Can you really afford to service a global marketplace? Apple, Google, and other Fortune 500 companies have multibillion dollar coffers, but the challenges aren’t insurmountable. Here’s how our WeblishPal team has overcome the five hurdles in a cost-effective way.

1. Travel Costs
Maximize your meeting miles. Visiting different countries, schools, or partners can get very expensive. When you are setting up a new partnership it is great to meet face to face, but try to limit actual travel. Set up as many meetings as you can during conferences like NAFSA—that’s where WeblishPal met our local China International Education Exchange Center (IEEC). Encourage online video calls (Skype.com or Vsee.com are both great free tools) and use easy-to-use file-sharing sites to communicate and work more effectively at a distance. For file sharing, we couldn’t live without box.com and join.me, which has been great for hosting remote online meetings with screen share.

2. Scheduling Meetings in Multiple Time Zones
A 5 p.m. meeting in Beijing is a 5 a.m. meeting in Toronto. Geez, that’s earlier than I’d like to wake up! When dealing with global teams, establish meeting windows so both sides don’t have unreasonable meeting schedules. You want to be alert and energized for important discussions. Then when you send meeting confirmations, do it in both your time zone and theirs. This simple trick has saved me dozens of missed meetings when I’m on the road.

3. Working in Multiple Languages
Ok, so I’m not a true polyglot, but I do try to see what’s going on in the news in different countries. For most of us English is our business language, but a simple web page translated with translate.google.com can help you grasp the important conversations happening globally. I made one such mistake a mere 15 minutes after the devastating Boston marathon bombings—had I checked the news before calling, I would have been prepared for a very different conversation that I expected. Likewise, knowing positive news affecting your contacts can help you build more meaningful relationships too.

4. Getting Local Insight
Fun apps like Yelp have made it easy to get around and dine like a local if you’re in a new city. The same goes for running IE businesses. Establish local connections in the various places you connect with so you don’t miss out on great opportunities you never knew existed.

5. Internet Differences
You would be surprised to know that the Internet is actually quite different from country to country. From censorship to bandwidth to use of popular sites, you will need to know what your contacts are using. One major mistake we see frequently in higher education recruiting is relying solely on Youtube to share important recruiting videos. That means that you’re automatically cutting off your Chinese prospects because YouTube is blocked; however, plenty of alternatives are available that can help you showcase content globally. Know your target market’s online experience.

What are your hurdles and how have you overcome them? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so connect with me at NAFSA!

Barbara Tassa is the co-CEO and cofounder of WeblishPal.com, a cloud-based English training and international student recruiting platform. From Toronto, Canada, Tassa is often found in airports, rental cars, conferences, and coworking spaces around North America and Asia helping current and future WeblishPal clients achieve their goals. You can connect with her by e-mail ( barbara@weblishpal.com) or twitter (@barbie_t).

Join Tassa during NAFSA’s annual conference on Tuesday, May 28, 1:00 p.m.–1:45 p.m., in the Career Advancement Center (America’s Center, Room 124) to explore How to Build Your Entrepreneurial Career in Higher Education: Business Development.

Our plenary speakers will focus on their work to make our world a better place. In addition, we have many general sessions and special programs in St. Louis in support of this theme. Guest speakers will enhance our knowledge in this area: Gina Rosabal, a social equity specialist, will speak about social justice paradigms in international education. Peter MacKeith will demonstrate how architecture and international development work together to make positive changes in cities around the world. Leila Sadat, the Henry H. Oberschelp Professor of Law at the Washington University in St. Louis and director of the Crimes Against Humanity Initiative, will discuss forging a convention for crimes against humanity and the work of the initiative. Shibley Telhami, a renowned speaker on the Middle East, will discuss recent events and unrest in this critical region.

Social responsibility is not the only theme guest speakers will support. George Mehaffy, vice president of AASCU, will present on the future challenges in higher education related to fast-developing technologies. Eric Stoller, a well-known social media expert in higher education, will provide a high-level assessment of social media and global student affairs. Pia Orrenius from the Dallas Federal Reserve will share her insight into how immigration affects the U.S. economy. And Harry Chernotsky, director of international studies and professor of political science at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, will discuss how international studies is preparing students for the global, fast-paced world they will inherit. Together, all of these guest speakers provide valuable insights from other fields that impact international education, and carry the potential to help us all be better professionals.

Preconference workshops play a key role in supporting conference themes this year too. ACC Workshop Chair Sandra Schinnerl and all of the workshop trainers have been hard at work refining the content of all preconference workshops , which are an excellent source for in-depth professional development.

Poster fairs are another growth area at the annual conference that are incredibly productive for longtime conference attendees and newcomers. This year there are 18 themed fairs with more than 500 presenters. If you haven’t attended a poster fair at a recent conference, they provide a great opportunity to share valuable knowledge in a one-on-one atmosphere. A special thanks to ACC Poster Fair Chair Sara Thurston-González and all poster fair organizers for building such a rich range of offerings.

Before my schedule was completely packed, I held space for a few of the programs listed above. I am particularly enthusiastic about attending guest speaker sessions. Specifically, I will attend Gina Rosabal’s session on social equity and Eric Stoller’s session on social media. These relate directly to current projects in my office and to my goals for the conference. I have also found poster fairs to be incredibly productive ways to gain a range of insights very quickly; I plan to attend the Increasing Diversity Outreach and Support for Education Abroad Fair. The final highlight for me will be the International Plenary and Luncheon on Friday. Each year this luncheon provides an essential opportunity to slow down and reflect on a busy and inspirational week.

See you in St. Louis!

Which of the guest speaker sessions are you most excited about and why? Tell us in the comments.

David Wick, EdD is the content chair for the 2013 Annual Conference Committee. He is assistant director of the Office of International Programs and coordinator of study abroad services at San Francisco State University. Wick has presented numerous sessions and workshops at NAFSA conferences and has held a variety of leadership positions, including most recently serving as Trainer Corps preparation program trainer, chair of the NAFSA Academy, and poster fair organizer for the fair Enhancing Learning Before, During, and After Education Abroad.

I vividly remember my first conference. I sat wide-eyed, soaking up the collective wisdom of those who paved the roads before me. I scribbled notes on paper, scoured the offerings at the bookstore, and scored freebies in the Expo Hall. I was lucky enough to have a mentor who brought me to the conference, helped me choose sessions, and taught me to navigate its offerings. By the end of the week, I belonged to an incredible community of committed educators.

During subsequent conferences, I picked up tips and made new connections. I was ready to submit a proposal and was accepted. That first proposal and the first time presenting was a new view on the conference. Instead of simply absorbing, I was expected to deliver. I spent weeks preparing my talk, re-writing and polishing, and practicing my delivery. When I stood to deliver that session, something clicked. It wasn’t the power of the microphone, but the notion that as the field expanded, a body of knowledge had begun to accumulate, and I could help deliver it. From that first presentation, I never looked back. I accepted all offers to co-present, submitted frequent proposals, and helped to develop and deliver numerous training materials. As a result, I was rewarded with more colleagues, friends, and associates, who allowed me to grow professionally and personally.

Over the years, another role gave me a different perspective of the conference—that of an exhibitor. Exhibitors attend the conference for reasons that go beyond the learning opportunities. They’ve invested in their booths and offer a product or service, from partnerships to software, insurance, housing, books, T-shirts, travel services, or advice. Each and every exhibitor knows the pain of exhibiting and the thrill of meeting a new contact or refreshing an old one. It is in the Expo Hall that much of the business-side of our field takes place. A kinship forms among those who spend more than 30 hours in the Expo Hall over just a few days—far more time than anyone else might.

There is one role I’ve played, however, that I relish more than any other, and that is serving as ACC chair. Conference chairs are tasked with translating the vision of the Board of NAFSA and the goals of the organization into learning opportunities for more than 8,000 attendees. Sounds simple, but NAFSA is a complex organization representing members from around the world, working in all aspects of the field. This work starts more than 18 months in advance of opening ceremonies. Preparing for St. Louis, I worked with leaders and members to develop a theme, set goals, and create a team of dedicated committee members. Together, we developed a call for proposals that reflected the conference theme of Ideals and Impact in International Education. We read and selected hundreds of proposal submissions, developed workshops, invited guest speakers, discussed networking opportunities, and more. While the sheer volume of work to bring together this gathering of thousands has been vast, the rewards are even bigger. The opportunity has allowed me to continue that deep-held desire to professionalize our field, to educate newcomers and veterans alike, and to push ourselves to find answers to the problems we face together. I hope that this conference is everything you expect it to be, and more. I look forward to seeing you in St. Louis!

What are you most looking forward to at conference? Let me know on Twitter at @StephenFerst. Also, be on the lookout for my daily blog posts during the annual conference.

Annual Conference Chair Stephen Ferst is director of the Center for International Studies at Kean University, New Jersey. He has been working professionally in international education since 1989 as an adviser, recruiter, resident director, program officer, and director. Ferst studied abroad in Israel and lived and worked abroad in the United Kingdom. He has presented at numerous conferences and is a recipient of the Lily von Klemperer Award and the 2008 NAFSA Advocate of the Year. He earned a doctorate from Rutgers University.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) official will participate in sessions on travel and SEVIS hot topics, in addition to an open meeting. A Department of State (DOS) Visa Office official will participate in a workshop, a session on travel issues, a session on intensive English programs, and an open meeting. Officials from DOS’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs will participate in a session on Exchange Visitor Program hot topics. Officials from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program will participate virtually in hot topics sessions on student issues, SEVIS I and II, and intensive English programs. Officials from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will participate through teleconference in sessions on USCIS hot topics and ELIS. The agencies are aware of the need for direct stakeholder engagement and find value in participating whether it is in person or virtually.

The open meeting “Discussion of International Student and Scholar Travel Issues” will provide an opportunity for informal discussion with CBP and DOS officials. You can also hear more about how NAFSA member-leaders are engaging with federal agencies on your behalf throughout the year in the open meeting “The International Student and Scholar Regulatory Practice Committee and its work.” As always, many other sessions and open meetings will include plenty of information that the agencies have made available to NAFSA.

For more details about the immigration-related sessions, workshops, and events at the annual conference, see the Immigration Updates and Sessions page of the NAFSA website. There you’ll find the Immigration Update and Session Guide, a great tool you can use to prepare for the conference so that you are up to speed on hot topics and can easily join the conversation. Even if you are not attending the conference, this is an excellent resource for you.

See you in St. Louis!

While most NAFSA members work in higher education settings, the field of IE is ever expanding and can lead one to work in citizen exchange, immigration, refugee programs, international leadership, education policy and advocacy, nonformal education, English as a Second Language, and foreign language learning programs, to name just a few. You can work for the government as a diplomat, field service officer, or program manager. Or perhaps you may end up in the private, nonprofit sector as an agent for social justice and social sustainability, a trainer for the Peace Corps, or as a professor with a PhD. And yes, still yet, you can work with international students or scholars, advising them on their studies and work in the United States, or with U.S. students traveling to study abroad in a high-school, gap year, or university program.

But how does one get there? Is graduate school the answer? The paths are varied and never identical, but there are a few key considerations worth noting. Many positions still only require a bachelor’s degree and requisite skills and experience. However, often—and it seems more frequently—a master’s degree is preferred. How do you know if graduate school is right for you?

• If you want to work with educational programs that focus on a particular area such as science or the arts, and your bachelor’s degree is in that area, attaining a master’s degree in education will provide the skills necessary to run educational programs effectively. Having expertise in both the program content and administrative process will make you an outstanding candidate for potential jobs.
• If your professional network is limited, graduate school can connect you to others who are doing work that may be of interest to you.
• Especially in higher education, a master’s degree is often required for mid- and senior-level administrators to have “a seat at the table.”
• Perhaps most practically, because the field is gaining in exposure and popularity, there is increased competition. A master’s degree often is the minimum level of education required for a résumé to be considered.
• Perhaps most importantly, a high-quality master’s program will provide you with knowledge, skills, and awareness that you do not already possess so that you can be the most effective professional for your programs and your participants.

If you decide to pursue the graduate school route, here are a few questions you may want to consider:

• What is your learning style (e.g., experiential, traditional lecture, other)?
• Do full-time or part-time studies fit your life best at this point? Is a low-residency program a good match for your current situation and learning style?
• Is there a practicum or internship phase in the program you are considering? How does the institution support you in finding and procuring one?
• What is the school’s alumni network value?
• Do you have a focus or interest area? For example, will the program allow you to dive deeply into areas such as policy, higher education, management, program design, advising and counseling, international relations/politics, language school administration, etc.?
• What kind of environment do you want to study in? at a large or small school? in a certain region of the world or country?
• Will you want to go directly into a PhD program at the same school? If your school of choice does not offer a related doctorate, how does the master’s degree program prepare you for later doctoral studies?

Many people fall into the field of international education by chance— but in our experiences, few ever regret doing so. Once “called” to the work, the first decision is often whether or not to pursue a graduate degree. Hopefully, the above considerations will help you to decide if graduate school is right for you, and if so, provide some factors to consider as you decide where to study.

Please join Sora Friedman at the NAFSA Career Center during the annual conference in St. Louis to learn more about specific skills offered by many graduate programs and ways to prepare for your graduate school search.

Heidi Bohn, MA, currently serves as the international education program coordinator at SIT Graduate Institute. Her own IE experiences began quietly with learning French in Montessori school at age 4 and listening to stories of her own mother’s postcollegiate travels to Germany in the late 1970s. But the passion truly took hold in college after studying abroad in Ecuador as part of her bachelor’s in Spanish (and sociology). Aside from living in Ecuador and Spain, Bohn’s travels have taken her to Belize, Costa Rica, Turkey, and England, most recently returning from living (again) and working in Ecuador. Heidi’s self-declared IE soapbox is domestic, early foreign language learning initiatives and policy but she is quickly developing a specialty in reentry and cultural readjustment.

Dr. Sora Friedman is an associate professor and chair of international education at SIT Graduate Institute, where she teaches courses in international educational policy, design and delivery of IE programs, theory and practice of IE, and research methods for both on-campus and low-residency programs. She has worked in the field of international education for 29 years, focusing on the administration of adult exchanges in public diplomacy, international training programs, high-school exchanges, and international policy advocacy. Friedman holds a doctorate in cultural studies, as well as a master’s degree in international administration, a certificate in distance education, and a bachelor’s degree in government and politics. She currently serves as chair-elect of NAFSA’s Region XI and previously served as chair of Trainer Corps and the Training Coordination Subcommittee.

We are in the midst of an exciting time for entrepreneurs. There are more resources than ever available to you: start-up programs include YCombinator, TechStars, and 500 Startups and government programs like Startup Chile. Methodologies such as The Lean Startup help founders loosely follow a formula for success. The above said, every community is unique, and NAFSA is certainly no exception. Here are some suggestions for how to follow an entrepreneurial path in the world of international education.

Be a Creative, Entrepreneurial Thinker
From the outside looking in, it may seem that international education has everything it needs. I’d argue the opposite. We need creative, entrepreneurial problem solvers more than ever. The view from my vantage point says we’re in the calm before the storm. Massive, career altering disruption is around the corner for the field of international education. Online education is at the beginning stages of turning the U.S. university system upside down. Everyone will be impacted, including the world of international education. Disruption is chaotic, but it’s also an opportunity for positive change. Think ahead five, 10 years. What will the world of NAFSA look like then? What do students need? Can you create a business model around meeting those needs more efficiently?

Find a Cofounder
Go Overseas would never be where it is without my cofounders, Andrew Dunkle and Tucker Hutchinson. They challenge me, balance me, and hold me accountable to myself and others. They make me better both professionally and personally. Through my position at UC-Berkeley, I’ve seen dozens of young companies up close. The startups most likely to succeed have two to three founders. They challenge and push each other, but don’t take things personally. It’s a powerful thing working with a small group of people on a singular goal. Find someone who provides a balance to your skill set. If you have a technical skill set, find someone with a business background or vice versa. NAFSA should be a great place for you to start looking!

Be Generous and Giving
Here’s one of the most important lessons I’ve learned in the last 10 years of running companies: Help others first. It’s a mistake to focus on what you need. Always focus on listening to what others need and how you can help them. It still amazes me what being a genuine, caring listener will do. Sadly, I’d argue it’s a skill very much in decline. If you can help someone, do it because it’s the right thing to do, not because you want something in return. Businesses are made of people and relationships, not buildings and websites. Don’t use a formula and don’t try and tell people what you think they want to hear. Be yourself; hopefully that’s a generous and empathetic self.

Be Transparent and Collaborative
Talk about your idea with as many people as possible. Don’t worry, no one is going to steal your idea. That small risk is vastly outweighed by the advice and feedback you will receive from experienced professionals. Don’t be shy about approaching someone and saying, “I have this idea, would you be willing to sit down for a chat with me?” Assuming you are sincere and humble in approach, you will find people more than willing to go out of their way for you.

Don’t Think About the Money
When have you ever heard an entrepreneur tell you not to think about the money? Consider this a first. It’s important to know your market. This isn’t investment banking, SAAS sales, or medical devices. NAFSA members may react uncomfortably hearing the words “industry” or “market.” If you want to start a business in the world of international education and study abroad , I’d recommend doing so for the right reasons. There is nothing wrong with making a lot of money, but you’re less likely to make your millions here. What you certainly can do is join a wonderful community of caring, dedicated people. You’ll positively impact the lives of far more people than you would at JP Morgan. You can make a good living in this world, but don’t start from that point. Impact and mission should come first.

Find a Mentor
With NAFSA’s 2013 Annual Conference around the corner, use Conference Connection to research attendees. Find a few people who have the entrepreneurial skills you want to develop. Reach out to them in a genuine way, using your own voice (as opposed to a stale form letter). There is nothing wrong with saying, “You are where I’d like to be in my career. I’d love to sit down for a cup of coffee.” Remember, mentorship is a two-way street. Your mentor is a person, too, and will want real-time feedback from you as well.

Final Thoughts
Starting a business is a complex, tumultuous endeavor. We’ve skipped over important topics like funding/finances, business plans, pivoting, and others. My hope is this gives you some necessary tools to shape your ideas and next steps. Often the most important part is taking the plunge and starting your own entrepreneurial journey. See you in St. Louis!

Mitch Gordon is currently the CEO & cofounder of Go Overseas and the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the University of California-Berkeley. Previously, he founded Reach to Teach and lived in Taipei, Taiwan, for five years. He currently resides in San Francisco, CA.

Join Mitch Gordon during NAFSA’s annual conference on Wednesday, May 29, 1:45 p.m.–2:30 p.m., in the Career Advancement Center (America’s Center, Room 124) to explore How to Build Your Entrepreneurial Career in Higher Education: Start Up Tactics.

To party like a local, you’ll want to check out St. Louis’ live music scene; luckily, for you, the city—home to the regional style of music known as the St. Louis blues—will host the annual St. Louis Bluesweek Festival over Memorial Day weekend, just minutes from the convention center.

St. Louis Blues
To feel more of the pulse of the city’s live blues music scene, you’ll want to head to the Beale on Broadway or BB’s Jazz, Blues, and Soups. Don’t miss Kim Massie perform—she plays every Tuesday and Thursday night at Beale on Broadway. These clubs are adjacent to one another, and are a short taxi ride from the convention center.

Other Live Music
Live music thrives in St. Louis, with many venues featuring indie, underground, local, and national bands. There are many options in and near downtown St. Louis including Old Rock House , Venice Café , Off Broadway , and Plush. For a livelier, interactive experience, head to The Jive & Wail dueling piano bar on Washington Avenue. The Dubliner on Washington Avenue and McGurk’s in the Soulard neighborhood both feature live music in an Irish bar setting.

Dancing
Many of St. Louis’s best nightlife venues are centrally located in downtown St. Louis. A few of the hottest places are Europe Night Club and Fusion. If you’re looking to tryout your salsa moves, head to Club Dantes , or the venerable Club Viva.

Lounges
The city abounds with ultra lounges featuring well-versed mixologists and great beats. Some top picks include the rooftop Mandarin in the Central West End neighborhood, and in downtown St. Louis, The Pepper Lounge, Shiver Vodka Bar and Champagne Lounge, and Thaxton Speakeasy.

Gay and Lesbian
The epicenter of gay and lesbian nightlife is centered on Manchester road in The Grove neighborhood, west of downtown. This strip features many blocks of gay and lesbian bars and clubs all within a walkable area. The top locales are Erney’s 32 Degrees Vodka Bar , Just John , Novak’s Bar and Grill , Honey , and Rehab Lounge.

Relaxed Ambiance
If you’re looking for a night out but in a calmer environment, you’re in luck. Some of the best places to head to sip on great cocktails and wine include Brennan’s/Maryland House in the Central West End, Sasha’s Wine Bar in the Tower Grove neighborhood, and unique venues like Bailey’s Chocolate Bar in Lafayette Square and Bar Italia (featuring an international night every Thursday).

Ryan Saale is the Local Arrangements Committee (LAT) communications chair for NAFSA’s 2013 Annual Conference & Expo. Ryan is a St. Louis native who spent time living, studying, and working abroad in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and Spain, and recently completely his master’s degree at Washington University in St. Louis. He began his career in international education in 2009 after working in corporate communications for five years, both in St. Louis and Santiago, Chile. Ryan is assistant director of international affairs at Fontbonne University where he is responsible for all international student recruitment and global outreach initiatives.

• Post to add value to conversations, not simply to be on social media. Diehard social media users can tell the difference.
• Don’t post anything on any social media platform that you wouldn’t be willing to say to someone’s face. Remember nothing is truly private when it is posted online.
• Use your social media platforms to connect with colleagues as well as like-minded individuals.
• Remember to use social media etiquette. For example, when someone mentions you or retweets you on twitter, you should say “thanks.”

• Don’t embellish your accomplishments; again, people can tell the difference and it is better to be as honest as possible. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t create a newsworthy headline or slogan for your page. This works especially well for LinkedIn.
• Don’t be afraid to ask to connect to people but don’t use the generic “friend” messages. Let people know either how you are connected or why you want to connect with them.
• Attend TweetUps (Like #NAFSA13′s TweetUps) to meet your fellow social media users face to face.
• Use social media to research companies you want to work for. However, this doesn’t mean that you should send a message to every employee using social media for a company.
• Make sure to adjust your privacy settings. You don’t want those college frat party photos to leak out. On that note, you may want to clean up your profiles and delete those frat party photos from your various social media channels. That is not the first impression you want to make with a potential employer.
• Always ask yourself before you post “would I want my grandma to read this?” If the answer is “no,” then don’t post. (Now, if your grandma is a liberal woman you may not want to use this as your meter, but you get the idea.)
• Remember you must be consistent with your social media use. You cannot simply post once or twice or expect to create an account and have the followers come to you. Social media does not work that way. Social media is work and you need to work at it. You must post regularly to be considered part of a community and to generate interaction.

In the end, social media use is what you make of it. But it can aid you in the dreaded job search process–not only in terms of a research tool, but in the fact that you never know where your fellow tweeps or followers may end up one day. Remember to keep at it and don’t be afraid to seek out interaction. I hope to see you at NAFSA’s 2013 Annual Conference in St. Louis. Feel free to follow me @mandysmashups.

Mandy Reinig is the director of international education at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and founder of Mandy’s Mashups, a social media for international education company.

The Career Advancement Center at NAFSA’s Annual Conference & Expo has traditionally been a hub for job seekers and employers, providing a venue for international educators to find their professional match. This year, in addition to the usual spread of résumé reviewing, employer information sessions, and knowledge community roundtables, the Career Advancement Center has reached out to some of the leading professionals in the field to host open meetings on topics pertinent to all career levels in international education. Recent graduates, mid-career professionals, and international educators reaching retirement will all find information and resources to help them realize their career goals.

This week we kick off a series of career-oriented blog posts to introduce a few of our presenters and the topics they will cover in St. Louis. John Wilkerson, chair-designate of NAFSA’s Regional Affairs Committee, begins this series with a word about his travel advice session. Stay tuned next week for How to Start a Company in International Education and Making Social Media Work for You: Utilizing Social Media in the Job Search.

Road Warriors: Travel Like You Own the Skies

By John Wilkerson, University of Missouri and Andy Fraher, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
What should I pack? When’s the best time to buy a ticket to Bangkok Is that a good hotel? What do I do to get on that flight? These are questions you’re either likely to hear or to pose if you’re working in international education. Understanding the complexities of travel is helpful to your career, whether it’s you or your students who are holding a boarding pass. Just like travel programs such as Skyteam, oneWorld, Star Alliance, Marriott Rewards, Hilton Honors, Priority Club are more than upgrades, and access to concierge clubs, becoming a road warrior involves more than a pocket full of airline miles and hotel points. We will explore the ways these programs can benefit your travel budget, increase scheduling flexibility, and make the most of your travel experience while abroad.

If you can provide the onboard airplane safety announcements in stride with the flight crew, you’re what’s commonly referred to in the travel world as a “road warrior.” Anyone who’s been elbowed while waiting in line to board a plane, or sat in the hotel lobby waiting for a cleaning crew to take weeks to clean a 12×14 guest room, understands why life on the road can sometimes feel like a day spent in an arena with a bunch of hungry lions. Fortunately, there are some useful defense tactics that can help international educators put on the armor of a well-trained gladiator, without requiring additional screening at the airport security checkpoint.

Whether a five-star road warrior, or a newly commissioned soldier, the tips we’ll share can help you make sense of packing, planning, contingencies, and travel rewards. Come with questions, tips of your own, and a passion for travel, but leave your gladiator costume at home. It’s not that kind of conference.

Which presentation are you most looking forward to this year? What areas of your career could use more guidance?

Hear from John and Andy in person Thursday, May 30, from 1:30 p.m.-2:15 p.m. in the Career Advancement Center at NAFSA’s Annual Conference & Expo.

For a full schedule of events visit the Career Advancement Center’s Annual Conference page.

Sights

Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis
Housing the world’s largest collection of mosaic art, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis is worth visiting to experience the grandeur of this impressive installation. Located in the Central West End, you could combine your visit with lunch or dinner at a nearby restaurant on Euclid Avenue.

St. Louis Library
Just minutes from the convention center, the recently renovated St. Louis Public Library is a great place to check out. The historic building has been restored to its original elegance, most noticeably in the grand hall, which now sits nicely amid the building’s newest galleries featuring cutting-edge design and technology.

Theatre

Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis
Grab a blanket, take a picnic, and head to Forest Park for free outdoor Shakespeare. This year’s Shakespeare Festival performance is Twelfth Night.

Music

Twilight Tuesdays at Missouri History Museum
The Missouri History Museum opens its front patio each Tuesday in the summer for local and national bands, and the music is free. Like the Shakespeare Festival, Twilight Tuesdays is an outdoor event on the lawn—so don’t forget snacks and a blanket.

Animal Attractions

St. Louis Zoo
Located in Forest Park, the St. Louis Zoo is considered one of best in the United States, and features more than 5,000 animals and many exhibits. The Sea Lion Sound, its newest addition, is not to be missed.

Grant’s Farm
This large farm in suburban St. Louis was once owned by U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant and now is home to many animals, including elephants, camels, donkeys, peacocks, and the iconic Budweiser Clydesdale horses. It also houses a petting zoo for children.

World Bird Sanctuary
Get up close to eagles, owls, falcons, and more at the World Bird Sanctuary. It’s definitely worth the drive for bird lovers, about 30 minutes from the convention center.

Art and Culture

St. Louis Art Museum
Situated atop art hill in Forest Park, the Saint Louis Art Museum is the city’s premier art museum, featuring more than 30,000 pieces of fine art. Check out the front of the museum for great photos opportunities with the Statue of St. Louis—King Louis IX of France, to be exact—and note the commanding views of Forest Park and the Central West End skyline.

St. Louis Science Center
Always free, the St. Louis Science Center is a great place to get up close to science in an interactive environment.

History

Missouri History Museum
This is the place to go to learn about the unique history that shaped St. Louis. Here, you can relive the grand 1904 World’s Fair, explore Lewis & Clark’s famous expedition, or find out more about Charles Lindbergh’s historic flight across the Atlantic.

Cahokia Mounds
This United Nations World Heritage Site was once home to the largest pre-Colombian civilization north of Mexico. Cahokia Mounds is a short drive from downtown St. Louis.

Museum of Westward Expansion and Old Courthouse
Part of the National Park Service, these museums each recount the story of St. Louis. The Museum of Westward Expansion starts from St. Louis’s founding to its role as the base city for those leaving to settle the western areas of the United States. The Old Courthouse contains four unique galleries, each walking you through a different period of the city’s history, with a notable focus on the site’s role in the Dred Scott case.

Which free attractions are you adding to your conference agenda? Tell us in the comments. If any of these look fun to you, why not gather a group and check them out?

Ryan Saale is the Local Arrangements Committee (LAT) communications chair for NAFSA’s 2013 Annual Conference & Expo. Ryan is a St. Louis native who spent time living, studying, and working abroad in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and Spain, and recently completely his master’s degree at Washington University in St. Louis. He began his career in international education in 2009 after working in corporate communications for five years, both in St. Louis and Santiago, Chile. Ryan is assistant director of international affairs at Fontbonne University where he is responsible for all international student recruitment and global outreach initiatives.