Friends at the water's edge on Playa Blanca, Barú, as the sun sets over the Caribbean

Global Alumni Meet for MCPs and AIs of 1997–2000

GAMMA 2027

Bienvenidos a Colombia

18–25 July 2027 Barú & Cartagena de Indias

Save the dateI’m coming
About forty of us at GAMMA 2025 in Da Nang, crowded together in one room, many making finger hearts at the camera
This is usGAMMA 2025 · Da Nang, Vietnam

Around the turn of the millennium we ran AIESEC in our countries and around the world. Since 2001 we have met every couple of years, somewhere new each time, to catch up, to argue about how to fix the world, and to dance like it’s 1999.

This time: the Caribbean coast of Colombia.

Already in: Fernando M., Paula, Raul and Vasco and 4 more. See who’s coming →

Since 2001What a GAMMA feels like

Why we keep coming backWe still think we can change the world

In our twenties we ran AIESEC, convinced that young people who understand each other could make the world a better place. Almost thirty years, a few careers and a lot of kids later, most of us still believe it. GAMMA is where we remember why.

  1. Mon 19 July

    Where life took us

    Personal updates in the shade: what we've built, what we've learned, what we still want to do. The conversations carry on all week.

  2. Wed 21 July

    Coffee talks on the world

    Ideas, projects and worries from people who work in very different fields and countries. Got something to share? Tell us when you sign up: Thanneer, our Head of the Serious Agenda, is taking requests.

  3. Wed 21 July

    The world at one table

    The Global Village, like at every IC: bring a taste of home. And a regional party almost every night, from Americas & Africa to Europe.

  4. Your idea here

    Leave something good behind

    Fifty of us with very different skills, in one place for a week. Have an idea for doing something useful together in Colombia? Pitch it to the OC.

I’m comingPitch an idea to the OC →

The shape of the weekFour nights on the sand, three inside the walls

  1. Land at CartagenaSun 18
  2. about 1 h 15 by road, over the bridge
  3. Playa Blanca, Barú4 nights
  4. about 1 h 15 by road
  5. Getsemaní, Cartagena3 nights
  6. 15 min
  7. Fly homeSun 25
Playa Blanca from the air: white sand, palm-thatched huts and turquoise water18 – 22 JulyBarúHQ: Hotel Calamari Baru, on Playa BlancaSunset over the sea from the Santo Domingo bastion on Cartagena's city walls, with old cannons and the city flag22 – 25 JulyCartagenaHQ: our two houses in Getsemaní

Stop one · 18–22 July · 4 nightsBarú: barefoot on Playa Blanca

Barú is an island just south of Cartagena, joined to the mainland by a bridge. Its long white beach, Playa Blanca, is an hour and a quarter away by road, with the reefs of the Rosario islands on the horizon. Our headquarters (HQ) sits right on the sand.

Our HQ on Barú

Hotel Calamari Baru

The HQ is where we meet: sessions, meals and the start of every evening. It is not where everyone has to sleep.

  • Right on the sand of Playa Blanca, with its own beach area.
  • All six rooms are ours, and the hotel has said yes to our sessions, our evenings and music at a moderate volume.
  • Rooms of 45 m² with a balcony and air conditioning, many of them facing the sea.
  • Calamarí, the hotel’s restaurant and bar: breakfast, lunch, dinner and cocktail hour.
  • Rated 9.0 by more than 1,000 guests, and 9.5 for its staff.

~US$85 a night

Indicative price for one of Calamari's six rooms for two, about US$342 for the four nights.

~US$155 a night, next door

Cabañas W Beach, the neighbouring hotel on the beach, adds five more rooms for the group: ocean-view rooms for two, about US$618 each for the four nights. Want one of these eleven rooms? They go first come, first served: tick it when you tell us you’re coming. Or pick a place nearby that suits you better.

When the day boats head back to Cartagena in the late afternoon, the beach goes quiet. That’s when it becomes ours.

Coconut palms leaning over the clear water of Playa Blanca
Aerial view of the Islas del Rosario, green islands in deep blue water
Boats moored off Playa Blanca, seen from above

Or stay nearby

6 places, from ~US$45 a night for two

Small hotels and cabañas line the same beach, from next door to the HQ to 25 minutes' walk along the sand. Choose what suits you and book it yourself.

Prices for a double room on Booking.com for 18–22 July 2027, without member discounts, as seen on 18 October 2026. They will move, so book early and pick a rate with free cancellation where you can.

Stop two · 22–25 July · 3 nightsCartagena: inside the walls

Bougainvillea spilling over wooden balconies, plazas that fill up after dark, and four centuries of stone walls holding back the Caribbean. We end the week in Getsemaní, the old city’s liveliest neighbourhood.

Our HQ in Cartagena

Our two houses in Getsemaní

The HQ is where we gather by day: two houses on the same street, 200 metres apart, with 18 bedrooms between them, enough for about 36 of us. The rest of the group sleeps in small hotels a minute or two away.

  • Two nine-bedroom houses on Carrera 10, each with its own pool, three minutes apart on foot.
  • Every bedroom is a suite with its own bathroom.
  • Queen beds in one house. In the other, kings, doubles and three family rooms for those bringing kids.
  • A few minutes on foot to Plaza de la Trinidad, the Clock Tower and the Walled City.

~US$86 a night

Indicative price for a bedroom for two with its own bathroom, about US$257 for the three nights. Bedrooms go first come, first served: tick it when you tell us you’re coming. Or stay nearby, in whatever style you like.

The houses are our base for sessions and the pools. Our evenings happen on the rooftops and plazas all around them.

A narrow street of balconies and flowers leading to the cathedral tower
Two palenqueras in the yellow, blue and red dresses of Colombia walking along the city walls
The yellow church of the Trinidad on its plaza in Getsemaní
A mural of a tiger in sunglasses on a wall in Getsemaní

Or stay nearby

6 places, from ~US$70 a night for two

Getsemaní is full of small hotels. These are all within a few minutes' walk of the houses, from simple to splurge.

Prices for a double room on Booking.com for 22–25 July 2027, without member discounts, as seen on 18 October 2026. They will move, so book early and pick a rate with free cancellation where you can.

ProgrammeThe week, day by day

Same rhythm as Da Nang: sessions in the cooler hours, one outing a day, a party every night and the Grand Dinner at the end. The OC will keep fine-tuning the details.

  1. Sun18Jul

    Arrive · Barú

    Bienvenidos

    Land at Cartagena (CTG) and ride straight to the beach. Barú is an island, but a bridge joins it to the mainland, so Playa Blanca is about an hour and a quarter away by road. Check-in from 13:00 at the HQ, or wherever you're staying along the beach.

    EveningWelcome drinks as the sun goes down, then dinner on the sand.

  2. Mon19Jul

    Barú

    Catching up

    Briefing, then personal updates in the shade before the heat: where life has taken each of us. Afternoon in the sea, or in a hammock.

    EveningAmericas & Africa party.

  3. Tue20Jul

    BarúColombian Independence Day

    Islands day

    Boats out to the Islas del Rosario and the Corales del Rosario national park: reefs, snorkelling and lunch on an island.

    EveningColombian night on the beach: vallenato, champeta and a toast to Colombia's birthday.

  4. Wed21Jul

    Barú

    Coffee talks & plankton

    Morning coffee talks, on the world and on ourselves: what we're working on, what worries us, where we could help each other. The afternoon is free.

    EveningSwim with the glowing plankton right after dark, then the Global Village: bring a taste of home.

  5. Thu22Jul

    Barú → Cartagena

    Into the walled city

    A last swim, check-out at 11:00 and the road back to the city. Check-in from 15:00 at our houses in Getsemaní or at your hotel nearby.

    EveningSunset on the city walls, then the Asia Pacific party.

  6. Fri23Jul

    Cartagena

    Walls, balconies, murals

    Walking tour of the Walled City and Getsemaní in the cool of the morning. Afternoon at the Castillo San Felipe, or a long siesta.

    EveningAll aboard the chiva: a party bus through the city.

  7. Sat24Jul

    Cartagena

    GAMMA 2029 & the Grand Dinner

    We choose where we meet next, and bids are welcome. Free afternoon for the city, the markets and the rooftops.

    EveningThe Grand Dinner, then the Europe party.

  8. Sun25Jul

    Fly home

    Hasta la próxima

    Farewell breakfast and check-out by 11:00. The airport is 15 minutes away, so any flight after about 13:00 works.

    EveningOr stay on: Medellín, the coffee region, Tayrona.

A crowd of us cheering knee-deep in clear water off a white beach, a child up on someone's shoulders
Mozambique, 2022

Partners, kids, parentsBring the family

GAMMA stopped being a reunion of twenty-somethings a long time ago. Partners who never set foot in AIESEC are part of the gang now, and some of our kids are about the age we were when we met. All of them are welcome.

  • For kids and teens

    White sand and clear water on Playa Blanca, snorkelling and lunch on an island, a swim with glowing plankton after dark and a party bus through Cartagena.

  • Rooms that fit

    Family rooms in one of the Cartagena houses. Tell us who's coming and their ages when you sign up, so we can plan rooms and things to do.

  • Part of the week, or all of it

    Barú only, Cartagena only, or both: whatever fits your holidays.

Sign up the whole family

TravelGetting there, and what to bring

Flights

Fly into Cartagena, Rafael Núñez airport (CTG). On Sunday 18 July, aim to land by 15:00 so we reach the beach for sunset. On Sunday 25 July, any flight after about 13:00 works.

Connections

Most of us will connect through Bogotá, Medellín, Panama City or a US hub. If your route is long, arrive a day early and sleep in Cartagena.

Entry

Check the visa rules for your passport. Every foreign traveller also fills in Migración Colombia’s free online Check-MIG form before flying.

Weather

July is hot and humid: around 26–32 °C, with the sea at about 28 °C and the odd short shower. Pack linen, a hat and reef-safe sunscreen.

Money

Colombian pesos (COP). Cards work almost everywhere in Cartagena; on Barú, bring cash.

The sea decides

Boats to the islands sail only when the port is open. If the red flag goes up, we swap the islands for a beach day and go another time.

Where to sleep

At each stop the OC books a base as our headquarters (HQ): where we meet, eat and start the night. The HQ is not where everyone has to sleep. Its rooms go to the group first come, first served, through the sign-up form. Everyone else books their own room a few minutes away, choosing the place and the price that suit them.

  • Barú: a room at the HQ is about US$85 a night for two, or US$155 for an ocean-view room at Cabañas W Beach next door. Places along the beach start at about US$45.
  • Cartagena: a bedroom at the HQ is about US$86 a night for two, with 18 bedrooms across our two houses. Hotels around the corner start at about US$70.

Questions people ask

Can I come for only part of the week?

Yes. Barú only (18–22 July), Cartagena only (22–25 July) or the whole week: tick what suits you when you sign up.

What will it cost?

Your flights, plus about US$600 for a double room at the two HQs for all seven nights, or about US$900 with an ocean-view room on Barú. Less if you stay in one of the places nearby. Meals, the islands boat and the parties come on top.

Can I bring my partner, kids or parents?

Please do. Add them when you sign up, with the ages of children and parents. What's in it for them →

Do I need Spanish?

Not really. A few words help on Barú, and Diego is our Head of Translations.

When should I decide?

The sooner the better: HQ rooms go first come, first served, and July is a busy month on the Caribbean coast.

I lost touch with someone from those years. Can they come?

Of course. Send them this page, or tell us who they are and we'll track them down. Tell us who →

What if my plans change?

Change them on your own page: the link is in the email we sent when you signed up. That's also where you add your flights and join the shared rides and outings. Lost the email? Write to oc@ourgamma.com.

Our storyThree decades, still counting

  1. The back of a T-shirt that reads INDONESIA 1997 AIESEC

    1997–2000

    Where it began

    Our years as MCPs and AIs, at IPM 98, IC 98, IPM 99 and the conferences around them.

  2. The whole group posed on a football pitch at GAMMA 2001

    2001

    Malaysia & Singapore

    The first GAMMA: the beaches of Tioman and the streets of Singapore.

  3. One of us laughing over tall glasses of beer on a café terrace in Lithuania, a crowd gathering in the square behind

    2003

    Lithuania

  4. A long table of us in a tiled café in Lisbon

    2005

    Lisbon, Portugal

  5. Two of us walking out of the sea on the beach in Miami at GAMMA 2007

    2007

    Miami, USA

  6. 2009–11

    Two years off

    Nairobi was cancelled, and 2011 fell to the financial crisis.

  7. Two old friends in a big hug at GAMMA 2013

    2013

    Portugal

  8. A group of us in swimsuits on the sand at GAMMA 2015

    2015

    Playa del Carmen, Mexico

  9. Two of us sawing a log with a two-man saw on a farm in Lithuania while the others watch

    2017

    Lithuania

    Back on the Baltic, fourteen years on.

  10. A big group of us lined up on a beach in Bali

    2019

    Bali, Indonesia

  11. A long table of us under a tree at a wine tavern in the Austrian vineyards

    2021

    Mini GAMMA, Austria

    The Covid edition, for those who could travel.

  12. A group of us in front of an old fortress gate in Mozambique

    2022

    Mozambique

    The first GAMMA in Africa: Maputo, Ilha de Moçambique and a dawn in Kruger.

  13. The group gathered around a big 2023 sign

    2023

    Türkiye

    Where two continents meet: İzmir, the Aegean coast, a boat day off Fethiye and a farewell dinner on the Bosphorus.

  14. The GAMMA 2025 group in Da Nang

    2025

    Da Nang, Vietnam

    Coffee talks on My Khe beach and a day among the lanterns of Hoi An.

  15. Playa Blanca on Barú from the air

    2027

    Barú & Cartagena, Colombia

    The 12th GAMMA. Seven nights on the Caribbean.

  16. 2029

    You decide

    On Saturday 24 July, in Cartagena. Want to host it? Send us your bid.

Then & nowSame faces, a few more laughter lines

Then GAMMA 2001, Tioman and Singapore

Now From Lithuania 2003 to Vietnam 2025

Spotted yourself? Got better ones? Send your favourites to oc@ourgamma.com and we’ll put them up. Want a photo taken down? Same address, no questions asked.

2001 photos from Paulius’s albums. The rest shared by Hatem and Fernando from friends’ albums.

The listWho’s coming

8 people have confirmed so far. Booked your flight? Add yourself.

Booked your flight?Tell us you’re coming

Put yourself on the list, with everyone travelling with you. Want a room at one of the HQs? Tick it here: they go first come, first served.

I’m joining
I’d like a room at the HQ

First come, first served. We’ll write to confirm your room. Rather have one of W Beach’s ocean-view rooms? Say so under “Anything else”.

Who’s coming with you?

Partner, children, parents, anyone. We need the age of children and parents.

A photo of you, or of all of you

It goes on the “Who’s coming” list, so old friends can see who’s coming. Optional.

Only the OC sees your email, your notes and the ages of adults.