The decision was based on several factors, including, but not limited to:

• We are concerned about the health and safety of all NAFSA 2020 attendees. The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic on March 11, 2020. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised people to “put distance” between themselves and others if the virus is spreading in their community. Hundreds of millions of people are following this and similar directives, and countless employees have been instructed to work from home.
• The City of St. Louis has instituted a ban on events of more than 1,000 people.
• We recognize that many participants would not be able to travel to the conference. Higher education institutions in the U.S. are restricting even domestic travel of their administrators, faculty and staff. With borders closing, and travel bans, many international participants would not be able to travel.

No, but we are exploring ways to re-envision the 2020 program in the virtual space by offering a new series of virtual events in lieu of our traditional conference.

Yes, full refunds for registration fees will be processed. Note: full refunds include registration fees, workshop fees, signature program fees, and special event fees. We ask for your patience and cooperation as we process the large volume of refunds that need to be made.

Yes, and your fees will be refunded. We ask for your patience and cooperation as we process the large volume of refunds that need to be made.

Yes, NAFSA will coordinate with Orchid Events, our housing partner, to cancel hotel reservations made through our official housing site. No cancellation fees will be charged.

NAFSA is not able to assist with travel arrangements you made on your own. However, most airlines have made special provisions to address COVID-19 related issues. Please contact your travel agent or the airline directly to learn about the options that exist.

Right now, no decisions have been made regarding other upcoming NAFSA events. Please consult the NAFSA Events and Meetings webpages for the most up-to-date information.

The 2021 Call for Proposals will open in May 2020 and close in August 2020. Details will be announced on our website and via email.

For additional questions regarding the conference program and the proposal process, please e-mail the conference program team.

The NAFSA 2021 Annual Conference & Expo will take place in Orlando, Florida May 30-June 4, 2021.

NAFSA will apply any payments received for the 2020 conference to exhibit booth rental fees for the 2021 conference. Please contact Joanne Kuriyan for more information.

For questions regarding arrangements made with NAFSA’s third-party event partners, please contact these service providers directly. Please refer to your order form or refer to the exhibitor service manual for contact information.

NAFSA 2021 Orlando advance booth selection will take place starting in April – May 2020 for NAFSA Global Partners. The NAFSA exhibits team will be contacting companies directly with additional information. Exhibit booths will go on sale to the general public in mid-July. The NAFSA Global Partners Program staff and the exhibits team will be contacting companies directly with additional information.

NAFSA Annual Conference & Expo is the largest gathering of international educators from around the world. Every year more than 9,000 attendees from over 100 countries join together to discover the latest innovations, share new strategies, and find new partners. NAFSA 2021 in Orlando will offer an exceptional program for our attendees, exhibitors and sponsors and we look forward to seeing you there.

If you booked within the official NAFSA hotel block, we will cancel your reservation with the hotel. If you did NOT book within the NAFSA hotel block, you will need to cancel directly with the hotel.

No, NAFSA will not refund individual travel costs. If you purchased travel insurance, please contact your provider for information and next steps. Many airlines are either waiving cancellation fees or considering the action that precipitated your cancellation. Please contact your airline to see if your ticket qualifies. We apologize for any inconvenience and challenges this may cause you.

Upon request, NAFSA staff will provide you with official documentation of the NAFSA 2020 cancellation. Please check back for more information.

NAFSA will apply any sponsorship funds paid for NAFSA 2020 to similar sponsorship packages for NAFSA 2021, in coordination with individual sponsors. Sponsors can also have the option of applying sponsorship funds to underwrite other NAFSA events or programs. Expenses beyond sponsorship fees remain the responsibility of the sponsor. All sponsors will be contacted by the NAFSA team to discuss options for 2021.

To discuss options and to get additional information, please contact Gail Hochhauser or Dina Gillespy.