Matthew J. Wales, CMP
Senior Director of Meetings, Events & Special Projects
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
Washington, D.C.
What does your job entail?
I oversee all the site selection, contracting, negotiating and large-scale logistical development for all the convening activities, conferences, etc., for the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.
Describe your recent meeting in Indianapolis.
We actually just held our largest, which is our annual meeting, in Indianapolis in March of this year, and we’re looking at going back again in 2019.
Can you tell us a little more about the meeting?
Our annual meeting gathers about 2,300 to 2,500 educators from across the U.S., usually anyone from deans to associate deans to chairs of departments.
Where did you hold your meeting?
We were contained within Marriott Place, so we utilized all the meeting space at the JW Marriott Indianapolis as well as the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown. Everything is connected via the skywalk, so it’s easy to get out and around. Which was great for us, because we were there in the middle of a snowstorm.
What first brought your attention to Indianapolis?
Being a big NFL fan, having seen what they did in preparation for the Super Bowl first got me intrigued by what we could do from an event standpoint. Having grown up in Indianapolis, what’s there now is a vastly different place from when I left and moved to D.C. in 2003.
As in many changes for the better, in regards to hotel and meeting space, and overall just making downtown more inviting for visitors and residents, it was not quite the place that it is today with all the options for food, dining, nightlife and culture. There are four museums directly behind the Marriott Place hotels.
What makes Indianapolis a great place for groups to meet?
Especially for our group, it’s fantastic that it’s right in the center of the country. We represent educator preparation in colleges of education all over the U.S. Affordability is also important to us. Having the luxuries of a JW Marriott property and Indianapolis pricing is fantastic.