UFO spotters meet up at annual MUFON summit in New Jersey

This weekend, the world’s premiere UFO tracking organization will descend upon Cherry Hill, New Jersey, in a flash of intergalactic light. The Mutual UFO Network, which boasts more than 500 UFO field investigators worldwide, will host the annual multi-day symposium at the Crowne Plaza in Cherry Hill from Friday to Sunday.

The theme for this year’s symposium?

“UFOs, extraterrestrials, and the future of humanity,” said Jan Harzan, the executive director of MUFON.

MUFON began hosting the symposium in 1970, making this the organization’s 49th national conference. Each year, the summit is staged in different locations throughout the country in order to reach MUFON’s 4,000 members, Harzan said.

Cherry Hill was chosen this year to give easy access to those from New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. “We have a strong Pennsylvania chapter,” Harzan said.

Mufon symposium this weekend! The geek in me is super excited 😆 #aliens 👽

— Tina Fleming (@flemt1) July 26, 2018

The symposium hosts between 350 and 1,000 people each year, and Harzan expects about 500 attendees at the Crowne Plaza. “Anyone can attend,” including walk-ins, he said.

The symposium will feature a series of speakers, field-training and investigation workshops, as well as story-sharing panels for those who claim to have experienced UFO contact. Free and paid events will be offered each day.

Harzan said that the theme was chosen to address the fact that the near future could bring discoveries and communications with “other intelligences” in the universe.

I can’t wait to go! #mufon #nj https://t.co/P5U9wfqKbA

— Paranormal Now 🎙🛸 (@Paranormal_Now) July 25, 2018

In addition, MUFON will be providing help — ranging from counseling to exorcisms — to those who claim to have had an interaction with other types of intelligence, he said.