2024 AFSA Convention
The Embassy Suites Hotel Louisville Downtown
Louisville, Kentucky
October 6-9, 2024
link for the online registration
Greetings to Everyone!!! Plans are now finalized for our 2024 Annual Business Meeting and Convention which will be held from October 6-9, 2024, in Louisville, Kentucky. If you haven’t made your reservations yet for the hotel, it is now time to do that, plus complete your convention registration form and submit it to Gerard Dupczak. As explained in the Spring Newsletter and the Eblast that was recently sent to members, arrangements were once again made with the Embassy Suites by Hilton to host our annual convention at the the Embassy Suites that is located in downtown Louisville. We were able to negotiate a block reservation for our members at a really good rate of $169.00 per night plus tax, for a total of approximately $198.85 per night. Instructions and contact information for the hotel are listed at the top of the official AFSA registration form that is also included in this newsletter. And remember…every room at the Embassy Suites is a two-room “suite”, plus the rate includes their complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast and their complimentary Manager’s Evening Reception for various liquid refreshments. Our contract also allows our members to use the block rate for up to three days before and three days after our official convention dates of October 6-9, 2024. The Embassy Suites is conveniently located near many sights, including Louisville’s Fourth Street Live, and several museums, such as the Frazier Kentucky History Museum, The Muhammad Ali Center, and the Louisville Slugger Museum. Louisville is also the official starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and is the home of the booming “bourbon scene” with its Whiskey Row and its Bourbon District that has 12 Bourbon Distillery Experiences within a few blocks of the hotel.
Of most importance right now is for you to make your reservations soon in order to be able to secure a room at our block rate. To do so, you need to call the Hilton national reservations line at 800-774-1500 and make your reservation. Give the reservationist the group code “906” and tell them it is under the name AFSA-IRS. By calling this number, you will be able to secure the $169 rate for up to three days prior and three days after our core nights. You will also be able to request an ADA room. If you have any issues at all, feel free to call me at 859-466-7677 or email me at djpieschel@gmail.comand I will resolve the matter.
Finally, please complete your registration form and send your payment to Treasurer Gerard Dupczak no later than Wednesday, August 28, 2024. Doing so, allows us to fulfil commitments that were made to the hotel and purchase the required tickets from the various sites we will visit. As noted in the below descriptions, there is limited seating on the chartered buses and limited admission tickets for some of the events. Reservations will be processed on a first-come-first served basis. All requests processed after our limit has been reached will be placed on a waiting list in the order they were received. All advance funds that were paid for activities that cannot be fulfilled due to space not being available, will be refunded to the member.
The following is a tentative day-by-day timetable for what we have planned for this year’s convention. Note that this timetable, like the rest of life as we know it today, is also subject to some changes and modifications.
Saturday, October 5, 2024
Pre-Convention Activities: With the flexibility of being able to check-in at the Embassy Suites up to three days early, we believe that many of you will choose to travel at the end of the prior week, or on the weekend itself, when it might be more convenient for your schedule. If arriving on Saturday, you will be able to register early in our hospitality room and then select from the many options that will be listed on your handout of On-Your-Own-Activities. We have also arranged to take a “Moonlight Riverboat Cruise” on The Belle of Louisville. Boarding begins at 7:00pm and the cruise runs from 8:00pm -10:00pm at a cost of $40.00 per person. There will be live music, plus a full bar and concessions will be available. The river is about a five-block walk from the hotel, but parking is available in the lot that is adjacent to the riverboat at a current parking rate of $6.25.
One more consideration…traveling on the day before the start of our convention allows you to be first in line for the complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast on Sunday morning (when others are still driving or just arriving, unloading, and preparing for the afternoon activities).
Sunday, October 6, 2024
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 Louisville International Airport, which is a very easy six mile drive to the hotel. If you don’t plan on renting a car, the Embassy Suites has a complimentary shuttle that can pick you up at the airport. We have also negotiated a special $20 self-parking rate at the parking garage next to the hotel, or you can valet park at the hotel for $40 per night. There will be two events scheduled for Sunday.
In the Afternoon – The first event will be an afternoon (tentatively set for 3:00pm) private trolley tour of the city at a cost of $30 per person. The tour will take you downtown and to the waterfront, America’s Largest Victorian Neighborhood, Churchill Downs (home of the Kentucky Derby), Museum Row, Whiskey Row, and the new trendy NULU district.
In the Evening – 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 close proximity to the Manager’s Evening Reception. There will be several food selections which will offer a variety of items, so be sure to come hungry! 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, October 7, 2024
A Ride on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail – Not the entire trail, but you will at least start your day at the Frazier Kentucky History Museum which houses The Kentucky Bourbon Welcome Center, the official starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Admission will include a 30-minute guided tour of the Spirit of Kentucky Bourbon Exhibit, where you will learn nearly everything you will want to know about bourbon. But that’s not the only attraction in the museum, as it has several other exhibits, plus a permanent collection that features a wide array of historically significant artifacts. Rare and noteworthy objects include Teddy Roosevelt’s “Big Stick”, Geronimo’s bow and arrows, a surplus grave marker from the Battle of the Little Big Horn, a first edition copy of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and the arrest warrant issued for Mary Todd Lincoln. After leaving the museum, you will be transported to the Angel’s Envy Distillery for a 30-minute tour of the distillery and a 30-minute tasting in their tasting room. Your tour will start at 10:00am and you will be returned to the hotel by about 2:30pm. The $70 cost included your bus ride (including the tip) to both stops and all admission charges for the tours and the tasting.
On-Your-Own Activities – If you choose not to take the above tour, you will find that there are many, many sights to see on your own. A multi-page handout will be provided upon your arrival. Louisville is famous for its Museum Row, which includes The Frazier Kentucky History Museum, The Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, The Muhammad Ali Center, The Kentucky Science Center, The Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, and even The Sons of the American Revolution Genealogical Library. There is also the popular “Bourbon District”, a walkable urban experience for anyone looking for a taste of Kentucky. In the bourbon district, you are never more than 5 minutes away from the next attraction. Yellow pole banners and directional signage near every corner navigate you to the next attraction. Included is “Whiskey Row”, a one-block long entertainment district that houses various restaurants, bars, an urban distillery, shops, and other attractions. Other nearby sights will also be included in your handout.
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. This year’s meeting is scheduled from 3:30pm to 5:30pm.
Dinner on Your Own – This is a good evening to have dinner on your own. According to hotel information, there are over 30 restaurants within a four block radius. More specific information will be provided in your handout.
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
“This is Racehorse Country” Tour – Prepare yourself for a leisurely day in some of the most beautiful farmland in Kentucky…Horse Farmland, that is!!! We start our day in what is known as “The Bluegrass State” with a ride to Paris, Kentucky and a morning visit to the very famous Claiborne Farm. This is one of the most iconic Thoroughbred breeding farms in Kentucky, and the farm where six of the 13 Triple Crown winners were conceived. On the tour, we will see some broodmares and foals, and the farm’s current stallions. We will visit the breeding shed and learn about the process, and visit the gravesite of Secretariat, the legendary racehorse who won the 1973 Triple Crown. Our second stop of the day will be in Versailles, Kentucky to a 110 acre estate where we will tour the Kentucky Castle, a very unique property with a storied history. Originally constructed in the late 1960s as a private home, its construction was interrupted several times, halted for a while, then abandoned for nearly 30 years, before being renovated. A Bed and Breakfast was added, but then it underwent a major fire in 2004. New ownership in 2017 has now revitalized it and vast improvements have raised interest in it once again. We will receive a tour and be given the history, and then we will enjoy a very nice lunch that will be created by their chef for our group. After lunch, we travel back to Louisville for our third tour of the day, a visit to the world-famous Churchill Downs Racetrack and The Kentucky Derby Museum. We will be able to walk through the grandstands where the Kentucky Derby happens every year on the first Saturday in May. Our 30-minute guided tour will also take us to the track and a newly opened stable exhibit. Inside the museum, we will see two floors of interactive exhibits. The $150 cost for this full day trip includes your bus ride (and tip), lunch, and admission to all three locations. We will start at 8:15am and be back by a little after 5:00pm, just in time to enjoy the Manager’s Evening Reception.
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
Morning Activities – As in past years, our 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 about 9:00am. Arrangements will still need to be made for our speakers, but we will, of course, invite Guy Ficco, the new Chief of CI, 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 Activity – At this point, the afternoon will be another good for any on-your-own activities that you still wish to do.
The Annual Banquet Dinner – Our annual dinner is being planned and will be held in one of the ballrooms at the hotel.
Thursday, October 10, 2024
Just as we have the ability to come in three days early, the Embassy Suites is allowing us to stay for up to three days after the convention ends. There’s no need to rush away on Thursday morning. If you have the time and want to see some more of the city on your own, we will have plenty of suggestions for you. Otherwise, this is your check-out day. Safe travels and see you next year.
Dan Pieschel, Event Chair