EVER WASTE A GOOD CRISIS,” Harvard Business School manage- ment professor Bill George ad-
vised during the opening keynote at the 2010 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition, held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Aug. 21–24. It was a well-timed point, as the meeting of-
fered resources and ideas for association execu- tives grappling with the challenges that George described in his talk, “Seven Steps for Leading Through a Crisis” — including the still-uncertain economy — along with many other critical issues. Attendees drew on the experience of designated “thought leaders” as well as their peers in dozens of sessions that addressed such topics as understanding and making use of new technologies, responding to recent changes to the U.S. health-care system, and navigating their organizations through political turbulence. The meeting attracted robust numbers:
A total of 5,522 people attended, an increase of more than 650 people compared with ASAE’s 2009 meeting. The number of exhibitors also went up, to 1,894, nearly 100 more than last year. ASAE announced at the conference that it was broadening the scope of its educa- tion and awareness campaign, The Power
STARRY NIGHT: Attendees of the Opening Night Celebration at ASAE’s Annual Meeting & Exposition walked a red carpet at the L.A. LIVE restaurant and entertainment complex, and were entertained by singer Melissa Etheridge, left, and celebrity Ryan Seacrest, right.
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After hearing hundreds and hundreds of positive com- ments about the ‘new L.A.’ during the meeting, I’m almost a little
overwhelmed. —Mark Liberman Chairman and CEO LA INC.
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of A, to become the first inclusive brand for the association industry. There was plenty of LA glamour to go along
with the work — some of it supplied by the meeting’s proximity to the Nokia Theatre at L.A. LIVE, the restaurant and entertainment campus adjacent to the convention center. (Sightings of Ann-Margret, Robin Williams, and soccer star David Beckham were reported.) And the conference generated its own wattage with per- formances by Melissa Etheridge at the opening reception at L.A. LIVE and Cyndi Lauper at the closing party, which was held at the California Plaza Watercourt. The conference also threw a spotlight on the renaissance of downtown Los Angeles, which began with the addition of the Staples Center 11 years ago, according to Mark Liberman, chairman and CEO of LA INC., the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau. Along with the restaurants and nightspots that have opened at L.A. LIVE, two new hotels have been added to the convention center complex in recent months: the JW Marriott Hotel Los Angeles and the Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles, which both occupy the same 54-story tower, and have added 1,001 rooms downtown. After hearing “hundreds and hundreds” of positive comments about the “new L.A.” during the meeting, Liber- man said,“I’m almost a little overwhelmed.” For more information about ASAE 2010,
How does the Glasgow Model work for North American–based planners? The way in which U.S. meetings are run is dif- ferent than in Europe. The issue of paying for the convention center is a strange thing for U.S. associations who go overseas. This model works from the point of view that you have to pay for the venue and then there’s subvention [a subsidy] from the city, where you’re given money to use as you see fit for your meeting. The model is based on trust. We’re taking that to the next level, so that associations know they are in safe hands whenever they come to Glasgow. n
— Michelle Russell 26 pcma convene October 2010 www.pcma.org