Buenos AIJA, fellow members, welcome to Tango! We are about to celebrate a Latin-American Annual Congress, in Buenos Aires, Argentina! South-America has an abundance of cultural wealth to offer with its deep legal traditions, young and flourishing economies and new expansive markets. It is the perfect place for lawyers from all over the world to meet. This is a big step for us and for AIJA, and we are thrilled to welcome you here, at the southern cone of the world! To begin the second half-century of AIJA, we have chosen Buenos Aires for your pleasure, in short, BA, formerly known as the Paris of America. It is a city full of culture, business, enjoyable day life and a never ending nightlife and very friendly and welcoming people. Buenos Aires meaning fair winds, will be ready to provide a warm and exciting welcome to all delegates. You are going to enjoy our beautiful city and good spirit, under a blue sky. BA is the ideal location for the 51st Annual Congress; it is and always has been a welcoming port, the entrance gate to South America. A cosmopolitan metropolis and multi-faceted city which has benefited from the melting pot of local culture and the large volume of immigration over the past four centuries. BA has an enormous variety of historical and cultural attractions: modern and classic theatre, museums, the modernist district of Puerto Madero, the tango flavoured traditional colonial styled old district of San Telmo, with its cobblestone streets, open air markets, street tango dancers, right in front of our main hotel, and, of course an endless array of great cuisine and fine wines. BA is a year long hotspot for tourists from all over the world. It is often portrayed as sensual, hip, chaotic, incredibly artistic city, with a strong historic flavour, a city very easy to fall in love with. You will experience a city that is electric and alive with a special and unique feeling, stemming from the people, the traffic and the eclectic architecture. We are certain that not only will you feel strangely at home but that you will return. Besides its tourist attractions, BA is one of the most important business centres in Latin America, one of the world leading Global cities, with a very significant presence for foreign investment. Due to its location and accommodation capacity, it hosts all year long congresses and trade shows. The international airport has direct connections with the main European cities, as well as with Latin and North-American cities. Once checked in to your hotel you will feel right at home strolling or jogging along the docks of the fashionable new port district, sitting down to enjoy a coffee at a riverfront cafe or dinner right outside our Hotel, with a view of the river, will be a daily temptation. But Buenos Aires is more than just a city. Only a few miles away, you will find the immense Pampas and its beautiful “estancias”. So on our Friday day out we will visit one of the most traditional estancias, where you will have the opportunity to experience the real “asado”, a bit of polo and what we call destreza ­criolla – or “traditional gaucho skills” – a kind of horsemanship which will remain forever in your memories (particularly if you are planning to run for EC membership in that year…) Last but not least, football is the biggest South American passion. On Saturday, the most spectacular match ever seen will take place in one of the most emblematic stadiums of the city. Latin Americans will play against the rest of the world (the only opportunity you will be able to see Argentines and Brazilians playing in the same team!) If you really want to experience the spectacular Buenos Aires in all its glory and excitement, you definitely must register for the September 2013 Annual Congress and fly down! We expect the weather to be very nice in BA and, importantly, it’s the perfect time to travel within Argentina and the region: you can go to the tropical north without melting from the heat or go to the south and still find snow for skiing. Join us in BA! How young are you? If you wish to register or you want to know more about the Congress, click here to go to the Congress website