It's “California, Here We Come!” when TOCA holds its 17th annual meeting May 3 and 4 in Napa Valley. You won't want to miss this one. The meeting will be held at the gorgeous Embassy Suites Napa Valley located at the southern tip of one of the world's premier wine producing areas. This will be our first mid-week gathering. Our new schedule allows you to return home for the weekend or, better yet, have your family join you in Napa and enjoy a few extra days.

To make the Napa meeting the best ever, we formed a program committee this year. Members include Larry Aylward, Troy Blewett, Debbie Clayton, Bill Klutho, Executive Director Den Gardner, and me. The program is still being finalized, so some topics and speakers are subject to change.

The Napa meeting begins early Wednesday morning with golfing at Eagle Vines Vineyards & Golf Course. Non-golfers will board the Napa Valley Wine Train for food, wine and sightseeing. Make sure you're in Tuesday night if you're going to golf or take the tour.

Craig Zablocki, a motivational humorist, will entertain us in our first session Wednesday afternoon. A sponsorship from John Deere makes Zablocki's appearance possible. Everyone will receive a copy of Zablocki's just-published book: “Improv 101: Improvisational Exercises to Unleash Your Creative Spirit.” With our creative juices unleashed, our final session of the day will be: Strategic Planning for Marketers and Media. A wine-tasting reception and dinner will follow.

Thursday morning Professor Lee Gutkind of the University of Pittsburgh teaches us that nonfiction writing (whether you're an editor or a PR writer) need not be boring. There are many tools available to fiction writers that can also be applied to nonfiction writing, says Gutkind, who is editor and founder of the Creative Nonfiction Journal. Stacie Zinn suggested we consider Gutkind as a speaker after she saw one of his C-Span television appearances.

After lunch and our always-popular business meeting, we will tour one of Napa Valley's 260-plus wineries. Chris Higgins is helping us select the location. The tour begins with the winery's viticulturist, who will explain the differences in growing vines vs. turf. An enologist will show us how grapes become wine, and a marketing specialist will fill us in on the challenges of getting the wines stocked onto shelves near you. Of course, sampling the wine is also planned.

Finally, the meeting culminates in our own Oscar ceremony, the TOCA Awards Reception Banquet. Our hosts this year will be Trone Public Relations. Syngenta again sponsors the TOCA Communication Contest, which continues to grow in size, scope and competitiveness.

“California, Here We Come!” I wonder—will Napa Valley ever be the same?