Statement from the ICF Global Board of Directors and Staff Regarding ICF Converge 2017

ICF Global Board and staff respond to member questions and feedback regarding the site for ICF Converge 2017.

This statement was originally published February 10, 2017, and was updated in March 2017 to reflect the current status of the order and the removal of Iraq from the updated order.

Lexington, Kentucky, USA—The International Coach Federation’s Global Board of Directors and staff are aware the recent executive order outlining travel restrictions on foreign nationals seeking to enter the United States from six countries (Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen) has led to concern among many of our global stakeholders. Respect is one of the core values of ICF, and our diversity is one of our greatest strengths. We remain committed to welcoming and engaging coaches from around the world, and we appreciate the feedback and perspectives that members of our community have shared with us regarding the site for ICF Converge 2017.

As the situation continues to evolve we are monitoring it and surrounding conversations closely, particularly within other international organizations and the association management industry.

At this point in time, considering a different venue for ICF Converge would mean canceling the event. We want to respect the many individuals who have already made plans to participate. With this in mind, we are proceeding with our plans to host ICF Converge in Washington, D.C., this August.

Our goal is to bring our members together and ensure that we remain connected as a global community. As we look toward the future, this will mean a commitment to hosting global and regional ICF events in locations around the globe.

What this means now is that, when registration opens for ICF Converge, our staff will be ready to assist members in procuring visas to attend the event. In addition to providing standard invitation letters for visa purposes, we will provide additional support in the event of special circumstances. We will also continue to monitor this situation, assess its impact on our members and attendees, and remain in conversation with the appropriate authorities and with the ICF Global community.

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ICF HEADQUARTERS CONTACT
Abby Tripp Heverin
+1.859.219.3529
abby.heverin@coachfederation.org