WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--More than 5,400 association professionals and industry partners gathered in Columbus, OH, August 10–13, for the 2019 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition. Participants heard from keynotes Jeremy Heimans & Henry Timms and Alton White, and participated in more than 110 education sessions, six game changers, and explored 710 booths featuring 445 companies in a packed expo hall.
The final attendance breakdown: 2,625 executives, 1,866 exhibitors, 985 others, including guests, spouses, press, vendors, and staff, for a grand total of 5,476. The ratio of buyers to sellers was 58 percent buyers to 42 percent sellers.
“The theme for this year’s event of learn and play with purpose resonated in every aspect of the meeting. From the design of the main stage and convention center, to the content covered by our speakers, attendees were compelled to consider new and inventive ways to do business within their own associations,” said Susan Robertson, CAE, Interim ASAE President & CEO. “The city of Columbus delivered an outstanding experience for our attendees. There is no doubt that our members have been treated to a unique experience that has left a lasting, positive impression of exactly what Columbus offers for their own meetings and events.”
General Sessions speakers Heimans and Timms challenged attendees to assess their organizations as they operate now, and then think of where they would like to be in five years. Subsequently they introduced their model of new power, which is peer driven, and focused on how open collaboration can be implemented to move associations forward. They emphasized that any winning strategy is going to have new power at its heart.
For the closing keynote, White showcased his skills as a singer and performer to share an insightful and moving commentary that encouraged attendees to tap into their passions to find the courage to make it past the fear that is in the way of achieving their dreams. He also discussed the importance of first and last impressions, trusting your instincts with forgiveness and compassion.
On Monday night The ASAE Foundation Classic was hosted by Experience Columbus at the Nationwide Arena and headlined by Ohio native John Legend. Attendees were treated to a night filled with performances by local singers, dancers, marching bands, and DJs. The sold-out event had the highest attendance and revenue in the 13-year history of The Classic.
The six Game Changers featured Columbus locals Joe DeLoss, Founder of Hot Chicken Takeover and Jeni Britton Bauer, Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. Additional Game Changers included Nadya Okamoto, Founder and Executive Director, PERIOD. The Menstrual Movement and author of the newly released book Period Power: A Manifesto for the Menstrual Movement along with Brant Menswar, CEO, Rock Star Impact, author of Rock’ N’ Roll With It: Overcoming the Challenge of Change; Erica Dhawan, Founder and CEO, Cotential, and co-author of the bestselling book Get Big Things Done: The Power of Connection Intelligence; and Alison Levine, team captain of the first American Women’s Everest Expedition, and author of On the Edge.
In addition to attendees volunteering their time at the Reeb Avenue Center, National Veterans Memorial and Museum, Netcare Access, CompDrug, and Maryhaven, ASAE raised over $30,000 for the Columbus Foundation’s Gifts of Kindness Fund.
Next year’s ASAE Annual Meeting will be in Las Vegas, Nevada, August 8-11, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.
ASAE thanks the following Alliance Partners for their continued support of the association community:
Strategic Partners
Atlanta CVB
Canada Business Events
Choose Chicago
Experience Columbus
Community Brands
Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB
Naylor Association Solutions
Discover Puerto Rico
Corporate Partners
Visit Austin
Visit Baltimore
Caesars Entertainment
Destination Cleveland
Visit Dallas
DelCor Technology Solutions, Inc.
Fonteva
GEICO
Louisville Tourism
Visit Omaha
Travel Portland
Visit Salt Lake
Visit San Jose
Event Partners
iMIS by Advanced Solutions International
Bostrom
The Broadmoor
CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
Experient
Higher Logic
Manifest
MemberClicks
Open Water
The Palm Beaches
SunTrust Bank
ASAE Global Partners
Dubai Association Centre
Korea Tourism Organization
About ASAE and the ASAE Foundation
ASAE is a membership organization of more than 46,000 association executives and industry partners representing 7,400 organizations. Its members lead, manage, and work in or partner with organizations in more than a dozen association management disciplines, from executive management to finance to technology. Together, they create a vibrant community that makes the world smarter, safer, and better every day. With support of the ASAE Foundation, a separate nonprofit entity, ASAE is the premier source of learning, knowledge, and future-oriented research for the association and nonprofit profession and provides resources, education, ideas, and advocacy to enhance the power and performance of the association and nonprofit community. Visit ASAE at asaecenter.org
