WASHINGTON— More than 5,300 association professionals, exhibitors, speakers, partners and industry stakeholders gathered in Indianapolis Aug. 15–18 for the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition – the event’s highest attendance since 2019.

Centered on the theme “Driven by Purpose,” the four-day gathering welcomed nearly 3,000 association professionals and decision-makers, also marking the largest turnout in that category since 2019.

With more than 78,000 square feet sold and over 400 participating companies, this year’s Expo was the largest in ASAE Annual Meeting history and achieved a strong 63% buyer-to-37% seller ratio.

During its meeting in Indianapolis, the ASAE Board of Directors also approved a new strategic framework to guide the organization’s work and investments over the next three to five years. Shaped by input from more than 500 volunteer leaders, members and partners, the framework will serve as a roadmap for ASAE and its community to co-create the organization’s future, strengthen the association sector and deliver greater value to members. ASAE’s Fiscal Year 2027 Board of Directors was also installed during the meeting and will begin its term Sept. 1.

“More than 5,300 attendees came together in Indianapolis, truly ‘Driven by Purpose,’ for an extraordinary week of learning, connection and community,” said ASAE President and CEO Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE, AAiP. “We are deeply grateful for the ideas, energy and engagement that made this our largest ASAE Annual Meeting since before the pandemic – and to Visit Indy, the Indiana Society of Association Executives and the entire Indianapolis hospitality community for welcoming us so warmly. As we look ahead, we are excited to translate our new strategic framework into action and continue co-creating ASAE’s future alongside our community.”

The ASAE Annual Meeting is the nation’s largest annual gathering of association executives and decision-makers. Hosting the meeting typically generates an immediate economic impact of $15 million to $18 million over four days, with benefits extending well beyond the event itself. Historically, approximately 20% of attendees book a future meeting in the host city within five years.

 

Through its Meeting Community Needs initiative, ASAE works to create a positive and lasting impact in every Annual Meeting host city. This year, ASAE presented Visit Indy with $20,000 to support the organization’s Tourism Tomorrow Scholarship and Grant Program, a comprehensive workforce development initiative designed to strengthen the future of Indianapolis’ tourism industry.

Indianapolis hosted the ASAE Annual Meeting for the first time and welcomed the association community with exceptional warmth and hospitality. In a powerful show of support for ASAE and the broader association community, Visit Indy also presented the ASAE Research Foundation with a $100,000 donation to advance research, innovation and the future of the association and meetings industries.

 

“It’s often been said that the reward for hard work - is hard work,” said Leonard Hoops, president & CEO of Visit Indy. “But the reward for the hard work that a cast of thousands put into hosting the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting and Expo has been so much more than that. We had the privilege of surprising and delighting a post-pandemic record of more than 5,300 attendees, the vast majority of whom were association decision-makers. We strengthened longtime relationships while making new friends - both with customers and competitors. And we had the pleasure of working with Michelle Mason and her talented and dedicated team at ASAE. We should do it again some time!”

 

Inspiring Ideas and Unforgettable Experiences

Main Stage speakers challenged, energized and inspired attendees throughout the meeting, including:

• Emmy Award-winning mentalist and bestselling author Oz Pearlman
• Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School and one of the world’s leading management thinkers
• CNN host and Emmy Award-winning producer Van Jones

Beyond the classroom, attendees experienced some of Indianapolis’ most iconic venues through events curated by ASAE and Visit Indy:

• Opening Celebration—Held Aug. 15 at White River State Park and featuring 13-time GRAMMY® Award-winning recording artist, songwriter and producer Babyface
• The Classic—The ASAE Research Foundation’s signature fundraiser, held Aug. 17 at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway
• Closing Celebration—Held Aug. 18 at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts

The ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition next heads to Charlotte, Aug. 7–10, 2027. Future host cities are scheduled through 2034. Visit the ASAE Annual Meeting website to view upcoming dates and destinations.

ASAE thanks its Alliance Partners for their ongoing support. ASAE’s Alliance Partners include:

Strategic Alliance Partners

Aplusify

Advanced Solutions International

Atlanta CVB

Destination Canada Business Events

Experience Columbus

Visit Detroit

Momentive Software

Naylor Association Solutions

Discover Puerto Rico

Visit Tampa Bay

Corporate Alliance Partners

Visit Baltimore

Charlotte

Choose Chicago

Destination Cleveland

DelCor Technology Solutions

Fonteva

Higher Logic

Visit Indy

Visit Kansas City

Visit Lauderdale

Louisville Tourism

Greater Miami CVB

Visit Milwaukee

Visit Omaha

Visit Orlando

Visit Greater Palm Springs

Visit Pittsburgh

Event Alliance Partners

Visit Austin

Bostrom

D2L

designDATA

Forj

Hilton

IHG Hotels & Resorts

Infuse

Insight Guide

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority

MGM Resorts

Meet Minneapolis

New Orleans

The Palm Beaches

Pantheon

Personify

Visit Phoenix

Travel Portland

Visit Reno Tahoe

Visit Richmond

Visit Salt Lake

Visit Savannah

Virginia Beach CVB

Global Alliance Partners

Singapore

Ally Partners

Association Briefings

Blue Cypress

CNTV

eShow

Feathr

Gather Voices

Matchbox

Swapcard

MEDIA CONTACT: Chris Vest, CAE, 202-626-2798, cvest@asaecenter.org

 

About ASAE

ASAE is a membership organization of more than 50,000 association executives and industry partners. Since it was established more than 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 Welcome to ASAE — American Society of Association Executives (asaecenter.org)