Amido Rapkin

Working as a guide and tour organizer, I have extensive destination knowledge of the greater Bay Area. I mostly do local tours with a possibility for an overnight to the Monterey Peninsula, Silicon Valley, Wine Country and Sacramento. 

My narrations during guided tours are to the point, interspersed with many tidbits and fun stories, without overwhelming guests with historical names and history _____ and most importantly, I have been told that I have a pleasant and easy-going personality. 

In the USA: Graduate of the International tour Management Institute SF (1992); College of Marin Financial Accounting and Intro into Business & Business Law 1999 - 2000; On-going education as a member of the San Francisco Tour Guide Guild.

In Germany: BS in Biology, Geography - and Philosophy 1981, Bonn. Abitur 1976 - Wuppertal-Barmen

I have done 2-3 week over-the-road tours for groups of up to 50 guests (8 years), then worked 10 years for AgenTours, Inc as a Senior Project Manager for in-bound convention, incentive and corporate business travel with clients from Europe, Australia, South America, India and South Africa; Sales and operations for groups of up to 250 guests with management responsibility for a supporting staff of 15 people. Creating itineraries, researching and booking of venues, caterers, entertainment; hotels & meeting space including meals and audio visual set-up, convention registration; organization of all ground transportation; booking local guides; organizing and operating 1-5 day site-inspections throughout the Western United States; preparation and presentation of budget proposals, negotiation of supplier contracts.
From 2004 - 2006 I was U.S. Representative (part time), for the publisher AgroPress, Basel Switzerland. Correspondent for 2 international quarterly trade magazines for Produce and Dried Fruit & Nuts; reporting on agricultural news, selling advertisement and subscriptions with associated accounting; invoiced clients, tabulated revenue, managed the expense account and transmitted financial information to the corporate office in Basel, CH on a monthly basis.

My personal interests are flora & fauna, geology, agriculture and city planning & development