Despite threats of rain and flooding in the state, American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Annual 2026 at Indiana Convention Center this week was the largest gathering by almost any measure, with 5,300 registered and 500 volunteers, all taking place on the largest trade show floors. It was also one of the most impactful.
ASAE President and CEO Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE, gave some of the credit for the record numbers to the choice of destination. Indianapolis is a place people are curious about, especially now when the downtown is getting a $3 billion glow-up. The block outside Indiana Convention Center is in the process of morphing into a new pedestrian plaza, with the new 803-room Signia by Hilton Indianapolis, which will feature the largest ballroom in the state and a skywalk to the convention center when it opens its doors before the end of 2026. A 167-room historic reuse project will join the convention district as Kimpton Indianapolis Downtown.
Historic St. Elmo Steak House is serving up more than potent horseradish-fueled shrimp cocktails. They are expanding in Indiana and Arizona.
Across the street, Hendricks Commercial Properties, the developers of Bottleworks District, are investing $600 million in revitalizing two blocks into a vibrant mixed-use Traction Yards project.
A few blocks away, a new 176-room The Ritz-Carlton Indianapolis will connect to Gainbridge Fieldhouse where the viral WNBA Fever play. The area is turning into an entertainment and dining destination drawing domestic and international visitors.
Read More: Indiana: Heartland Hospitality
Leonard Hoops, president and CEO of Visit Indy, explained that when the city bid on the conference in 2019, those developments were projected to be complete by the time doors opened in 2026, however Covid delayed construction. “Orange cones show that a lot is going on,” he said.
Shades, Wonder and Fearlessness on Stage
The three-day conference for the membership organization serving more than 50,000 association executives and industry partners kicked off with a concert by the Grammy-winning and Indianapolis-born-and-raised artist Babyface (Kenneth Brian Edmonds). The ultimate icebreaker came in the form of mentalist Oz Pearlman, who had attendees marveling over the facts he could discern by watching people’s reactions.
And a challenge came on day two when Amy Edmondson, Novartis professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School, suggested the trick to moving forward is to fail intelligently. The author of “The Right Kind of Wrong” suggested leading like a scientist to encourage low-stakes experiments in new areas by offering psychological safety (which is fundamentally different than being nice). When failure inevitably comes, take the time to learn from it and communicate the results. “You might even want to have a failure party,” she said.
Advocacy and Education Guide Future Focus
Like many associations, ASAE Annual is where the board sets priorities for the coming years. Growing influence and impact, enriching talent and organizational readiness, and optimizing member experience was the result of a strategic framework based on months of community input.
To achieve these goals, ASAE is investing in the Trust Associations Campaign, an advocacy initiative launched last year to combat a proposal by policymakers to tax association organizations.
Read More: ASAE: On a Mission
Working with the Community Impact Coalition, ASAE successfully helped keep proposals targeting associations out of tax legislation last year. By speaking with one voice to policymakers and other stakeholders about the value associations bring, the campaign is designed to get in front of future threats.
“We are mobilizing our members to talk about why we are that trusted sector in this era of misinformation, malinformation and disinformation. We are the credible embedded resource,” said Mason.
ASAE is also planning to build out its credentialing program. During the general session, 87 people were awarded their Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation, bringing the total number of CAEs in the world to 4,600.
Gene Ransom III, CEO of MedChi, testified to the rigor of the program. “Having passed both the bar exam and the CAE exam, I can say they are both difficult and require serious study, preparation and diligence,” he said.
A pilot CAE Growth & Talent Ecosystem Initiative lays out the eight knowledge domains essential for effective association leadership. Within those mastery areas, aligned micro credentials would expand learning opportunities while creating new ways for professionals to build and demonstrate expertise throughout their careers.
Leaving a Legacy
Both Mason and Hoops focused on how the event would leave the community better than when the executives arrived. Visit Indy donated $100,000 to ASAE Research Foundation to continue advancement efforts.
ASAE supported Indianapolis nonprofit Teachers Treasures by volunteering, providing classroom items and donating $20,000 from ASAE Research Foundation.
Hoops said education is a priority in a city that is home to both Purdue University and Indiana University (IUIndy), which offers what he calls another kind of STEM program—sports, tourism and event management studies. “We do both kinds of STEM pretty well,” he said.
Looking Ahead
Attendees sad about leaving could look forward to more conferences in the coming year. “It had been retired, but we are bringing it back because we need a place for our members to test ideas, think about the future of associations and act,” said Mason.
ASAE Annual will be in Charlotte, North Carolina, Aug. 7-10, a hand-off from one sports city to another.
