An #ASAE26 Survival Guide

After attending the ASAE Annual Meeting & Expo  (opens in a new tab) a dozen or so times, I can say two things for certain. One, I always learn a lot. Two, I always leave a little bothered by how much I missed.

I’m pretty sure that’s a common experience. Annual is a great time to learn and network, but it also puts a spotlight on how diverse the association world is, from their size, structure, and location to their needs around membership, events, nondues revenue, legal requirements, and beyond.

To that end, I recently put a call out on LinkedIn inviting association professionals in my network to share tips about how to get the most out of Annual when you know you can’t get to everything. If you’ll be in Indianapolis, make sure to pick up a copy of the Daily Now on Sunday and Monday for updates and features, and subscribe to the Associations Now newsletter for the latest.

Have a plan. “Set clear goals for yourself,” says Matthew Ott, FASAE, CAE. “If you need insight on, say, accounting, set a goal to attend three accounting sessions. Looking for new software or a new vendor? Prioritize that by ensuring you stop by five vendor booths in that space.”

Have a plan B. If a session isn’t working for you, it’s OK to move on. If you need a break, it’s OK to stay where you are instead of hustling to a planned-on session. “Sometimes it is worth skipping the 10-minute sprint across the convention center just to sit in the back of a packed room or showing up halfway through a session,” says Danielle Duran Baron, FASAE, CAE. Maggie McGary stresses that neurodivergent attendees can still learn plenty even amid the distractions. “Show yourself grace, however your brain works, and have fun! You’ll come away having learned more than you planned regardless of sticking to a rigorous schedule or letting serendipity rule your experience.”

Branch out. There are plenty of opportunities to keep up with your particular corner of the profession at Annual. But at a time when crossfunctional teams are more valuable than ever, carve space to learn about a side of association management that’s relatively unfamiliar to you. “I have tried to stretch myself a little bit each year and given the incredible talent on display in the speakers and content presented, it’s never been hard to find at least one thing that’s outside my comfort zone,” says Brian Haney, CAE.

Take time to process. “I always have a legal page with two columns:  ‘What to share’ and ‘With whom,’” says Jeffrey Cufaude. “As I go through the event I can list ideas, insights, takeaways, and questions to explore in Column One and who to share that learning with in Column Two.” Similarly, Carolyn Hook recommends sorting notes into three categories: “Ideas you can implement immediately upon return. Ideas that may require discussion and have costs. Ideas that require strategic discussion, long-term planning and significant budget adjustments.”

You get what you give. Annual isn’t just about what you can learn, but what you can teach—even if you’re not a presenter. See yourself playing an active role in making the Annual experience better, says Lowell Aplebaum, FASAE, CAE. “Can you be the connector and help people who don’t know each other form a new professional relationship? Can you be the brave soul who asks that first question in a session when a speaker is waiting for someone to raise their hand? It’s funny how acting from a place of service actually can enhance your own experience.”