Annual Conference

The 2025 Alliance Annual Conference brought together over 250 leaders, practitioners, and policymakers from across the exchange community for two days of collaboration and forward-looking discussion. Highlights included a Bipartisan Hill Staffer Panel with Congressional staff who shared their insights on advocacy best practices, a live Policy Chat with experts on the latest developments shaping the field, and sessions exploring private sector partnerships, organizational resilience, and participant support. Program-specific breakout sessions offered space for deep dives and best practice sharing. The conference concluded with a forward-looking advocacy strategy session, where speakers shared ways to sustain momentum and strengthen support for international exchange in the year ahead.

More than 300 Alliance Members and Supporters, government officials, and exchange community members joined us for the 2024 Alliance Annual Conference.

Attendees heard from Department of State leadership and program officers on the latest program and policy updates; from peers on programming best practices; and thought leaders on what to expect ahead of the November 2024 elections.

Thank you again to all those who joined us and to the speakers and sponsors that made the conference possible.

On November 2-3, we gathered with over 300 Alliance members, supporters, non-members, partners, and government officials, marking the largest gathering in Alliance history! Your robust attendance not only set a record but also showcased the collaborative spirit of our community. Coming together in this milestone moment was a truly special way to celebrate our 30th anniversary. 

A highlight of the conference was the privilege of welcoming Assistant Secretary for ECA Lee Satterfield, who delivered an inspiring keynote address during our Opening Luncheon, where she joined us in celebrating the Alliance’s growth on our 30th anniversary and emphasized the Alliance’s role as a “valued partner and a trusted friend of the State Department.”

Throughout the conference, we were joined by her ECA and Consular Affairs colleagues for in-depth programmatic discussions during our ECA Breakout sessions, broad discussions on the future of international education and cultural exchange programs with ECA Senior Leadership, and candid Q&A with visa specialists from Consular Affairs. We are continuously grateful for the Department of State’s robust engagement with the conference and willingness to partner with our community.   

Our plenary panels were crafted to inspire our community, emphasizing the importance and impact of our collective work. The ripple effect from the Public Diplomacy and DEI panels throughout the conference and into our upcoming year was exciting to witness.

Facilitated by Karin Fischer, the Public Diplomacy plenary panel prompted panelists Greta Holtz, Leland Lazarus, and Vivian Walker to explore strategies for enhancing the U.S.'s global influence through international education and cultural exchange programs.

Over 250 attendees joined us for the 2022 Annual Conference. It was a pleasure to connect with so many familiar faces and engage with enthusiastic first-time participants.

We were joined by more than 40 U.S. government officials at this year’s conference. During our opening luncheon, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Scott Weinhold joined former Alliance Executive Director Michael McCarry for an engaging talk on the longstanding impact of exchanges on public diplomacy. 

We hosted a plenary panel with senior leadership from the Department of State’s (DOS) Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), where Deputy Assistant Secretaries Stacy White, Ethan Rosenzweig, Rafik Mansour, and Nicole Elkon discussed the future of their respective ECA offices and engaged with attendee questions. 

Day 2 of the Conference kicked off with a lively panel focused on Congressional updates and the midterm elections. A session on Consular Affairs provided attendees the opportunity to engage in substantive, topical discussion with Bureau officials Robert Batchelder and Rebecca Wall. At the same time, Vivian Walker from the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy outlined the domestic dimensions of public diplomacy and its relevance to the exchange community. We extend our deepest thanks to our colleagues at DOS for their dedication to a successful conference. 

Keeping the theme of embracing change and innovation in mind, many of this year’s sessions focused on the crucial topics of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. A panel focused on the Conference theme called on attendees to see the challenges of the past few years as an opportunity to make positive changes within their organizations.

We were thrilled to welcome a total of 245 attendees, including Alliance members, supporters, stakeholders, and U.S. government officials to our online and in-person sessions. We were also honored to welcome Acting Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Matthew Lussenhop, as well as other ECA senior leadership.

With input from our members, we developed sessions surrounding this year's theme, Reconnect, Renew, Rebuild. The event featured a plenary panel on maintaining the U.S. competitive edge on international exchange, a discussion with ECA leadership, and content sessions on a range of topics including best practices, nonresident tax resources, virtual exchange, and more. 

It was a pleasure connecting with many colleagues throughout the Conference after a difficult eighteen months apart.

The Alliance held its 2020 Annual Conference virtually over the days of October 28-29. The Alliance welcomed 245 attendees, including Alliance members, supporters, and more than 50 U.S. government representatives (many from the U.S. Department of State). The conference featured remarks from keynote speaker Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Marie Royce. In her video remarks, Assistant Secretary Royce discussed the value of exchange programs during these uncertain times and BridgeUSA, the new brand identity for the Private Sector component of the Exchange Visitor Program (EVP).

Other conference highlights included: breakout sessions with ECA program staff; discussion with Alliance leadership; and content sessions on travel and 2021 and beyond. The Alliance extends its sincere gratitude and appreciation to all its members, supporters, and partners in the U.S. government in ensuring a successful conference.

In 2019, the Alliance held its largest conference to date, with an unprecedented 338 attendees.

With input from our members, we developed sessions to address timely issues, such as emotional first-aid, F-1 student recruitment and preventing sexual harassment.

A major highlight of our Annual Conference was the strong presence of and increased participation by U.S. government representatives, including the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Bureau of Consular Affairs, and as well as the U.S. Department of Commerce. More than 70 government officials joined us for the conference this year. We were honored to welcome Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Marie Royce, as well as other ECA senior leadership.

It was a pleasure connecting with many colleagues throughout the Conference and at our Networking Reception.

For the first time ever this year, the Alliance expanded its traditional Annual Meeting into a Conference to include non-Alliance members. We developed a number of new sessions to address timely issues, including sessions related to ROs/AROs, Consular Affairs updates, F-1 exchanges, and Communications/Branding.

We welcomed an unprecedented 319 attendees this year, including 217 Alliance members and supporters, and 20 non-Alliance members.

A major highlight of our Annual Conference was the strong presence of and participation by the Department of State, Department of Commerce and Congressional staff. Over 60 government officials joined us for the conference this year. We were honored to welcome Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Marie Royce, as well as other ECA’s Deputy Assistant Secretaries.

It was a pleasure connecting with many colleagues throughout the Conference and at our Networking Reception.

Nearly 300 representatives from 79 member organizations and other stakeholders, including four Alliance Supporters, joined this year’s gathering. A major highlight of our Annual Meeting was the strong presence of and participation by the Department of State. Over 50 representatives from ECA joined us. We were honored to welcome Alyson Grunder, ECA Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Senior Bureau Official, Assistant Secretary, as well as other ECA’s Deputy Assistant Secretaries. It was a pleasure connecting with many colleagues throughout the Meeting and at our Networking Reception!

Over 250 people from 79 member organizations and other stakeholders, including four Alliance Supporters, joined this year’s gathering.

A brand-new plenary panel featured Alliance members providing insights into the importance of external engagement as described in the Alliance’s recently released Playbook of External Engagement Strategies. The Playbook will help increase exposure of the exchange community in the media, as well as foster support for public diplomacy from the foreign policy establishment.

A major highlight of our Annual Meeting was the strong presence of and participation by the Department of State. Over 50 representatives from ECA joined us. We were honored to welcome Evan Ryan, ECA Assistant Secretary, as well as ECA’s Deputy Assistant Secretaries.

It was a pleasure connecting with many colleagues throughout the Meeting and at our Networking Reception!