ASAE Technology Exploration Conference Delivered Thought-Leaders, Live Demos and Best in Class Learning for Association Executives

Nearly 900 association and industry professionals participated in the revitalized Technology Exploration Conference (TEC), December 3-4, and took part in over 30 high-level education sessions and the exhibit hall. The event was held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.

The final attendance was 898: Execs (Association Executives, Consultants, Speakers) 468, Exhibitors (Industry Partners, Exhibiting Booth Staff) 346, and Other (Press, Staff, and Vendors) 84. Additionally, there were 109 companies representing 150 booths that exhibited in the expo hall this year.

"The goal of the revitalized TEC conference was to provide the association community an opportunity to immerse themselves in interactive experiences designed to challenge their thinking and move their individual organizations forward," said Susan Robertson, CAE, Interim ASAE President and CEO. "We achieved this by bringing in leaders in the technology sector for our keynote speakers, engaging with companies to provide live demos, and through learning sessions led by the best in the industry."

Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, opened the event by outlining the impact of technology on the global economy. He also shared insights on how the association community can prepare its workforce to meet the technology demands of the future. For the second half of his keynote, Shapiro was joined by Sherrell Dorsey, Founder and CEO of ThePLUG, for an engaging on-stage interview. They addressed topical issues around filling the technology skills gap, and how to embrace resiliency as individuals and organizations as we become more reliant on technology.

On Wednesday, December 4, the morning keynote speaker Nicholas Thompson, Editor-in-chief of WIRED shared thoughts about the wired future and how every industry, including associations, is being transformed, but not replaced by technological advances. He encouraged organizations to evaluate components where technology has a great return and cultivate a workforce to support those areas. Following his keynote address, Thompson was joined on stage by Julie Shoop, VP of Content Strategy & Editor-in-Chief of Associations Now at ASAE for a Q&A session that addressed trust in the technology sector, privacy concerns, and the topic of how to succeed with failure.

ASAE offered association professionals four additional educational opportunities to explore prior to and during the event.

• Digital Convergence ? The full-day program held on Monday offered attendees the opportunity to hear experts from inside and outside of the association space such as Inteleos and the International Monetary Fund. They discussed what Digital Transformation means for associations beyond the buzzwords.
• Technical Project Management ? This preconference workshop provided attendees with the foundational elements for project management basics and methodologies.
• Women Executives Forum: Retaining Human Dignity in a Technology-Driven Work Force ? Addressed the importance of humanity in a successful work force as technology plays an increasing role in our lives.
• Next, Now! ? A new addition, this program created by industry partners connected attendees with the latest trends and tools in the technology industry through this special track of sessions.

Next year's conference will be December 8-9, 2020, Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.

ASAE thanks the following Alliance Partners for their continued support of the association community:

Strategic Partners
Atlanta CVB
Business Events Canada
Choose Chicago
Experience Columbus
Community Brands
Greater Fort Lauderdale Meetings
Naylor Association Solutions
Discover Puerto Rico

Corporate Partners
Visit Austin
Visit Baltimore
Caesars Entertainment
Destination Cleveland
Visit Dallas
Delcor
Fonteva
GEICO
Louisville CVB
Visit Omaha
Travel Portland
Visit Salt Lake
Visit San Jose

Event Partners
Advanced Solutions International
Bostrom
The Broadmoor
CliftonLarsonAllen
Experient
Higher Logic
Manifest
MemberClicks
Discover The Palm Beaches
OpenWater
SunTrust

About ASAE

ASAE is celebrating 100 years of making society smarter, better and safer. The Centennial anniversary represents ASAE's role as a leader and supporter of progress and innovation in the association industry. ASAE is a membership organization of more than 48,000 association executives and industry partners representing 7,400 organizations. Since it was established 100 years ago, its members have and continue to lead, manage, and work in or partner with organizations in more than a dozen association management disciplines, from executive management to finance to technology. With the support of the ASAE Research Foundation, a separate nonprofit entity, ASAE is the premier source of learning, knowledge, and future-oriented research for the association and nonprofit profession and provides resources, education, ideas, and advocacy to enhance the power and performance of the association and nonprofit community. Visit ASAE at asaecenter.org.