ASAE’s 2010 Annual Meeting & Exposition, held next to the new LA Live entertainment district Aug. 21-24 at the Los Angeles Convention Center here, demonstrated some positive signs both for the association and the meetings and conventions industry.
According to John H. Graham, president and CEO of ASAE, the meeting attracted approximately 5,300 participants, which represented an increase approaching 30 percent over last year’s number of registrants.
The buyer-seller ratio was also impressive, coming in at 60 percent buyers to 40 percent sellers.
"Face-to-face attendance is up," Graham said about the meetings industry. "Clearly, some of the people I’m talking to say their attendance is up to 2008 levels."
In what he described as a key indicator of the improving health of the industry, Graham also noted an increase in postings on ASAE’s job board.
This year’s conference marked the beginning of a new core brand for ASAE, which in previous years went by the moniker ASAE and The Center for Association Leadership and ASAE and The Center.
Major initiatives announced at the meeting include: separate subgroups handling small-staff associations (fewer than 10 members) and secondary associations (30 or more members); the hiring of an account representative for large-staff associations to help with issues such as career advancement and training; and an expansion into the Pacific Rim region.
