Don't Blow It!

Posted on February 9, 2010

Look, we understand that Valentine’s Day may not be the highest priority on your list this week.

But it’s possible that someone in your universe my not appreciate your not-the-hottest-fire attitude. Before you stop reading, let us humbly make a suggestion in the kill-two-birds category: If you’re taking a guest to ACCA’s Annual Conference & Indoor Air Expo in March, why not consider the brownie points that await you in the optional tours and events?

As you leave your snow boots behind on March 7th and land in Tampa, you might opt to participate in the Tampa City tour. Starting at 1 p.m., you’ll see all the unique sights and sounds of Tampa, including the H.B. Plant Museum in the former Tampa Bay Hotel (built in 1891 as a palatial resort), and the historic Ybor City, the heart of the Latin community, where Vicente Martinez Ybor and other Havana cigar makers brought their factories and new culture to Tampa and called itself “the Cigar Capital of the World.”

Presenting your guest this tour as a Valentine’s Day gift means that when you arrive at the ACCA event, you’ll tour the old Ferlita Bakery, once a major source of the community’s daily bread. Now converted to the Ybor City State Museum, the museum represents the story of immigrant families making their way in the new land. You’ll also visit an authentically-renovated cigar worker’s house with furnishings dating from the turn of the century.

If you’re looking for something a little spicier, you might also consider the optional Columbia Restaurant and Flamenco Show event. On Tuesday evening after the 2011 kickoff reception, you can join other ACCA attendees for a spectacular night of authentic Spanish cuisine and flamboyant flamenco dances at one of the most famous restaurants in Ybor City. The Columbia is often referred to as the Gem of Ybor City. This optional ticket includes round-trip motor coach transportation, private dinner and Flamenco Show at the Columbia Restaurant, and all taxes and gratuities for included items.

Seriously, what could be easier? Sign up for these optional events today and have a fabulous gift ready to go on Sunday. And yes, Valentine’s Day is THIS Sunday!

For more information, visit the spouses/guests page.