In 1979, music educator Belle San Miguel and mariachi musician Juan Ortiz organized the world’s first International Mariachi Conference. The initial event in San Antonio, Texas included workshops, concerts, lectures, competitions, and a mariachi Mass. Concerts pairing mariachi with symphony orchestra were later added. This concept was recreated in various locations, developing into what is often referred to as a mariachi conference and festival “movement.” Today, dozens of such events are held each year in the United States, Mexico, and other countries.