Speaker Programs are open to the public. They are held on Sunday evenings at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa located in Indian Wells, Calfornia,with a reception for the speaker beginning at 5:00 p.m.; dinner at 6:00 p.m. The speaker's presentation begins after dinner, followed by a short period of question & answers. Tickets for the Reception (no-host bar), Dinner, and Speaker Program are $55.00 for members; $65.00 for non-members. In selecting topics and speakers for presentation to its members, the officers of the World Affairs Council of the Desert have relied on the following criteria:

Topics must be timely national or international issues, which have significance to the foreign policy of the United States.

Speakers must be expert on their subjects and have an engaging presentation, which motivates audiences to ask questions, voice opinions and develop candid discussions.

During the tourist season, our Youth Program includes inviting approximately 80 high school and college students to attend our dinner/lecture events at no expense to them. The students, in addition to hearing our speakers and participating in luxurious three-course dinners, are given the opportunity to meet the speakers and mingle with the distinguished guests. 

Our main outreach event is the Academic Worldquest, where local high school teams compete for the chance to test their knowledge of world affairs with other teams in Washington, D.C.

The Distinguished Speaker Series was developed to bring speakers with in-depth analyses, insights, and commentaries. Speakers come from the world's leading movers and shakers who help to shape our desert communities. . Topics include issues of scientific interest, history, philosophy and the humanities. These will be held at the Oliphant Auditorium on the Campus of the California State University - Palm Desert Campus (CSUSB-PDC). This series is offered to provide the community with access to outstanding speakers, and develop a setting which will help create and sustain a more informed and vital intellectual community.