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<< back to the 2004 archive listing << Food Protection Trends COMMENTARY from the executive director “We look forward to seeing you in Phoenix” This issue of Food Protection Trends is our Pre-Annual Meeting issue, which provides additional information about IAFP 2004. The section begins on page 360 and will help you to plan which sessions you want to attend, the social activities you want to participate in and the exhibitors who are a “must see” on your list. To complement this information, supplementary information is available at the IAFP Web site, www.foodprotection.org. Soon, you will be able to find presentation titles, presenters, and scheduled presentation times along with details of each poster session. Just click the Annual Meeting logo from the IAFP Home page. We have the newest resort property in the Phoenix area reserved for IAFP 2004 and you will not want to miss this meeting! The J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa is a fabulous property on the northeast side of Phoenix. It is brand new having opened just 18 months ago. It is convenient to shopping and restaurants although you would never need to leave the resort as it has its own shopping and five excellent restaurants! Rooms at Desert Ridge go for more than $300 “in season” but you have the opportunity to experience this luxury for only $139 per night – less than half the cost. There are just not enough words to describe the beauty of this resort property; you have to see it to believe it! There are plenty of things to see and do in Phoenix for you and your family or friends who want to “tag along” to Arizona. This year’s event information begins on page 362 and includes daytime tours. Beginning on Saturday this year, a full-day tour to Sedona and the Verde Valley is planned and you still can get back in time for the New Member Reception and the Affiliate Reception. The tours cover a wide range of interest items in the Phoenix Valley, but my favorite is the Frank Lloyd Wright Architectural School, Taliesin West, on Tuesday. Also this year, we have scheduled a golf tournament to be held on Saturday morning. There are two 18-hole golf courses right on the Marriott Desert Ridge property and the tournament will be held on the Arnold Palmer Signature Course. We will tee it up at 6 a.m. to beat the Arizona heat, so plan to come to Phoenix a day or two early to enjoy some golf or other activities! After your round of golf (and a shower!) you might decide to spend the rest of the day at the pool or the spa. Both would be an excellent choice! There are four pools and a lazy river for your leisure — more than 4 acres of total pool area (be sure to bring your sunscreen!). To really unwind and treat those sore muscles, maybe a treatment at the 24,000 square foot spa is more your style. There are numerous treatments to choose from. You might decide to come in early to attend one of the excellent workshops planned for Friday and Saturday, August 6th and 7th. See page 366 for detailed descriptions of each workshop. Again this year, there are a number of opportunities for networking before and after the sessions. These are pointed out on the page titled Networking Opportunities (page 361). I want to point out a couple of special events, too. On Saturday, we have tickets reserved for you to attend an Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game. The bus leaves our hotel at 12:00 noon and should return about 4:00 p.m. I already mentioned the Golf Tournament and that should be concluded in time if you wanted to attend the baseball game. Our Monday Night Social will be held at the Rawhide Western Town. This will be a fun evening as we step back in time to the days when the West ran wild! Plan now to attend the Monday Night Social to enjoy food, fun and the Wild West with your colleagues. As you can see, there are lots of activities associated with IAFP 2004. You can pick and choose an item here and there or you can participate in everything this meeting has to offer. The choice is yours to make. One thing is for sure though, you will want to come for the Meeting content and build around that for leisure and fun! We look forward to seeing you in Phoenix later this year. |