2014 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exhibition in Nashville, Tenn., Draws Most Association Execs Since 2007
August 18, 2014
Music City was an undeniable draw, with nearly 6,000 overall attendees and the highest number of association executives coming to the 2014 American Society for Association Executives’ Annual Meeting & Exhibition, held Aug. 9-12 in Nashville, Tenn., since the 2007 event in Chicago.
The final attendance breakdown included 3,159 executives, 1,897 exhibitors, 919 others, including guests, spouses, press, volunteers, vendors and staff, for a total of 5,975.
“We had the highest number of association executives since we were in Chicago in 2007, and more than two-thirds of our members had never been to Nashville before. This created a great opportunity for the city to showcase what they had to offer,” said ASAE President & CEO John H. Graham IV, FASAE, CAE.
He added, “Attendees heard from great speakers, and they left the conference with a variety of high-quality content they can use in their organizations' as well as their careers.”
In addition, a total of 441 companies representing 707 booths exhibited in the expo hall this year, which resulted in a strong ratio of 63 percent buyers (association staff) to 37 percent sellers (industry partners).
Besides several days of networking and education sessions, ASAE raised $23,554 for the Second Harvest Food Bank, an organization that helps feed children, families, and seniors throughout a 46-county service area.
The two hands-on activities and money raised throughout the conference resulted in 103,780 meals for the Nashville community. ASAE raised money through volunteer efforts, city tours, 5K Walk/Run fees and individual donations.
“This was truly a team effort between ASAE staff, volunteers, leadership, committee members, and the entire Nashville community,” Graham said.
He added, “Our members noticed the effort and hospitality from the time they arrived until they left. Everyone truly had a fabulous time in Nashville, and they learned what Nashville could offer its members.”
The three-day conference included more than 120 education sessions, exhibits, and networking opportunities.
Highlights included an opening general session with Adam Grant, author of “Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success”, who outlined three styles of interaction: takers, givers, or matchers.
Other sessions throughout the event ranged from “Tweet Like a Pro”, “Getting to Y: How to Engage the Most Unengaged Generation” and “Lead Through Crisis”, to name just a few.
Networking also was abundant with an International Meet & Greet, the Annual Golf & Tennis Classic and a concert with country music group “Lady Antebellum”.
The 2015 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition will be Aug. 8-11 in Detroit.
Partner Voices
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