Can you believe it? Less than two weeks until ASAE hosts it’s 2015 Annual Meeting and Expo in Detroit, Michigan! We’re just as excited to attend as an exhibitor and we’ve got some great giveaway prizes to boot! Here’s a rundown of our 10 reasons to attend this year’s conference:
1. If your organization is planning to hit the Association Solutions Marketplace (a.k.a. expo hall) with a thick stack of business cards and checklists in hand, make sure you stop by ACGI’s booth 645 to meet our team, especially if you’re looking for association and certification management solutions! We could go on and on about the features and benefits of our AMS and CMS (Certification Management System), how it’s helped associations like yours operate more effectively, increased membership revenue, you get the idea…just stop by, we promise it’ll be worth your while. (Marketplace hours are 10:15 a.m.-1:45 p.m., Sunday and Monday).
2. Better yet, if you’re really serious and want an in-depth look at our AMS and certification platform, schedule a private one-on-one demonstration with us (or two or three-on-one, team decision makers welcome). The Business Connection Lounge will be open for such meetings 7:30-10 a.m. and 2-4:30 p.m., Sunday and Monday, but we’ll also be available during Marketplace hours (see reason #1).
3. Volunteer to make a difference in Detroit! You can support Detroit nonprofit, Alternatives for Girls, by participating in hand-on projects on Saturday or Tuesday, including a tour of their facility and getting to know girls in the program over reading, crafts and packing hygiene kits. A few of us from ACGI will be at Saturday’s community connection, hope to see you there!
4. Wake up in the morning feeling like…running? Ok, well if exercise is your forte, you can also support Alternatives for Girls by participating in the 5k Fun Run and Walk on Sunday morning, 6:15 a.m. (ooph) – 7:15 a.m. They’ll also be collecting donations of travel-size items for hygiene kits, which you can drop off at the Cabo Center.
5. Back to the expo hall, if you’ve attended these conferences before, you know there are plenty of opportunities to win prizes and grab some swag! Well, you don’t want to miss us, we’ll be giving away an Apple Watch Sport! Who doesn’t want to try out these hot wearables? Visit Booth 645. Enter to win. You won’t be disappointed. We’ll even give you a free pen and travel care kit! How’s that for some swag?
6. Wait! What’s this? Another giveaway by ACGI?? Yes, we decided one is not enough (especially after seeing the Apple Watch is quite the popular giveaway this year 😉 we’re so on trend). We’ll be giving away an exclusive Detroit Skyline Motown Vinyl Art. You can only get this at Booth 645, so if you’re a fan of art, Detroit, Motown or just want to win something awesome and original to brag about, don’t miss us.
7. Keynotes that wow. ASAE has done a nice job selecting keynotes for past conferences. I mean, who could forget poet Sekou Andrews at ASAE’s MM&C Conference this year?! For this conference, check out Josh Linkner, presenting the opening general session, “Harnessing Innovation: Turning Raw Ideas into Powerful Results,” and Sherry Turkle, closing out with, “Reclaiming Conversation in Our Digital World.”
8. Let’s not forget all those meaty learning lab sessions awaiting us. Topics range from community engagement, cyber security, brand authenticity to Governance, Women in the Workplace and even Meditation! Take your pick and start adding your favorites to your mobile app schedule.
9. Let loose and network with association professionals at ASAE’s special evening events, including the opening reception at The Henry Ford Museum, the Classic at Fox Theatre, and the closing reception at Hart Plaza. These are always unforgettable and embrace the host-city’s best of music, food and culture.
10. If the first nine reasons weren’t enough, last recommendation is to use your free time prior to the conference, Sunday evening, or post-conference, to explore some other gems of Detroit. Here’s a site to inspire the traveler inside you!
What are you looking forward to at ASAE’s Annual Meeting this year? Have another reason you’d like to add to the list? Feel free to share it with us on Twitter @ACGISoftware, #asae15. We look forward to seeing you there!
