UNITY ’12 Coming Soon . . .

In 400 days, the UNITY ’12 Convention kicks off at The Mandalay Bay Resort & Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev., to be held from Aug. 1-4 next year!

The momentum and energy at the recent National Association of Hispanic Journalists’ 29^th Annual National Convention at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resorts in Orlando, Fla., gave us a preview of what to expect at UNITY ’12.

NAHJ’s convention brought together nearly 800 attendees, who spent four days participating in skill-building training sessions, networking and interviewing with recruiters in the Job Fair Expo. They celebrated journalism and honored Mexican journalists, whose bravery in trying to simply do journalism was felt by all; it reminded everyone of the ties that bind us together in the important plight to tell the stories of our communities. Then there was the “See You in Las Vegas” closing event, where the energy and momentum for UNITY ’12 pierced through past the lighted, blinking, glitzy Vegas pins many attendees’ wore on their chests. The reunion, at UNITY ’12, could not come any sooner in 400, 399, 398 . . . days!

As the countdown continues, we look forward to the next two pre-UNITY alliance conventions that will take place over the next few weeks. The Native American Journalists Association will host its convention from July 14-17 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., followed by the Asian American Journalists Association, Aug. 10-13, in Detroit, Mich.

In the meantime, you don’t have to wait until Aug. 1, 2012, to connect with your UNITY family. Join the UNITY 2012 Convention: Las Vegas group on Facebook and stay tuned to new developments, make connections with old and new friends, get social and extend your UNITY ’12 experience beyond the four days in Las Vegas.