IAPLC 2024 - Number of Entries and Award Ceremony

09 July 2024

3431

The International Aquatic Plants Layout Contest (IAPLC) 2024 has seen a significant decline in the number of participants, with a drop of more than 20% compared to last year, marking the lowest participation in the past 14 years since 2009. Several factors can explain this phenomenon, and the following analysis will detail the main reasons.

IAPLC 2024 - Number of Entries and Award Ceremony

IAPLC Total entries statics from 2001 - 2024

Analysis of the Reasons for the Significant Decline in Participants for the IAPLC 2024 International Aquatic Plants Layout Contest

1. Economic Difficulties

The global economic instability has had a major impact on many fields, and the aquatic hobby is no exception. Many hobbyists may need to reduce spending on recreational activities and personal hobbies to focus on more essential needs. The cost of preparing a high-standard aquatic tank is not small, including expenses for equipment, plants, fish, and transportation of the tank to the competition venue. This can make many potential contestants reconsider their decision to participate.

2. Changes in Judging Criteria

Changes in judging criteria can cause difficulties and disagreements among contestants. When the judging criteria become stricter or shift towards a specific style, many contestants may find it difficult to achieve high scores or may disagree with the new criteria. This can lead to a loss of interest in participating in the contest.

3. Higher Technical Requirements

The IAPLC contest increasingly demands high technical requirements, which can discourage contestants who lack sufficient experience or modern equipment. The use of new technologies in designing and maintaining aquatic tanks can be challenging for newcomers or those without the financial means to invest. This is one of the main reasons for the decline in participant numbers.

4. Emergence of Competing Contests

The emergence of many other aquatic contests has dispersed the interest of contestants. New contests with more attractive prizes or more suitable organizational scales can lead contestants to choose to participate in those contests instead of the IAPLC. This also reduces the attractiveness of the IAPLC to the aquatic hobby community.

5. High Professional Level Making It Inaccessible to Newcomers

The high professionalism and level of the contest can make it difficult for newcomers to participate. New hobbyists may feel overwhelmed by the professionalism and quality of works from long-time hobbyists. This leads to a lack of confidence or a feeling of inadequacy to compete, thus discouraging them from participating.

6. Lack of Interest in the Aquatic Hobby Among the Youth

The aquatic hobby may no longer be as appealing to the youth as before, due to the development of many new hobbies and interests. Digital entertainment forms such as games and social media are increasingly capturing the interest of the youth, making them spend less time and attention on hobbies like aquatics. This is an important factor leading to the decline in contest participants.

Award Ceremony

[IAPLC 2024 Results Announcement]

August 31(SAT) 20:00(JPT) Premiere announcement of the TOP 100 rankings

[IAPLC 2024 Award Ceremony]

November 23 (SAT) IAPLC 2024 Award Ceremony and Party at ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Niigata
November 24 (SUN) NA Gallery tour, exclusive events such as the public opening of the Amano Residence’s 4-meter Nature Aquarium for participants

* After the YouTube premiere, heavy traffic is expected on the IAPLC official website, making it difficult to view the pages. If you have trouble accessing the site, please try again at a different time.

Countries & Areas	Applications
Japan	452
People’s Republic of China	139
Germany	91
India	70
South Africa	56
Malaysia	54
Vietnam	48
Austria	44
United States of America	31
Indonesia	28
Brazil	25
Republic of Korea	24
Poland	22
Singapore	21
Philippines	20
Chinese Taipei	19
Thailand	19
Hong Kong, China	18
Spain	17
Russian Federation	16
Italy	15
France	12
Great Britain	11
Australia	11
Mexico	10
Canada	10
Romania	10
Costa Rica	10
Netherlands	8
Denmark	8
Greece	7
Sri Lanka	6
Czech Republic	6
Bangladesh	6
Portugal	6
Israel	6
Chile	6
Hungary	5
Mauritius	5
Switzerland	5
Colombia	5
Brunei Darussalam	4
Macau, China	3
United Arab Emirates	3
Bulgaria	3
Belgium	3
Ecuador	3
Egypt	3
Norway	3
Argentina	2
Peru	2
Serbia	2
Islamic Republic of Iran	2
Slovakia	2
Morocco	2
Finland	2
Croatia	2
Belarus	2
North Macedonia	2
Zimbabwe	2
Lithuania	2
Kuwait	2
Qatar	1
Ukraine	1
Maldives	1
Sweden	1
Turkey	1
Mozambique	1
Pakistan	1
Andorra	1
Nepal	1
Bosnia-Hercegovina	1
Mongolia	1
Jordan	1
Reunion	1
Georgia	1
Libya	1
Republic of Moldova	1
New Zealand	1

Conclusion

The decline in participants for the IAPLC 2024 International Aquatic Plants Layout Contest is a worrying sign that needs thorough consideration. Economic reasons, changes in judging criteria, high technical requirements, competition from other contests, high professionalism, and lack of youth interest all contribute to this phenomenon. The contest organizers need to find appropriate solutions to attract the interest of hobbyists again, thereby maintaining and developing the appeal of the IAPLC in the coming years.

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