ASAE11 was a great experience on many levels. But it also prompts me to ask a question. My top five reasons for giving ASAE staff, volunteers and attendees an A+:
- Lots of variety. We had a stand-bys (general sessions, learning labs, socials, engagement lounge and exhibits). We had some new concepts including the unsession learning tours, innovation forums and the deep dive, game changer, and flash sessions. They even had what looked like a great first-timers program – check it out. By the way, ASAE already has a slideshow to show you what you missed J.
- Accessibility. From the meeting location to the availability of wi-fi to the vibrant social media to on-site communications, it was easy to connect. Check out the Hub for a peak.
- People. It always comes down to having the right people in the room. I enjoyed the mix of the association professionals (and in that phrase I include vendors, consultants and all those who don’t sport the “regular” badge).
- Ideas & more ideas. I returned home with lots of resources, tips and ideas. Two of my favorite takeaways are from two sessions I almost didn’t attend. From the Collective Intelligence session I learned a simple process to jumpstart innovation and from the session on gaming the idea to build a game that can help members prepare for certification.
- Involvement of attendees. I signed up to be a guest blogger for Acronym along with a crew of members (check out the feed) like Jeffrey Cufaude, Brandon Robinson, Maggie McGary, Lowell Aplebaum, Frank Fortin, CAE, Shelly Alcorn, CAE, and Scott D. Oser. And that’s just one of more than a dozen ways ASAE tapped members/attendees to be active participants. This gave my participation an added focus that helped me dig deeper into the experience. I was a “reporter” so my eyes and ears were perhaps more open. BTW, my contributions included:
And now the question. As association executives who offer learning events for its members and decry members who don’t take part, how come so many of us don’t take part in our association – ASAE’s – events? How come we don’t invest in our professional development as we ask our members to?