2021 AFSA Convention
The Embassy Suites Hotel Napa Valley
Napa, California
November 7-10, 2021
Greetings to Everyone!!! On behalf of your Board of Directors and your On-Site Host, Mark Lessler, I’m excited to announce that registration is now open for our Annual Business Meeting and Convention. As you might have already seen from e-blasts that were sent out over the past month, our convention this year is being held in the beautiful Napa Valley, California from November 7 – 10, 2021. We are excited to be holding our meeting and convention on the West Coast this year, and for having it in such an iconic area of the United States. If you missed the previous announcement, don’t worry…everything you need to know is included in this article. Also included is the official registration form. Just as we did for our last convention, we encourage you to complete the registration form on-line and then mail your check to Gerard Dupczak (his address is listed on the bottom of the registration form). By completing the form on-line, your information is automatically downloaded directly into the program just as you input it. Your reservations, selections, and even your name badges are printed just as you want them. Now, if you don’t have internet access or you just prefer not to input it yourself…No Fear!!!…Gerard will input it for you. Simply complete a hard copy of the attached form and send it to him with your check. He’ll take care of the rest. To access the on-line registration form, simply go to the AFSA website at www.AFSA-IRS.org, click on the “Convention” tab and there you will find the link for the registration form.
One very special note…and I’m not just saying this to say it…Please get your reservations in as early as you can. There are two very good reasons.
First, the Embassy Suites is a very nice and very popular hotel. They are well-known for their made-to-order breakfast in the morning and their Manager’s Happy Hour every evening from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm in the hotel lobby. They have no trouble filling rooms and they are generally sold out year-round. They have made us a very generous offer on our rooms starting at $173.00 and they are allowing our group to stay at the convention rates for up to two additional days prior to our convention and two additional days following our convention. However, your reservation MUST be received by them prior to the registration deadline in order to guarantee a room and to guarantee the AFSA rates. Please, think it over and make your Embassy Suites reservations by September 3, 2021. Reservation options are listed near the top of the Registration Form.
Second, all of the tours that we are offering have limited capacity in the tour busses and reservations are being accepted on a first come-first served basis. Once a bus is full, all I can do is add you to the “back-up reservation” list. If I have a cancelation, then I will go to the list and call the top name on the list. In the event you paid but end up on the back-up list and you don’t make the trip…don’t worry…the trip fee you paid will be refunded to you. You won’t pay for anything you didn’t receive.
The following is a day-by-day summary of what is planned for the convention.
Saturday, November 6, 2021
Pre-Convention Activities: With the flexibility of being able to check-in at the Embassy Suites up to two days early, we decided to try a new feature for this convention and schedule a couple of pre-convention activities for those who wish to take advantage of the opportunity. We believe that many will choose to travel on either Friday, November 5th or on Saturday, November 6th resulting in a smaller group of dedicated wine-enthusiasts who will wish to take in an extra wine tour or two. (With about 500 wineries in the area, there are plenty of choices from which you can choose.) The plan for Saturday afternoon will be approximately a two-hour tour at the Inglenook Winery in nearby Rutherford, California. Francis Ford Coppola is the owner, and I am told that this winery is an amazing venue with fabulous wines. There will be a walking tour plus tasting in their “Members Room”. Our tour and tasting will be followed by a dinner at one of the many local eateries in the area. Rutherford is about 14 miles from Napa and transportation will be on your own…either by car or by Uber. The cost of the tour and tasting will be $75.00 per person. Dinner will be on your own too. I have been advised by Mark that not only is the wine in the Napa Valley among the best in the country, but the food and quality of restaurants is second to none. Depending on your travel arrangements, coming in on Saturday allows you to make one or both of these events, or simply traveling on the day before the start of our convention, will allow you to be first in line for the made-to-order breakfast on Sunday morning at the Embassy Suites. Think about it. We will also have your registration packets available as well.
Sunday, November 7, 2021
Registration: Sunday will be the official start of the convention and will be the day of arrival for most. You will have the option of driving or flying into any of the three major airports located in the cities of San Francisco, Oakland, or Sacramento, and then commuting by bus or rental car for the approximate 60-mile trip to Napa Valley. If it can be arranged, some group transportation might be possible for those not desiring a rental car during the convention. Another option would be for two or three individuals or couples to pre-plan their arrival times and take advantage of riding together and sharing the cost of a rental vehicle. Self-parking will be available at the hotel for only $10.00 per day. A registration table will be available in the lobby by noon.
Event One – At this time, we do not have any group tours or tastings scheduled for Sunday. If one can be arranged, then Executive Director Mary Ruiz will notify everyone with an eblast and provide details on signing up for it. Some items being considered include either a late afternoon tour and/or tasting at a near-by local winery, or possibly a sightseeing tour of the Napa Valley and the surrounding area. Either way, it will be affordable, interesting, and fun.
Event Two – The second event will be our annual President’s Meet and Greet from 6:00pm to 8:00pm where everyone will be able to gather and see some old friends and meet some new ones. This year’s Meet and Greet will be held in the hotel’s Wine Barrel Terrace and will feature several food stations with comfort foods such as sliders, wings, and a salad…plus a variety of liquid refreshments. The cost of this event is included in your registration fee. To top the night off, we will, of course have our hospitality room open where conversations and nightcaps will be plentiful (as they will be every night).
Monday, November 8, 2021
Bob Manzi Memorial Golf Tournament – Our traditional Bob Manzi Golf Tournament, played annually in memory of one of our former members, will kick things off on Monday morning at the very prestigious Eagle Vines Vineyards and Golf Club in American Canyon, California.
Eagle Vines is the premiere Napa Valley golf course situated in the foothills with vineyard views in every direction. It was founded on the believe that nature and golf were meant to co-exist in magnificent harmony. Eagle Vines has made a profound commitment to protect the extraordinary natural environment of the beautiful Napa Valley. As has been the case in past years, it will be set up in the usual four-person scramble format. The cost will be $90 per person. So far, we already have 12 individual who have signed up, so there is plenty of room for you to play. Executive Director Ruiz is coordinating the tournament so feel free to contact her if you have any questions.
Napa Valley Day Tour or Day-On-Your-Own – If you’re interested in a narrated tour of the Napa Valley, then this will be a four to five hour bus trip that you will want to select. The trip includes an on board guide who will narrate and talk about the sights along the way, plus a stop at a local town for lunch. Cost for the trip will be $50.00 per person. Good chance there will be the opportunity to do some wine tasting along the way too!!! If not interested or able to take this trip, the rest of the day is yours to plan. Plenty of suggestions will be made available to you.
Board of Directors Meeting – Officers and Board Members…Note: Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the annual afternoon Board Meeting that must be attended by all Officers and Board Members. It is scheduled to begin at 4:00 pm and it usually lasts about two and a half hours.
Dinner on Your Own – Not yet sure if anything can be planned for this evening, but if not, then it will be a good evening to go out and explore or do dinner on your own.
Tuesday, November 9, 2021
San Francisco Tour – This will be an all-day tour by bus that will pick you up in the morning at the Embassy Suites and transport you to the beautiful and iconic city of San Francisco. Sights there are plentiful, and include Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz, Ghirardelli Square, Chinatown, Pier 39, and the many other attractions that the city has to offer. The day will be an on-your-own adventure, and several suggestions will be provided to you. For example, Pier 39 is one of the most visited sights in San Francisco and it is home to shops, restaurants, street performers, Hop-0n Hop-Off Tours, etc. Details are not yet confirmed, but the bus from the hotel will take you to a central location (probably Fisherman’s Wharf or Pier 39) in the morning and then offer a ride in the afternoon to another location (possibly Chinatown) for your lunch. It will return back to its original location and then depart San Francisco by 4:00pm for the trip back to the hotel. The cost for the ride to and from San Francisco will be $50.00 per person. Of course, you will be back in time to enjoy the Embassy Suites Manager’s Happy Hour!!!
Optional Day Trip and/or Evening Event – Pan alternative to the San Francisco trip is in the works, but as of the writing of this article, has not been confirmed. It might possibly be a bus trip to a nearby town for a relaxed day of sightseeing and, of course, wine tasting, or it could be a day trip of the very famous Wine train. One this has been confirmed, Executive Director Ruiz will send out an updated e-blast and instructions on how to sign up. If not planned, then it will give you more time for sights or dinner on your own.
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
Morning Activities – As in past years, the AFSA-IRS annual meeting will be held this year on Wednesday and will begin with an invocation, an opening ceremony, and a presentation by the Color Guard at 8:30am. Arrangements will still need to be made for our speakers, but we will, of course, invite Chief Jim Lee to attend and have him provide his annual update on what’s happening within the organization. That will be followed by our annual business meeting and election of officers. Lunch will be on your own.
Afternoon Continued Professional Development – The curriculum is still being developed and should be available in the near future. If arrangement cannot be made, then consider it another opportunity to take in some of the other sights in the area.
The Annual Banquet Dinner – Opening with a cash bar reception, our annual dinner is being planned and will be held in the Pinot Ballroom at the hotel. This cost is also included in your registration fee.
In conclusion, Mark is excited about hosting the 2021 Annual Business Meeting and Convention in the beautiful Napa Valley of California and he is anticipating a good number of West Coasters who will be able to travel to this year’s convention…some for the first time. We both look forward to getting through the current “State of Affairs” that we now are experiencing and seeing everyone in Napa Valley this Fall.
Stay Safe,
Dan Pieschel Mark Lessler Remote Host On-Site Host