American Society of Association Executives enjoyed Salt Lake City so much during its annual conference in 2016, it has selected the destination as its host city for its Great Ideas Conference in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

A flagship event for association professionals around the world, ASAE’s Great Ideas Conference will bring together 500 attendees in a retreat-like setting at The Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City. The first iteration of the event here will take place March 1-3, 2020.

The third annual Xperience Design Project hosted by ASAE took place at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center outside Washington D.C. on April 11-12. Known for being a conference that challenges the status quo of the industry, the two-day event attracted 1,654 attendees from 40 states and eight countries.

Toronto’s Vantage Venues and The Globe and Mail Centre played host to the 38th edition of IACC’s Americas Connect conference April 10-11, which brought in 230 delegates.

The theme of this year’s event was “Radical Innovation —Change Everything!” and as such, the education and networking opportunities took a new form. For example, organizers banned speakers from having PowerPoint slides with more than one word. In his address, Keynote Pablos Holman, a former computer hacker turned inventor, encouraged attendees to be disruptors of the events industry..

Connect (formerly known as Collinson Media & Events) will partner with International Association of Exhibitions and Events to host a Women’s Leadership Forum for the first time this year, to continue in 2020 and 2021.

Known as a leader in the meetings, events, travel and tourism industry, Connect will co-locate the forum with its largest reverse-style trade show event, also named Connect. This year’s event will take place Aug. 26-28 in Louisville, Ky.

ASAE today announced two changes to its Certified Association Executive (CAE) Program. The biggest takeaway is that the experience requirement for candidates employed as an association CEO or another C-suite-level position has been reduced to one year.

Additionally, the CAE Commission has adopted a one-credit ethics requirement to be included as part of the 40 credits required for each CAE renewal cycle. This will begin with certificates set to renew in 2010.

In its 17-year tenure, Connecticut-based trade show incubator JD Events has launched many successful shows —Travel Commerce Expo (sold to U.S. Travel Association in 2005), SATCON and HD World (now owned by National Association of Broadcasters and branded as NAB Show New York), to name a few. After selling Drone World Expo to Diversified Business Communications at the end of 2017, the company was on a mission to launch a trade show in a new marketplace.

The sun will shine bright in San Diego next week as the National Grocers Association convenes in the city for the first time ever for the 2019 NGA Show.

The 35th annual trade show and conference for the grocery industry brings together independent retailers and wholesalers, food retail industry executives, food/CPG manufacturers and service providers for learning and networking opportunities.

This year has already been a busy one for trade shows, with five major events wrapping up in January. Take a look at some of the highlights, each indicators that the industry looks strong for 2019 and beyond.

Nominations are open for five available positions on the ASAE and ASAE Foundation Board of Directors. The organization is seeking diverse leadership as defined by race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, appearance, geographic location and professional level.

The board positions include secretary-treasurer and four at-large directors, with all directors serving on the ASAE Board and two of the four selected also serving on the ASAE Foundation Board.

Trade wars and a turbulent global economic outlook. Global opportunities, changing business models and disruption. The need for show organizers to remain flexible as well as pragmatic in running and planning their businesses going forward.