While a successful outcome was by no means certain at the outset, I think it’s fair to say that the NCAA basketball tournaments—both men and women’s—lived up to, and likely exceeded, expectations.
Sure, there were bumps along the way—though by the time we got to the actual tournament itself—well, the games were exciting, the upsets plentiful, and the end result satisfying (more so, depending on who you were rooting for, of course). Those who planned and put this all together deserve our collective thanks and appreciation—and certainly have mine.
Indeed, while we’re not yet fully past the COVID crisis, there are definitely signs of hope; vaccines are (already) beginning to be distributed at a pace of some three million a day—and increasingly I am hearing of in-person meetings (distanced and masked) and the beginnings of business-related travel. The empty middle seats on airlines are (already) said to be a distant memory—and while I haven’t yet had the reason/need to travel outside this state, I am already beginning to formulate a plan for doing so. Top of my current list—a mother whose 90th birthday celebration I missed out on last year, and 18 months’ worth of hugs.
In the midst of all… this… we’ve been planning for what turns out to be the 20th annual NAPA 401(k) Summit. I was a speaker at that first 401(k) Sales Summit—and while there was no NAPA then (that wouldn’t happen for another decade), even then I was struck by the phenomenal array of talented advisors that came together—many of whom I expect to see for the 20th, and most of whom I am proud to still call… friends.
I hope by now you’ve had a chance to come check out what we have planned for this year’s live event Summit. We’ll be back in Las Vegas, but at a new venue. We’ve arranged to have the Royal Machines (they’ve become the Summit’s “house band”) back—but at the House of Blues this time. We’re planning to have the (k) talks forum this year that just didn’t feel “right” for 2020’s virtual-only event. We’ve already fleshed out a robust agenda of workshops that will inform and engage, and are right now lining up the world-class speakers that the NAPA 401(k) Summit continues to attract—because, after all, this is the retirement plan advisors’ convention.
That said—we know that for many of you—as for us—things are still a bit uncertain. We’ve brought forward, refined—and continue to actively review a comprehensive set of safety protocols. Perhaps most significantly, we have put in place a “risk-free” registration protocol that will make it easy (and without cost) for you to withdraw that registration, should that become necessary. Details on all of this are available for your review at https://napasummit.org—as is the ability to register for this year’s event. And, in fact, as we head to press, we’re already off to a record start with registrations.
Those plans for the future—our future—seem more real every day. After a year of being careful and cautious—hesitant and tentative—planning for a post-pandemic future now seems like a tangible reality that, if still out of reach—is only just so.
Yes, ‘best laid plans” all too often go awry. But we’re planning for a great, world-class education, information and networking event come September—and I look forward to seeing you there!
You can check it all out—and register—at https://napasummit.org.
