No more tickets available for Domenici conference

Registration for the inaugural Domenici Public Policy Conference is now closed.

All available tickets for the New Mexico State University conference honoring retiring Sen. Pete Domenici have been snatched up, the university announced today in a news release.

“We are elated about the conference and the excitement it has generated,” said Christina Chavez Kelley, NMSU senior assistant to the president and Domenici Legacy project manager. “We only wish we had more space to accommodate everyone who wants to participate.”

A prominent list of speakers including U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd, former Secretary of State James Baker, U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman, former U.S. Rep. Manuel Lujan Jr. and Gov. Bill Richardson will speak at the at the conference, which will be held Aug. 20-22 at NMSU.

Other local and national leaders will speak during the event, which will close with a free picnic and free concert performed by Randy Travis.

Registration is required for many conference events. The opening ceremony and Dodd’s speech on Aug. 21 and the picnic and concert on Aug. 22 are free and open to the public. Tickets for the concert are still available at the Pan American Center Box Office.

The conference is part of The Pete V. Domenici Legacy, a statewide effort led by NMSU to honor the senator’s historic tenure. Domenici will retire this year as the longest-serving senator in New Mexico history. In addition to the conference, the project includes the housing of some of Domenici’s papers at NMSU, planning and construction of a building on campus to honor the senator, the formation of the Domenici Institute at NMSU and publication of a book chronicling his service.

Conference sessions will focus on topics on which Domenici has concentrated during his career, including energy, mental health and budgetary and fiscal matters.