InterNations Montevideo: A Growing Community with Great Ambassadors

Laura was an InterNations Ambassador in Montevideo from the end of 2013 until October 2015. Initially, she was happy to support the Ambassador team in an unofficial capacity but decided to take on the role to support new expatriates in Montevideo.

“I wanted to help people from abroad settle in and enjoy their experience in Uruguay. I wanted to help them get started and get involved with the country, the city and the local people. Being a local, I know a lot about where to go, what to do and where to get help for just about anything you might need in Montevideo and other parts of the country. This is why I joined.”

InterNations Montevideo is a community that is growing. Having introduced the ticketed event format in 2014, attendance at events is steadily increasing. In March, Laura and her Co-Ambassador, Paula, hosted an event with over 80 attendees. According to Laura, another sign that the Montevideo Community is growing is the emergence of new InterNations Groups that are becoming more and more popular.

On arriving at one of Laura’s events it doesn’t take new members long to get a taste of Latin American hospitality. “Our style in Uruguay is very friendly and welcoming. People who come feel as if they are being hosted by close family or friends they haven’t seen for a long time. I’m always excited to see new people come to our events,” she says.

“When people come to the events not knowing anyone and I see them smiling, talking with others and having a great time, this is a really special moment for me. I know that some people have made really good friends and are traveling or living together with people they met at an event. Things like this make me think ‘wow, this really works!’”

For members moving to Montevideo, Laura’s advice is to get in touch with a local member in a similar situation and arrange to have a conversation to gain a better understanding of what to expect. She encourages new members to come to an InterNations Event and not be afraid to ask for help.

Laura’s tips for new Ambassadors:

• Stay on the lookout for new venues to host your events and form good relationships with them. This can be time consuming, but once you have a list of 6–10 venues that understand InterNations and know you well, it becomes really easy to set up an event.

• As a host you should always be energetic, enthusiastic and happy. This contributes positively to set the overall climate for the event.

• Make sure you give a great first impression to guests at your event. After you greet them everybody should go inside with a smile; this is the start of a really nice stor