Navigating the ASAE Annual Meeting and Expo can be overwhelming, especially for first-timers. Some advice for how to make it both meaningful and fun.
Every time I’ve set foot in the home for the ASAE Annual Meeting and Expo, I stress out a little. There are a lot of people, a good amount of noise, and a lot of things going on. Looking at the lineup of education sessions and events, it’s easy to feel like I want to be—need to be—in at least three places at once.
Some of that reaction has to do with me being an introvert. But talking with attendees over the years and in preparation for the onsite newspaper, the Daily Now—make sure to pick up a copy while you’re there—I know it’s a common feeling. So as you get set for the coming days, here are a few tips that I and others have found helpful when navigating Annual. Please add your own suggestions in the comments.
Arrive with one question you want answers to. Are you trying to improve as a leader? Dealing with a difficult board? Anxious about your association’s financial position? It’s a lucky association executive who’s only dealing with one problem, but think of Annual as a set of recommendations and panel of experts to address your biggest one, packaged just for you. As you scan through the list of sessions and workshops, design a schedule that puts you in front of the people and ideas who can help.
Have a team. You don’t run an organization alone, and learning works best in groups too. If you’ve arrived with a group of people from your association or company, make plans to check in regularly about what you’ve seen and learned. If you’re flying solo, you can connect with a colleague on-site, or gather information with a mind to bounce ideas off of staff or volunteer leaders when you make it back to the office.
Annual is a place where, unlike many of your relatives, thousands of people understand exactly what you do for a living.
Take a chance on something. People have very strong opinions about the structure of education sessions. (I’ve joked that the most frightening words in the English language are, “Now, please turn to a person seated next to you…”) Sessions are too long, too short, too fluffy, too PowerPoint-y, too interactive, not interactive enough, and on and on. Sometimes these strong opinions are rooted in nothing more than one or two disappointing past experiences, so Annual is a good opportunity to reset and try a learning format you’ve long resisted.
Ask questions—and answer them too. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve heard stories about people meeting friends and longtime professional colleagues through simple questions like, “How do you like working at the Widget Association?” or “Where do I catch the shuttle bus?” Attendees and presenters alike are great repositories of knowledge and reassurance—make use of them, and do the same in return. The Annual Meeting is a place where, unlike many of your relatives, thousands of people understand exactly what you do for a living, and often savor the opportunity to talk shop. Be a little nosy for the next few days—just be ready to share what you know too.
If you’re looking for more, we’ve collected some advance reading recommendations for #ASAE24. The meeting is an exciting opportunity to learn and do more—even if you have to turn to the person seated next to you to do it.
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