American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) today announced that it will hold the 2019 Annual Meeting & Exposition in Columbus, Ohio. The annual conference is estimated to bring more than 5,000 attendees to Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC) from Aug. 10-13.
“This will be the first time ASAE will hold its Annual Meeting & Exposition in Columbus,” said John H. Graham, president and CEO of ASAE. “Columbus is a great convention city, and they are excited to welcome the association community. Columbus has planned unique and exceptional events that will surprise and delight our members. We’re looking forward to working with the city of Columbus and can’t wait for our members to experience everything it offers.”
By July 2017, The GCCC will unveil $125 million in renovations before the conference takes place. Exhibitors will be able to make use of 373,000 sq. ft. of newly expanded contiguous exhibit space; 10,000 sq. ft. of event space across two levels; 10 new meeting rooms; an open atrium entrance on the north end; and a new 800-space parking garage connected by covered a skywalk.
Out of 27,000 hotel rooms in the city, 4,000 are located in downtown Columbus and 2,100 are connected or adjacent to the convention center. The Annual Meeting & Exposition is expected to fill 16,800 hotel rooms. The GCCC is within walking distance to dining and entertainment districts, plus 33-acres of green space along Scioto Mile, which runs through the heart of the city.
“This is a game-changer for our community,” said Brian Ross, president and CEO of Experience Columbus. “Hosting ASAE puts Columbus on the map with key decision makers and influencers planning meetings for their national associations. Our community should be very proud of the collaborative effort put forth to win this conference. We look forward to wowing attendees when they come in 2019.”
Based in Washington, DC, ASAE is a membership organization of more than 21,000 association executives and industry partners, representing 10,000 organizations. Its members manage leading trade associations, individual membership societies and voluntary organizations across the United States and in nearly 50 countries around the world. ASAE members plan over 376,000 meetings, expositions and seminars that reach over 200 million attendees annually.
