Following a competitive bidding process, ASAE announces the host cities for the 2022 through 2027 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition. 

When selecting host cities ASAE takes into consideration the convention center facilities, hotel packages, and venue options for the evening events. Other factors include the geographic location, the commitment of the city to deliver new experiences for our attendees, the backing of the local hospitality industry, city leaders and volunteers, in addition to the engagement of the city with ASAE.

The ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition attracts thousands of association executives and hundreds of exhibitors each year. Commonly known as the “Super Bowl” of meetings, the ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition is the flagship education and exposition for associations and nonprofit organizations in the United States.

List of Future Host Cities:

• 2022: Nashville, TN

August 20-23, 2022

Music City Center

• 2023: Atlanta, GA (Previously announced but location moved from 2022 to 2023)

August 5-8, 2023

Georgia World Congress Center

• 2024: Cleveland, Ohio

August 10-13, 2024

Huntington Convention Center

• 2025: Los Angeles, CA

August 9-12 , 2025

Los Angeles Convention Center

• 2026: Indianapolis, IN

August 15-18, 2026

Indiana Convention Center

• 2027: Charlotte, NC

August 7-10, 2027

Charlotte Convention Center

“Congratulations to the cities selected for our 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027 ASAE Annual Meeting & Expositions. We look forward to working closely with the selected convention and visitors bureaus which includes a vast network of local and regional Societies of Association Executives (SAE), as we plan and execute the high level meetings our members expect us to deliver,” said Interim ASAE President and CEO, Susan Robertson, CAE.

Among the association executives who attend the ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition are those who select destinations for their own organization’s meetings and events. It is estimated that 20% of the delegates who attend the ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition book their own conventions in the host city within five years.

“This is our host cities chance to shine in front of an audience of association professionals that determine future meeting sites for their organizations. Once onsite, attendees will be acutely aware of everything related to the hospitality, convention facilities, hotels, restaurants, and entertainment as well as overall experience. If impressed, they will strongly consider bringing their own association meetings to these cities,” added Robertson.

The upcoming ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition venues will be a mix of cities that have hosted the Annual Meeting previously and new destinations. ASAE has held the Annual Meeting in Nashville, Atlanta and Los Angeles in 2014, 2013 and 2010 consecutively. Having held smaller programs in Cleveland, Indianapolis and Charlotte, ASAE is excited to explore new destinations by bringing the Annual Meeting & Exposition to these cities for the first time.

MEDIA CONTACT: Lauren Precker, CAE, lprecker@asaecenter.org, 202-626-2735.

About ASAE

ASAE is celebrating 100 years of making society smarter, better and safer. The Centennial anniversary represents ASAE’s role as a leader and supporter of progress and innovation in the association industry.  ASAE is a membership organization of more than 48,000 association executives and industry partners representing 7,400 organizations. Since it was established 100 years ago, its members have and continue to lead, manage, and work in or partner with organizations in more than a dozen association management disciplines, from executive management to finance to technology. With the support of the ASAE Research 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.

Nearly 900 association and industry professionals participated in the revitalized Technology Exploration Conference (TEC), December 3-4, and took part in over 30 high-level education sessions and the exhibit hall. The event was held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.

The final attendance was 898: Execs (Association Executives, Consultants, Speakers) 468, Exhibitors (Industry Partners, Exhibiting Booth Staff) 346, and Other (Press, Staff, and Vendors) 84. Additionally, there were 109 companies representing 150 booths that exhibited in the expo hall this year.

“The goal of the revitalized TEC conference was to provide the association community an opportunity to immerse themselves in interactive experiences designed to challenge their thinking and move their individual organizations forward,” said Susan Robertson, CAE, Interim ASAE President and CEO. “We achieved this by bringing in leaders in the technology sector for our keynote speakers, engaging with companies to provide live demos, and through learning sessions led by the best in the industry.”

Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, opened the event by outlining the impact of technology on the global economy. He also shared insights on how the association community can prepare its workforce to meet the technology demands of the future.  For the second half of his keynote, Shapiro was joined by Sherrell Dorsey, Founder and CEO of ThePLUG, for an engaging on-stage interview.  They addressed topical issues around filling the technology skills gap, and how to embrace resiliency as individuals and organizations as we become more reliant on technology.

On Wednesday, December 4, the morning keynote speaker Nicholas Thompson, Editor-in-chief of WIRED shared thoughts about the wired future and how every industry, including associations, are being transformed, but not replaced by technological advances. He encouraged organizations to evaluate components where technology has a great return and cultivate a workforce to support those areas.  Following his keynote address, Thompson was joined on stage by Julie Shoop, VP of Content Strategy & Editor-in-Chief of Associations Now at ASAE for a Q&A session that addressed trust in the technology sector, privacy concerns, and the topic of how to succeed with failure.   

ASAE offered association professionals four additional educational opportunities to explore prior to and during the event.

• Digital Convergence —The full-day program held on Monday and supported by Community Brands, offered attendees the opportunity to hear experts from inside and outside of the association space such as Inteleos and the International Monetary Fund. They discussed what Digital Transformation means for associations beyond the buzzwords.
• Technical Project Management – This preconference workshop provided attendees with the foundational elements for project management basics and methodologies.
• Women Executives Forum: Retaining Human Dignity in a Technology-Driven Work Force – Addressed the importance of humanity in a successful work force as technology plays an increasing role in our lives. The Women Executives Forums are supported by Choose Chicago.
• Next, Now! – A new addition, this program created by ASAE Alliance partners connected attendees with the latest trends and tools in the technology industry through this special track of sessions.

Next year’s conference will be December 8-9, 2020, Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.

ASAE thanks the following Alliance Partners for their continued support of the association community:

Strategic Partners

Atlanta CVB

Business Events Canada

Choose Chicago

Experience Columbus

Community Brands

Greater Fort Lauderdale Meetings
Naylor Association Solutions

Discover Puerto Rico

Corporate Partners

Visit Austin
Visit Baltimore

Caesars Entertainment
Destination Cleveland
Visit Dallas
Delcor

Fonteva

GEICO

Louisville CVB

Visit Omaha
Travel Portland

Visit Salt Lake

Visit San Jose

Event Partners
Advanced Solutions InternationalBostrom
The BroadmoorCliftonLarsonAllen
Experient
Higher Logic Manifest MemberClicks
Discover The Palm Beaches
OpenWater
SunTrust

MEDIA CONTACT: Lauren Precker, CAE, lprecker@asaecenter.org, 202-626-2735.

About ASAE

ASAE is celebrating 100 years of making society smarter, better and safer. The Centennial anniversary represents ASAE’s role as a leader and supporter of progress and innovation in the association industry.  ASAE is a membership organization of more than 48,000 association executives and industry partners representing 7,400 organizations. Since it was established 100 years ago, its members have and continue to lead, manage, and work in or partner with organizations in more than a dozen association management disciplines, from executive management to finance to technology. With the support of the ASAE Research 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.

Based on the recommendations of its Research and Development Committees, the ASAE Board of Directors approved a name change for the ASAE Foundation to ASAE Research Foundation. This evolution of its current brand better reflects its deep focus on cutting-edge association industry and market research.

“This new name more accurately defines the quality and breadth of the Foundation’s work not only to increase usage, but to attract new donors,” said Steve Caldeira, Chair-Elect, ASAE and Chair, ASAE Research Foundation, and President & CEO of the Household & Commercial Products Association. “The hallmarks of the Foundation’s research include foresight, effective practices and sustaining association value – all of which are critical to the success of associations.” 

“The role of solid research in helping associations make more informed decisions is essential,”  said Interim ASAE President and CEO, Susan Robertson, CAE.  “As ASAE celebrates its Centennial year, the Foundation’s research will help light the way as we move into the next 100 years.”

For more information about the ASAE Research Foundation visit: http://asaeresearchfoundation.org

MEDIA CONTACT: Lauren Precker, CAE, lprecker@asaecenter.org, 202-626-2735

About ASAE & ASAE Research Foundation

ASAE is celebrating 100 years of making society smarter, better and safer. The Centennial anniversary represents ASAE’s role as a leader and supporter of progress and innovation in the association industry.  ASAE is a membership organization of more than 48,000 association executives and industry partners representing 7,400 organizations. Since it was established 100 years ago, its members have and continue to lead, manage, and work in or partner with organizations in more than a dozen association management disciplines, from executive management to finance to technology. With the support of the ASAE Research 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

The Power of Diversity and Inclusion Award will be presented for the first time at the 2020 Summit Awards Dinner on September 30. The award is part of new D+I category within The Power of A Awards.

“Developing a D+I award for organizations to illustrate the importance of D+I in the association community is important. The D+I committee included it in the strategic plan and we’re pleased its now coming to fruition,” said Wendy-Jo Toyama, MBA, CAE, Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and Executive Director of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association. “D+I initiatives and programs have become a driving force across associations and now is the right time to introduce an award that shines a bright light on the work the community is doing.”

The Power of A Awards program ensures that the full range of activities and initiatives associations undertake to benefit society as a whole as well as the professions and industries they represent are recognized and awarded.

Along with adding The Power of Diversity and Inclusion award category, all Power of A award categories are now under review. “Through the Power of A Awards, ASAE has long recognized the extraordinary efforts of associations to train the workforce, spark innovative solutions to problems and make the world a better place,” said Sharon Swan, FASAE, CAE, CEO of the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics and chair of ASAE’s Power of A Awards Judging Committee. “As we periodically review the award categories and make changes for the future, it’s important that we are able to recognize organizations that value and promote diversity and inclusive practices.”

“D+I fluency is essential to organizational health and success. Associations’ ability to create supportive environments and serve multi-racial, multi-ethnic, generationally diverse members and staff will define their success today and well into the future. There is no better time for the association community to recognize and celebrate this commitment to diversity and inclusion,” said Susan Robertson, CAE, Interim ASAE President and CEO.

Additional details about the award will be shared in the coming weeks.

The ASAE Foundation names four academic institutions to receive research grants as part of the Scholarly Research in Association Management Grants Program (SRGP). The SRGP provides investigators with funds to conduct research on a cross-section of topics relevant to association and member-based organization management. Each recipient will receive up to a $7,500 grant and for this latest awards cycle, will begin on September 1 and lasts for one year.

The four awardees are:

George Mason University

Association Advocacy for Broad, Sector-Wide Interests: Promoting the Charitable and Business Sectors in Federal Policymaking

Alan Abramson, Professor; Schar School of Policy and Government

North Carolina State University

Planning for Advocacy Efforts: Best Practices from Tourism Industry Associations

Whitney Knollenberg, PhD, Assistant Professor, Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management

(Co-Investigator) Ashley Schroeder, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management, Pennsylvania State University          

(Co-Investigator) Amanda Stewart, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Public Administration, North Carolina State University

The George Washington University

Building Bayanihan: Decolonizing Association Management from Whiteness

Nathan Victoria, M.Ed., CAE, Senior Director, Recruitment, Engagement, and Volunteerism; NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education 

And, Doctoral Candidate; Executive Leadership Program, Human & Organizational Learning, The George Washington University

(Co-Investigator) Julia Storberg-Walker, PhD, Associate Professor, Executive Leadership Program, Department of Human & Organizational Learning

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Representation and Inclusion in Associations: An Examination of Board Diversity and Volunteer Management

Jaclyn Piatak, PhD, Assistant Professor; Political Science and Public Administration

“Congratulations to the four awardees. Their research will provide valuable insights on issues that affect the growth, scope, and sustainability of membership organizations and the association community. These studies reflect knowledge opportunities in association management that can be uniquely explored through collaboration with higher education. We look forward to sharing the results,” said interim ASAE President and CEO, and ASAE Foundation President Susan Robertson, CAE

The next application cycle for SRGP is open Fall 2019 and deadline to apply is January 2020. To learn more, visit https://foundation.asaecenter.org.

MEDIA CONTACT: Lauren Precker, CAE, lprecker@asaecenter.org, 202-626-2735

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.

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 DJ’s.  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 OmahaTravel 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

MEDIA CONTACT: Lauren Precker, CAE lprecker@asaecenter.org, 202-626-2735

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