions before they take an animal home. [shifting gears] Which brings up a huge part of the logistics side -- feeding these animals. Because you walk out of the Hejaz Temple with a new bearded dragon, you suddenly have to feed it. And if you go to your local pet store, [scoffs] you are paying SIXTEEN CENTS a cricket.

Jay Tacey

[gasps] Wait -- 16 cents for a SINGLE cricket? If you're running a facility or even just maintaining a private collection, [skeptical] that is going to destroy your bottom line.

Michael Arnold

[matter-of-fact] It completely destroys the budget. [sighs] That is exactly why we partnered with PremiumCrickets.com for this episode. If you buy in bulk through PremiumCrickets.com, you slash your reptile feeding budget by OVER 80 percent. They ship disease-free live crickets, Dubia roaches, and superworms directly to your door. So before your next feeder order, visit PremiumCrickets.com and start feeding smarter.

Lisa Parker

[excited] And you are going to need those feeders, because the vendor list we are placing on the floor for the Greenville show is INCREDIBLE. We have breeders coming in who have decades of herpetoculture experience. I'm talking about people like Bill Albright from AHP Exotics.

Jay Tacey

Bill Albright -- AHP Exotics. When you say decades of experience, that is the exact credibility marker we look for when we're consulting on zoo master plans. You want the people who have seen multiple generations of genetics. What is Bill bringing to the floor?

Lisa Parker

Bill is bringing a massive wealth of knowledge, especially with designer reptiles. And that's the harmony of a good show floor -- you mix the legacy breeders like AHP with specialized vendors like E Town Exotics.

Michael Arnold

[reflective] E Town Exotics is great. What I love about having both AHP and E Town in the same room is the post-sale support. They aren't just handing you a deli cup and waving goodbye. These guys are offering LIFETIME care guidance.

Guy Mc Farlane

[firmly] Lifetime care guidance. That is the critical phrase for me. [pauses] In conservation management, we track animal outcomes meticulously. Knowing that these breeders are providing health guarantees and lifetime support to novice keepers... that elevates the entire hobby into a responsible zoological practice.

Michael Arnold

Exactly, Guy. It's about respect for the natural world. If you buy a New Caledonian gecko from one of these vendors, you have a direct line to the person who hatched it. You can't get that level of operational support at a big box store.

Jay Tacey

It is an unmatched guest experience. You're combining imagination, expertise, and a safe environment for both the guests and the animals. Lisa, for anyone listening who wants to get in the door at the Hejaz Temple, what is the ticketing timeline?

Lisa Parker

[helpfully] Ticket sales for the Greenville 2026 show open up on May 13th, 2026, and they run right through the final day of the exposition. You can grab them straight from Repticon.com.

Guy Mc Farlane

May 13th. I will make sure that is marked down. The logistical coordination to bring this many experts into one venue is impressive, Lisa.

Jay Tacey

[warmly] It truly is. A massive thank you to Lisa Parker and Michael Arnold for the inside track, and to Guy Mc Farlane for the operational perspective. [energetic] We will see you all in Greenville!