When the world is asked to stay home and socially distance from others, it is easy to yearn for a simpler time when we didn’t stare at the same four walls day in and day out. But, as we creep into another month of social distancing, mask wearing, extensive hand sanitizer, and increasing cases, we reflect back on the good times. Those times when we could celebrate, interact, network, share a laugh and a meal with others outside of our house. Today, I reflect back on the NAFSA Region VII Conference held last November at the Hilton Orlando, Lake Buena Vista.
NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the world’s largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and is comprised of eleven regions throughout the United States that offer conferences each year. The Region VII conference brings together international education professionals from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This conference was especially impactful for me as I had the honor of representing our home town of Orlando/Central Florida as the Local Arrangements Chair.
My role in the Leadership Team started back in November 2018 on the last day of the regional conference held in Memphis. We met as a team and discussed what worked and improvements we could implement during the Orlando conference. March 2019, the entire team joined together again, but this time in Orlando at the host hotel. Over the span of three days we strategized on workshops, layouts, sponsorships, exhibitors, plenary speakers, and more for the 2019 Orlando conference.
My team worked diligently to select a phenomenal plenary speaker that would highlight Orlando perfectly. We selected the Orlando Fringe to showcase how the longest-running Fringe Festival in the United States can bring over 75,000 people to a 14-day theater and arts festival each year. The festival prides itself on bringing together artists from all over the world for a truly inclusive, accessible, and uncensored cultural event.
Conference attendees were not only treated to a lively speech from the executive director on the history of the Fringe and their message of equity and inclusion, but also performances from two remarkable artists. Lindsay Taylor presented a monologue from the theater production, The Lightweight and Tymisha Harris brought down the house to roars and a standing ovation after performing two incredible songs from her one-woman burlesque cabaret, Josephine. The regional leadership team said that it was the first time a majority of conference attendees stayed until the very end of the plenary event instead of heading to the session rooms early. Walking the halls of the conference hotel, you could hear people buzzing about how fantastic the plenary event and that the performances gave them goosebumps.
The biggest decision during the March planning meeting was where would we host the All-Conference Event. It is the main networking event of the conference and a time for the host city to really shine. The previous year it was held in a blues café in Memphis and included a full meal, drinks, and three levels of different live entertainment including an incredible Blues singer. Orlando needed to top that in a big way for no other reason than to showcase our Orlando pride! The decision was an easy one to make. By unanimous decision, they agreed to my proposal of busing the entire conference attendees to Disney’s Epcot for an unforgettable evening of drinks, desserts, and most importantly, fireworks. The bonus, and what probably sealed the deal for everyone, Disney would allow our guests 2 additional hours in the theme park after the fireworks to eat, shop, and enjoy all the attractions. How could we refuse?
Thanks to my fantastic Local Arrangements team, we successfully bussed 550 conference attendees to the backstage area of Epcot before being escorted to our private event area at the World Showcase. Our attendees were so excited to see a little of the backstage Disney magic and to be treated to a prime location to party, network, and watch the new firework show.
Attendees loved the opportunity to explore the theme park after hours and ride the attractions with little to no lines (unthinkable at Disney World). Throughout the night and the next morning, the conference was abuzz sharing stories of the remarkable night they had at Epcot. Many said it was a night they will never forget and cannot believe that any future conference could ever top this experience. Attendees from other NAFSA Regions as well as staff from the NAFSA National organization said it was by far one of these best conferences they have ever attended. I am so bless to have been a part of such a remarkable event and grateful for the hardworking team that supported all our events.
On top of organizing all the local events for the conference, I also had the honor of presenting two conference sessions with fantastic colleagues from the region. I partnered with Kim Priebe, Director of NC State Study Abroad, on the session Engaging Faculty through International Faculty Development Programming. The session room was at capacity with conference attendees as we discussed the various professional development opportunities our schools offer for faculty to encourage international programming and intercultural competency.
The second session, Retaining International Students through Student Programming and Events, was a lively discussion with Charlotte Bingham (Florida Gulf Coast University) and Maria Elena Gaborov Jones (UNC Wilmington) as co-presenters. We focused the presentation on the various robust initiatives and best practices our three institutions implement that aid in the retention and engagement of our international student populations. Both sessions were very well attended as well as received incredible feedback from conference session evaluations.
As that conference is well in the books, and the 2020 Region VII conference kicks off this week virtually, I reflect back on our All-Conference event and the closing line of the Epcot Forever firework display. It is as relevant today as much as it was a year ago: “May peace go with you forever and ever as you celebrate the future hand in hand.”