CLEVELAND — Cleveland pulled out all the stops this week as 5,069 people gathered for the ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership Annual Meeting & Exposition. Of the more than 5,000 visitors, 2,873 were association professionals, 1,893 exhibitors, and 302 others that included guests, vendors, volunteers, and members of the press. The buyer-to-seller ratio was 63% buyers and 37% sellers.
“The 2024 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition was a huge success for ASAE and our host city of Cleveland. We’re exceptionally pleased with the numbers, we exceeded our expectations and revenue goals for the meeting, and the feedback we are receiving on the meeting content and the city has been outstanding,” Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE, President and CEO of ASAE, said.
The gathering was held in the newly expanded Huntington Convention Center, which fully incorporates the adjacent former Global Center for Health Innovation into its meeting space. The $51-million expansion increases the center’s size by 25%, adding a new grand entryway, expanded junior ballroom, and an outdoor terrace with views of downtown.
“For our city, hosting ASAE’s more than 5,000 attendees and exhibitors was incredibly important and meaningful,” David Gilbert, President and CEO of Destination Cleveland, said. “We know that seeing is believing when it comes to changing perceptions of Cleveland and having the chance to show off everything from our Midwest hospitality to our event infrastructure and world-class attractions will benefit our community for years to come. If the dozens of people who stopped me to say thank you for a great experience is any indication of the impression we made, I’d say the last four days were a grand slam for Cleveland.”
The conference included a private party at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and a closing night event on the East Bank of the Flats. At Flats East Bank, attendees could enjoy multiple venues, food and live music along the waterfront including a surprise visit from Cleveland native Machine Gun Kelly. The kick-off event was held at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse featuring award-winning music artist Nelly.
Another highlight was Amanda Gorman, the first National Youth Poet Laureate in the U.S. who read her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” at President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Gorman was featured in the opening general session and not only read one of her poems, but she also answered audience questions.
Destination Cleveland highlighted attractions that would most be of interest to trade show and meeting executives during the show. Examples include an airport welcome that included a DJ, giveaways, and staff and volunteers on hand to welcome attendees and provide Cleveland resources for their time in the city.
Volunteers were also on hand throughout the city to help with wayfinding, staffing information tables at the 16 hotels utilized by the group, and more.
City experiences were also curated with meeting and trade show executives in mind and included a tour of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens, the Foundry where the history of Cleveland’s waterways was highlighted, and a visit to Ohio City Farm followed by an urban hike and a soul food tour.
Workforce Development a Focus
Workforce development and, in particular, promoting career pathways for young people, is a strategic priority for ASAE. At this year’s gathering, ASAE incorporated suggestions from its Young Professionals Committee as far as session topics and speakers, created opportunities for young association professionals to connect and network, and provided new scholarship opportunities aimed at supporting the career advancement of young association professionals.
For this meeting, ASAE and Destination Cleveland worked with Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.), which serves teens and young adults in Northeast Ohio, to bring 25 students to experience the ASAE Annual Meeting firsthand, giving them behind-the-scenes access to different roles and responsibilities required to make the meeting and trade show successful.
As its identified partner, Y.O.U. received all proceeds collected from Cleveland Experience tours and the 5K Fun Run/Walk that took place earlier this week.
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Trade Show Booths That Engage
Interactivity in trade show booths help capture attention and engage attendees. The ASAE meeting did that and more. In their booths, there was a crab lunch courtesy of Visit Baltimore, brat sandwiches thanks to Visit Milwaukee and pickleball sponsored by Visit Seattle.
Another highlight was a sustainability stories pavilion sponsored by Destination Canada. Attendees were encouraged to show their reusable water bottle to be entered into a drawing to win a registration to next year’s conference. Team Canada was also on hand to answer questions about sustainability and how events can implement the pillars of sustainability that are economic, social/culture, and environmental.
Dubai Association Center and Visit Singapore sponsored an international meet and greet global lounge. This was a spot for those engaged in global work to connect and hold small meetings.
Reach Michelle Mason at mmason@asaecenter.org, and contact Destination Cleveland’s sales team at meetingsales@destinationcle.org
Feature Photo Credit: Jim Ganotis/Destination Cleveland
