The 2008 NAFSA Region III conference in Merida, Mexico was great! Many conference events took place at local establishments outside of the hotel, including at the Quinta Montes Molina, a restored colonial-era mansion. The White Nights event held here juxtaposed the traditional with the (relatively) modern, with a student dance troupe from the local Universidad Autónoma del Yucatán invited to perform traditional dances during dinner, and a post-dinner dance party featuring many disco favorites! This fun event was shared with NAFSA's sister association, AMPEI (Asociación Mexicana para la Educación Internacional).

The team members who worked on this conference did a great job of acclimating attendees. There were local songs, sayings, and recipes included in the program, and the tote-bag was in the style of a guayabera, a local men’s shirt style, which was very creative.

All the members are looking forward to getting together again soon at the 2009 annual conference in Los Angeles, and at the 2009 Region III conference in Dallas, TX.

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Everett Egginton