Fewer general sessions, a new awards breakfast and special assistance for first-time attendees are among the changes to the American Society of Association Executives' (ASAE) Annual Meeting and Exposition that were approved this week by its board of directors, ASAE announced yesterday.
Based on feedback from post-event evaluations, as well as suggestions made at ASAE's Volunteer Leadership Retreat — a board retreat that took place Nov. 15-17 in New Orleans — the board approved the following improvements to its 2011 Annual Meeting, which will take place Aug. 6-9, 2011, in St. Louis:
• Instead of three general sessions in the past, the 2011 Annual Meeting will feature two general sessions: one opening and one closing.
• The 2011 Annual Meeting will feature three new "Game Changers" sessions featuring top business leaders and practitioners with "cutting-edge ideas" to share with attendees.
• The 2011 Annual Meeting will include a new Awards & Recognition Breakfast honoring those who have received their Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential, as well as ASAE scholars, fellows and award winners.
• A new "first-time attendee experience team" will assist first-time attendees at the 2011 Annual Meeting, helping them navigate the event and maximize their learning and networking opportunities.
"The Annual Meeting is the flagship event for ASAE and certainly one of the most important events for association professionals," said ASAE Chairman-Elect and Chairman of the ASAE Foundation Peter J. O'Neil, executive director of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. "Based on the rich feedback from attendees as well as input from our volunteer leaders at the leadership retreat, we've approved a series of improvements that will make ASAE's annual convention an even more enriching experience. Since the retreat, we’ve continued to investigate ways for the Annual Meeting to remain a 'must-attend event,' and have identified several approaches to make it happen."
ASAE's board also has approved changes to the association's volunteer structure; a new "FASAE" for the ASAE Fellows program; funding for an "innovation strategy" that will help the organization "serve as a catalyst, incubator and role model" for the association community; and several new research topics, one of which will examine the future of trade shows.