The SMU Tower Center is proud to present Championing North America: The Trilateral Economy and the Power of Soft Diplomacy, in collaboration with our sister center the SMU Mission Foods Texas–Mexico Center, Canada-Texas Chamber of Commerce, North American Strategy for Competitiveness (NASCO),  and SMU Bridwell Institute. This event will highlight the evolution and future of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) through a historical review from the pre-NAFTA era to the present, as well as possible scenarios ahead of the 2026 review. The program will also examine how the 2026 World Cup can be understood as a by-product of deepening North American economic integration, demonstrating the power of soft diplomacy and trilateral cooperation. The event will be structured as two conversations: one on the history and future trajectory of the USMCA, and another on the World Cup’s role in soft diplomacy and its anticipated economic impacts across the region.​

​Date: Thursday, April 16, 2026

Location: SMU Crum Auditorium, James M. Collins Executive Education Center, 3150 Binkley Ave, Dallas, 75205

The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required and the seats are first come, first served. Please click below for registration.

Program:

5:00 – 5:45 p.m. Registration, Networking & Reception 

5:45 – 6:20 p.m. Conversation I: USMCA—Historical Reflections & North America’s Future Outlook

• Opening Remarks by Luis Rodríguez Bucio, Consul General, Consulate General of Mexico in Dallas
• Susan Harper, Consul General, Consulate General of Canada in Dallas
• Raymond Robertson, Senior Fellow, SMU Mission Foods Texas–Mexico Center​ and Director of the Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy at Texas A&M University
• Andrew Lawson Carranco, Legislative Affairs Chair, Laredo Chamber of Commerce
• Moderator: Doug McCullough, Director, Canada-Texas Chamber of Commerce 

6:20 – 7:00 p.m. Conversation II: 2026 World Cup — The Power of Soft Diplomacy and Regional Economic Impacts

•  Cullum Clark, Senior Fellow, SMU Tower Center and Director, Bush Institute–SMU Economic Growth Initiative​
• Erik Mora, Sports Director and Sports Anchor, Telemundo 39
• Monica Paul, Executive Director, Dallas Sports Commission and President of the North Texas FWC Organizing Committee
• Moderator: Courtney Weeks, Assistant Director, SMU Mission Foods Texas–Mexico Center

Closing remarks by NASCO

Please note: agenda subject to change

Any person who requires a reasonable accommodation on the basis of a disability in order to participate in this program should contact the SMU Tower Center at tower@smu.edu in advance at least 4 days prior to the event to arrange for the accommodation.

SMU Tower Center | http://www.smu.edu/TowerCenter

Southern Methodist University (SMU)

3300 University Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75275-0117

214-768-3954  tower@smu.edu