2025 NAFSA Region VII Conference

Conference Registration

Registration will open on July 22, 2025.

 * Early Bird registration ends on October 6, 2025.

** NAFSA Special Members: Student/Retiree

** NAFSA Special Members: Student/Retiree

Attendees will have the opportunity to request accessibility accommodations during the registration process. Attendees can expect to receive a confirmation receipt of their request within one week. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs so we ask that requests for accommodations be made as early as possible, preferably at least three weeks in advance of the program/product start date, through the registration process, if possible. Or, you can contact [email protected].

Conference Travel Grant

Participating in the NAFSA Region VII Conference provides an opportunity to acquire and exchange information. It is also an excellent way to begin building a personal network of contacts in the field of international education. To assist in achieving professional development goals, NAFSA Region VII is pleased to offer conference grants to individuals attending the NAFSA Region VII conference. 

Grant Amounts: awardees will have the early-bird conference registration fee waived, plus be reimbursed for two nights at the conference hotel. The funds for the hotel nights will be reimbursed based on actual costs as indicated on submitted receipts. Awardees must stay at the conference hotel and make their reservation using the link on the conference website in order to be reimbursed.

Applications for conference travel grants open TBD.

All attendees are encouraged to make plans to stay at the conference hotel. Use the reservation booking link or call the hotel as instructed below to receive a special discounted rate on your room nights. Booking this way will help the Region meet its financial commitments to the hotel, plus it has the convenience of only being an elevator ride away from the sessions!

Hotel information:

Sheraton Flowood The Refuge Hotel & Conference Center

2200 Refuge Blvd, Flowood, MS 39232

Discounted Room Rate: $199/night rate available until October 13, 2025.

To Book a Room: Use this link! 

By attending this event, your organization will directly reach the largest NAFSA region with hundreds of international educators from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands! The NAFSA Region VII Conference offers exhibitors more than 14 hours of exhibition time, including a dedicated hour during the Exhibit Hall Grand Opening - a no-competition time reserved for exhibitors. The five coffee breaks for the conference are served in the exhibit spaces at locations chosen to increase attendee traffic in the exhibit space.

Expo Portal

Expo and Sponsor Sales open for all June 10. Access the Region VII Exhibitor Sponsor Flyer online.

Exhibitor booth includes:

• Access to 325 attendees representing 7 states and 2 territories
• One 6 ft x 3 ft skirted table and two chairs
• One* complimentary conference registration ($400 value)
• Additional Representatives from the same organization must register for the conference at the conference rate

This year, we are piloting a new ordering method for exhibitors attending 5 or more regional conferences. Interested in exhibiting at multiple conferences this fall? Companies attending 5 or more conferences can fill out this form.

Shipments

More information to come.

NAFSA Region VII appreciates the support of our sponsors, who are vital to the region's success and instrumental in supporting our members and their institutions. This year's conference allows sponsors additional opportunities to gain visibility while supporting the region. All sponsorships include one conference registration ($400 value!)

Access the Region VII Exhibitor Sponsor Flyer online.

Advertising Benefit

Request a Letter of Invitation 

All attendees traveling to the US from abroad can request a visa letter of invitation via the link above. 

All requests submitted by Wednesday, October 1st will be screened, but not all requests will be approved. Please allow one week from your date of submission for delivery. If approved, an invitation letter on official letterhead will be issued to you as a PDF document, and will be e-mailed to the address you provided.

Please check with your local U.S. consulate to allow sufficient time for visa processing. Your request for a letter of invitation to attend a NAFSA regional conference does not guarantee that you will receive a visa.

Thank you for your sponsorship of NAFSA Region VII!

AIRC: The Association of International Enrollment Management 

Sponsor of the Region VII Business Lunch

HBCU Forum:  TBA
Sponsored by TBA
 

The HBCU Forum is returning to an in-person program to be held prior to the opening of the NAFSA Region VII Conference.  Join us on TBD at TBD for a series of presentations, panels, and small group discussions.  In addition to attending the program, we invite you to submit a proposal to present innovative programs and support services that are building bridges to further international education on your campus or within your organization. There is no additional cost for joining this program.  Registration is required during the conference registration process.

The NAFSA Region VII Conference Full Schedule will be available closer to the conference.

Through the Online Planner, you can view the time, room, presenters, descriptions, and learning objectives of the sessions. You can also star the events you're interested in and create your own conference agenda, to view on the mobile webpage at the conference! There is also information on Sponsors, Exhibitors, and more!

The full Region VII Conference schedule will be available online in early September. Through the Online Planner you can view the time, room, presenters, descriptions, and learning objectives of the sessions. You can also star the events you're interested in and create your own conference agenda of sessions, exhibitors and activities that you don't want to miss!

Ideas with Quick Impact (I-QI)

The I-QI is a reimagining of the traditional poster fair session, in which presenters will share a tip, hack, brilliant idea, or simple solution that has improved their IE practice.

Interested in presenting? You can share an original idea, research summary, or work hack that you discovered. No I-QI is too big or too small to share! As long as you can explain it in 5 minutes, we want to learn from you!

Sign up here

If you have any questions, please contact I-QI Coordinator, Christine Voigt, at [email protected].

Mentorship Program

The purpose of the NAFSA Region VII Mentorship program is to create a welcoming environment for new International Education professionals.

Mentors commit to four meetings with their mentees. Mentors should aim to meet with their mentee(s) twice virtually before the conference is held, once in person during the conference, and then one follow-up meeting post-conference. The mentor should have at least three years of experience in International Education, have knowledge of NAFSA and/or other professional resources, and have an interest in helping new professionals!

We understand that some members will not be attending the conference due to budget concerns, and we do not want this to interfere with your participation in the Mentorship Program. If you want to participate but will be unable to attend the conference, we encourage you to sign up! We want to be as inclusive as possible and help new professionals connect with seasoned practitioners.

Mentee sign up

Mentor sign up 

Questions can be directed to Chasity Drew, [email protected].

Resume Reviews: Sign up with your Conference Registration!

NAFSA Region VII will be matching experienced international educators with those seeking feedback on their resume. Resume reviews will be assigned based on reviewer availability and knowledge community. This program will be taking place virtually following the fall conference. Please indicate in your conference registration if you would like to participate in this program as a reviewer or reviewee. 

NAFSA is dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference experience for everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, or religion. NAFSA does not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. All communication should be appropriate for a professional audience, including people of diverse backgrounds and cultures. Sexual language and imagery are not appropriate for the conference. Participants violating these rules may be asked to leave the conference at the sole discretion of NAFSA’s management. If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, or if you witness unacceptable behavior, please inform the Regional Conference Planner, who will inform NAFSA staff, so that we may resolve any concerns. If you or another event participant witnesses or is a party to imminent physical danger or distress, promptly alert the appropriate security, law enforcement, or emergency medical authorities. This Code applies to all NAFSA members and event attendees in all NAFSA meeting venues, including the regional conference, ancillary events and social gatherings, whether officially sponsored by NAFSA or not and whether held in-person or virtually.

Conference registration and/or workshop registration may be canceled with full refund less a 10% processing fee, any time up until four (4) weeks prior, October 7, 2025, to the conference start date.

A 50% refund is available for conference registration and/or workshop registration provided written notification is received between four (4) weeks, October 7, 2025, and two (2) weeks prior, October 21, 2025, to the conference start date.

No refunds will be granted after October 21, 2025. In the case of emergency/extenuating circumstances, special requests may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the regional leadership team following the conference.

NAFSA follows COVID-19 safety protocols as required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and local ordinances in the conference location, which currently do not require proof of vaccination or masking. Should the mandates change, NAFSA reserves the right to adjust conference attendance policies accordingly.

NAFSA strongly encourages COVID-19 vaccination and boosters, as vaccines are recommended as a proven way to prevent the threat of critical illness. Many attendees may still choose to wear masks indoors, and we ask that all attendees respect those who elect to do so. NAFSA recommends attendees self-test before leaving home for the conference. If you feel ill on-site, please remain in your hotel room and test to determine your health status.

By registering for this event, you agree to the collection of contact and demographic information in accordance with NAFSA’s Privacy Policy. This includes any information unique to you that is available in the individual's NAFSA profile. NAFSA will share limited information (name, title, organization, state, and country) in the official attendee list. NAFSA may further share your contact information according to your selected “Communication Preferences” in your MyNAFSA and in accordance with NAFSA’s Privacy Policy.

Your data will be collected and utilized for NAFSA: Association of International Educators, organizer of this event, to allow your access to the event as well as its digital platform, CadmiumCD. Additionally, you agree to the sharing of your contact information with the trainers, coaches, and other program participants for the purpose of fulfilling the program for which you have registered. As a condition to participation, attendees consent to be recorded.

NAFSA is committed to providing universal access to its products, services, digital content, and events and, in compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act, will honor requests for reasonable accommodations made by individuals with disabilities. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs so we ask that requests for accommodations be made as early as possible, preferably at least three weeks in advance of the regional conference start date, through the registration process, if possible. Or, you can contact [email protected] for accommodation requests. Every reasonable effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations in an effective and timely manner, but services are subject to availability, and further, NAFSA may not be able to grant accommodations requests that place an undue burden on it or that fundamentally change the nature or structure of the goods or services.