The Keppler college team had a unique opportunity to thank many of our longtime clients at this year’s NACA convention, as we hosted a 25th anniversary party. It was great to spend time with people who remember us from “way back when.” Much like our first 25 years in business, the time flew by. As a special thank you, we gave away $800 in American Express giftcards to a few lucky folks, including Winthrop University’s Boyd Jones. A special thanks to conference chair, Jon Dooley and the NACA leadership for their help in making our event (and the entire conference) such a memorable success. For pictures of the party, please click here.

With over 2,600 delegates in attendance, this was one of the largest national conventions ever. This year, NACA found a terrific host city in St. Louis. The facilities were first rate, including a beautiful theater for the lecture showcases.

Showcasing artist Doug Lansky hit a homerun. Starting with a terrific intro video, Doug delivered a funny, fast-paced speech about travel and a whole lot more. Doug believes traveling is more than just taking pictures in front of famous landmarks - it’s charting your own meaningful journey. His speech clearly caused the travel bug to bite many attendees.

Congratulations to Sara Harmelin of Berry College in Mount Berry, Georgia, who won the free first class Eurail pass valued at $1,000. Doug gives away one free pass at every campus lecture, and it’s a great way to help publicize his program. Sara has already begun making plans to travel Europe this summer. Her fantastic prize will make it easy for her to get the most out of her two-month adventure!

Despite some nasty weather and some very long hours, it’s safe to say that this was the best NACA national convention yet.