IANA Blog- June 2026

 Blog

Happy June,


Hope you all are enjoying your summer, so far. We are two months away from this year’s IANA Convention in Detroit, Michigan. For more information about what’s happening this weekend, here’s a message from our IANA Second Gen President, Chiedu Nwaesei.


Good afternoon 2nd Gen IANA Community,



Thank you for your continued patience with the planning process of this year's IANA 2026 Convention. Well, the save the date has come and it's that special time of the year again. Issele Association of North America (IANA) 2nd Gen team would like to formally invite you to our 2026 IANA Convention in Detroit Michigan.

We are hosting another exciting weekend full of entertainment, dancing, networking with other young Nigerians, learning about our rich culture and supporting a great cause. The spectacular weekend event will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn, located at 26000 American Drive, Southfield,

 MI 48034 from August 6th- August 9th, 2026. More information about how to reserve your room at the hotel and purchase a ticket can be found on our website, www.isseles.org.

How can we make this convention BIGGER, BETTER and even more SUCCESSFUL than the last one? Well, that is our main goal this year. Our last IANA convention was held in New York in 2024 and the feedback we received was unbelievable. Everyone has been looking forward to the next convention and we will try our best to deliver another exciting weekend for the 2nd Gen community. To kick off the weekend, the IANA Detroit Convention is excited to host a 2nd Gen Meet & Greet on Thursday, August 6, from 4:00 PM to 7:00PM. To help the planning committee prepare for all of the weekends festivities, please take a few moments to complete the survey below. Your response will help us estimate attendance and make the event enjoyable for everyone.


https://forms.gle/A9LzAaPq9nGNiKiF8


Thank you for your time and support. We look forward to seeing you there and making this year's convention a memorable one!


Please keep on reading to see what we have planned for the attendees. We have broken down a fun weekend itinerary. 



Schedule: 2026 2nd Gen IANA Convention


Date: August 6 - 8, 2026

Venue: Hilton Garden Inn, 

        26000 American Drive, Southfield, MI 48034


Schedule:


1)Thursday August 6th, 2026:


a)Meet and Greet Social

Time: 4:00pm - 7:00pm

Game night with kahoot for the ice breaker and Family feud!

Venue: Fisher room #1 Room at Hilton Garden

Dinner for 2nd Gen will be provided after game night! 

Time: 7:00pm

2) Friday August 7, 2026: 

This weekend’s fundraiser is excited to welcome our guests to an outdoor Grill Fest!

a) Picnic / Welcome Dinner

Time: 2:00pm - 7:30pm at park closing

Venue: Beech Woods Park (Sheter/Pavillion #2)

Address: 22200 Beech Road, Southfield, MI 48033


b) Meet & greet, socializing, music 

Time: 8:00pm - 11:00pm 

Venue: Fisher Room #1 at Hilton Garden Inn


3) Saturday, August 8, 2026


a) **Members-ONLY meeting**

Time: 8:00am - 1:00pm 

Venue: Fisher Room #1 Hilton Garden Inn

**Non-members can renew or join the association by paying their $100.00 IANA National Association dues to attend.

b) Fund-Raising Gala  

Time: 6:00pm - 11:00pm

Venue: Fisher Ballroom at Hilton Garden Inn


**TICKET COST**

Adults: $120.00

Ages 6-18: $60.00

Ages 5 & under: Free

**Free child care


PURCHASED TICKETS NEED TO BE PRESENTED AT THE DOOR FOR ENTRY!


4) Sunday, August 9, 2026


Boat Cruise with Detroit Princess

Time: 12:00pm – 2:00pm (*Boarding at 11:00am)

Venue: Detroit Princess Riverboat

Parking 130 Atwater St, Detroit, MI 48226

Boat Dock: 1 Civic Center Dr, Detroit, MI 48226

Phone: +1 313-631-2628


ADMISSION: $63.76/Adult (13yrs-59yrs),

$60.82/Adult (over the age 60yrs),

$41.20/Child (4yrs-12yrs),

Free (under 3yrs)


Note: We have already 25 people that have expressed interest in attending this Detroit Princess Riverboat lunch party. For the 25 individuals who have expressed interest in attending the boat ride, please, you would need to pay the admission fee to lock in your spot. The final headcount and payment must be submitted by 10:00 a.m. on July 20, 2026. Anyone purchasing tickets after this deadline must mention the event name, "IANA Detroit Convention 2026," to possibly be seated with the group. Please note that ticket prices may change after the deadline. Your physical ticket is needed to board the ship which will be given to you in person at the convention. Thank you.



Adult Admission (Ages 13-59yrs)

https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/GESPG5UWS6E6S


Elderly Admission (Ages 60 and up)

https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/AN6D4Y7H4CAKQ


Children Admission (Ages 4-12yrs)

https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/J43UG9XNYJ32A




Remember, 2nd Gen is here to stay, let’s make these words come alive and LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN!!! 


If you have any questions please use this email to contact our team or contact me directly.


Email: generation2_iana@hotmail.com 

Number: (226) 971-1411


Cheers,


Chiedu Nwaesei (President of 2nd Gen, Issele Association of North America)


That was the message from President Nwaesei for the 2026 IANA Convention. As mentioned, we’ll be arriving Thursday will be the Meet and Greet, Friday is the Picnic, Saturday will be the GALA, Sunday is the Boat Ride. Now we have two months until the convention, so get your reservations for the hotel and plane tickets now. 


I’ll see you all in Detroit.


Link to the Recap of the IANA Convention in New York- https://issei2ndgen.blogspot.com/2024/08/iana-blog-august-2024.html


Link to the Recap of the IANA Convention in Chicago- https://issei2ndgen.blogspot.com/2022/08/iana-blog-august-2022.html

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