45th Annual Meridian Ball

The Meridian Ball is one of the most prestigious annual events in Washington, DC. Now in its 45th year, it brings together public and private sector leaders to celebrate Meridian’s ongoing efforts to global leadership through the exchange of ideas, people, and culture.

Traditionally held in October, the Ball is known for Ambassador-hosted dinners, in addition to a dinner hosted by Meridian at its White-Meyer House. Following dinner, all guests gather for dancing, dessert, and dialogue at Meridian House, an architectural treasure listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Ball is well attended by public officials including Cabinet secretaries, Supreme Court justices, and members of the U.S. Congress, as well as prominent media figures, foreign ambassadors, and representatives from the international business and cultural communities.

Each year the Ball plays a key role in helping Meridian generate awareness of and support for its mission. Proceeds from the Ball support Meridian’s global leadership exchanges, cultural activities, conferences, and seminars.

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Ball Committees

Embassy Patrons

Meridian International Center is grateful for the generous support and hospitality of:

ARGENTINA Her Excellency Cecilia Nahón The Ambassador of the Argentine Republic and Mr. Sergio Alfredo Garcia Gomez
AUSTRALIA His Excellency Kim Beazley The Ambassador of Australia and Ms. Susie Julia Annus
BELGIUM His Excellency Jan Matthysen The Ambassador of Belgium and Mrs. Agnes Julia Aerts
DENMARK His Excellency Peter Taksøe-Jensen The Ambassador of Denmark
ECUADOR Her Excellency Nathalie Cely Suárez The Ambassador of Ecuador and Mr. Alvaro Ivan Hernandez Alavrez
EGYPT His Excellency Mohamed M. Tawfik The Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt and Mrs. Amani Ahmed Amin
EUROPEAN UNION His Excellency João Vale de Almeida The Head of the Delegation of the European Union and Mrs. Maria Ana Ramos Jara de Carvalho
HUNGARY His Excellency Claudio Bisogniero The Ambassador of Italy and Laura Denise Noce Benigni Olivieri
ITALY His Excellency Temur Yakobashvili The Ambassador of Georgia
LIECHTENSTEIN Her Excellency Claudia Fritsche The Ambassador of the Principality of Liechtenstein
LUXEMBOURG His Excellency Jean-Louis Wolzfeld The Ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
MEXICO His Excellency Eduardo Medina-Mora The Ambassador of Mexico and Mrs. Laura Perez Medina-Mora
MOROCCO His Excellency Rachad Bouhlal The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco and Mrs. Fatiha Bennani
PANAMA His Excellency Mario E. Jaramillo The Ambassador of the Republic of Panama
PERU His Excellency Harold Forsyth The Ambassador of Peru and Mrs. María Verónica Sommer Mayer
SINGAPORE His Excellency Ashok Kumar Mirpuri The Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore and Mrs. Gouri Uppal
SPAIN Minister Juan Manuel Molina Deputy Chief of Mission of Spain
SWEDEN His Excellency Björn Lyrvall The Ambassador of Sweden and Mrs. Madeleine Lyrvall
UKRAINE His Excellency Olexander Motsyk The Ambassador of Ukraine and Mrs. Natalia Terletska
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES His Excellency Yousef Al Otaiba The Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates and Mrs. Abeer Al Otaiba

Sponsors

2013 Ball Sponsors

Project summary

45th Annual Meridian Ball | October 2013
Program Areas: Diplomatic Engagement
Partners: Diplomatic Corps, Private Sector
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