ASAE 2022 was full of great ideas, inspiration, education and networking. Here are a few of the little touches that we noted, as posted on social media before, during and after the event.
The American Society for Association Executives (ASAE) 2022 Annual Meeting, held in Nashville, Tenn., August 20-23, had a packed slate of speakers, networking events, celebrations and interesting ideas. Here were a few that got some play on social media.
- Airport Welcome with a Local Touch — Smiling faces and big, bright and bold electronic signs were on hand to greet attendees before they even left the airport. The water was welcome, but the Goo Goo Clusters — Nashville’s official candy — was an even bigger hit.
- Pet Pics in the Event App — Apparently this was a thing this year — people posting photos and videos of their pets on the profiles in the event app. Talk about a good conversation starter, at least among fellow animal lovers.
- Really Innovative Booth Ideas — Exhibitors seemed even more over-the-top eager to draw people to their booths this year, offering all kinds of really cool reasons to stop by. Among the many that caught our eye was the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau’s offering a chance to win “an exhilarating shark cage dive” and a drive in a Porsche 911 Carrera S. While it’s a bit smaller in scale, the light-up water bottle giveaway at Kiwi Creative also looked pretty cool.
- Opening Party Featuring Little Big Town. Only in Nashville do you have this particular talent on hand to get the opening ceremony off to a rocking (but country) start.
- Hangover Hospital — While this idea of having an area those who overindulged in alcohol could find possible relief did not get universally rave reviews, the idea of providing a waystation with commonly needed items was generally well received. Some ideas for improvement, according to comments to a post in a Facebook group, included calling it something other than Hangover Hospital (“hangovers are sort of #okboomer,” said one person, while others noted that, while it happens, it’s best not to call attention to that fact). There also were concerns about handing out any medical products. However, there were several additions some would have liked to see, from COVID tests to stain wipes and safety pins.
However, the most commented-upon aspect of the show by far that we noted was how excited people were to be able to get together again in person. As one person noted in a LinkedIn post, “It’s crazy to think it’s been four years (and two kids) since my last conference.”
