Its 2012 Annual Meeting & Exposition, which took place Aug. 11-14 in Dallas, attracted more than 6,000 people, making it its most-attended meeting since its 2007 convention in Chicago, the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) announced yesterday.
During the meeting, attendees chose from more than 120 education sessions, numerous networking events and — during seven hours of time in the exhibition hall — 716 booths manned by 408 companies.
Attendees didn't just do business, however; they also did good: ASAE raised $61,442 for the North Texas Food Bank during the meeting — a donation that provided meals for 12,288 children — and also has agreed to plant one tree for every person who participated in the meeting in order to offset the event's carbon footprint.
"We had our largest attendance since Chicago and this illustrates the value of face-to-face meetings," said ASAE President and CEO John H. Graham IV. "It was a fantastic meeting with the different learning sessions and speakers, and buzz from the meeting was extremely positive. I'm very proud of the association community because they not only took part in learning, but they also donated time and money that will make a lasting impact in the Dallas community."
ASAE's final attendance breakdown includes: 2,780 executives, 1,861 exhibitors and 1,369 others, including guests, spouses, press, volunteers, vendors and staff, for a grand total of 6,010.