The Center for Association Leadership partnered with Discover Los Angeles to bring out the stars for 5,000 association executives at ASAE’s Annual Meeting & Exposition at Los Angeles Convention Center. ASAE President and CEO Michelle Mason gave multiple shout-outs to her “bestie” Discover Los Angeles President and CEO Adam Burke.
With assists from NBA Hall of Fame player Earvin “Magic” Johnson, “Quiet” author Susan Cain and entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, Mason highlighted the wins from the year. The association lobbied for the expansion of 529 plans to cover lifelong learning and credentials and the preservation of the association’s nonprofit tax status. Mason cautioned that “the Community Impact Coalition will continue to be essential in educating members of Congress about the important role associations play in the economy.”
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For his part, Burke put the spotlight on the high-profile global sports events coming to town in the next few years, including FIFA World Cup in 2026, Super Bowl LXI in 2027 and the Summer Olympics and Paralympics in 2028. To prepare, Los Angeles World Airports invested $30 billion in LAX to add a people mover, terminal renovation and a new concourse. The upgrades are part of 28 projects designed to make public transportation to the games easier. A planned Grand Concourse expansion at Los Angeles Convention Center will start in 2026 and is scheduled for completion in 2029 after the games.
Advance Planning
It was against this dynamic background that Mason and Burke started working together two years ago to push the boundaries of what was possible at a Southern California event. The goal was to use venues in new ways and align content with member needs.
“We actually bonded over pickles,” Burke said. Mason was looking for authentic L.A. experiences and the two hit The Original Farmers Market. They shared their love of authentic food over pickle-tasting flights.
“It’s about collaboration. You cannot pull off a meeting like this in isolation,” said Mason. “You have to communicate the good, the bad and the ugly and identify solutions based on an understanding of the audience and the outcomes you want to achieve.”
The collaboration was put to the test eight months before the doors opened at Annual when devastating fires broke out in Altadena and Pasadena in Los Angeles County. While the fires only impacted 2% of the county, photos on social media made it look like the entire city was in flames. “Michelle was the first one to pick up the phone and call to see what we needed,” Burke said. ASAE Research Foundation raised $42,520 for California Fire Foundation and American Red Cross relief efforts in Southern California and presented a check at Annual. In addition to the dollars, bringing meeting professionals to town to see for themselves that it was not in ashes or filled with National Guard members and protestors helped to tell the story of a city ready to host the world.
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A safety and security task force developed in conjunction with city agencies planned for impacts before, during and after the citywide that included receptions at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with a performance by Adam Lambert, ASAE Research Foundation’s The Classic at The Novo & Grammy Museum showing of the city’s big-screen vibes and a rousing afternoon closing reception at L.A. Live. The conclusion brought the event full circle to where it started on Friday evening with the ASAE Board Meeting at Sendero restaurant on the 24th floor of The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles.
The four days in Los Angeles were envisioned as a throughline of the conversations and events ASAE is hosting throughout the year. That includes The Exchange: A Women’s Leadership Experience and ASAE Academy content, including AI event technology, which was present at the Annual in the form of an expanded tech zone in the Expo Hall. Also new this year was a Small Business Marketplace of local vendors to support the local community.
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A robust Expo Hall included destination activations from around the country and the world, including Rwanda, Dubai, Hong Kong and Canada. Virginie De Visscher, executive director of business events with Destination Canada, was clear in her presentation from stage that events from the U.S. are valued and cherished. She focused on what connects the two countries rather than what divides them. “We are a country of open minds, open hearts and open spaces. Mountain ranges span both countries and eagles flying in the sky don’t see borders,” she said. She also noted that Canada is seeing an uptick in international meetings looking for a North American rotation.
Stage Magic
Authentic Angeleno Magic Johnson focused on the power association leaders have to lift up those who need it most. “DEI may be dead, but you still have to find a way to have impact,” he said. Johnson’s post-sports career as president and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises has built resources in inner-city communities that need places to go. In the process, Johnson proved that serving a neglected population is actually a successful business model. Mason called that an example of the shared values she was intentional about including.
Johnson’s advice between stories about on-court rivals Michael Jordan and Larry Bird:
- Your competitor can make you better. We are all better because somebody pushed us to do more.
- Leave your ego at the door. Sometimes you have to step back, be willing to learn new ideas and strategies.
- Understand who is working with you and how to motivate them to get the best out of them.
- Leaders make adjustments. We find and make a way to do well. We don’t make excuses.
- Change is hard, but you have to always evolve to do a better job for partners and the community so minorities aren’t left behind by AI.
Quiet Wisdom
Susan Cain, the author of “Quiet” and “Bittersweet” and unofficial Patron Saint of Introverts, dropped her own truth bombs in conversation with moderator Holly Ransom.
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She explained that people are born with different types of nervous systems. “Stimulations can wear some people down and energize others. Conversely, if an extrovert is under stimulated, they can lose interest, while an introvert may be nourished by long stretches of focus. “The challenge for leaders is to find an optimal culture for everyone,” she said.
Creating productive workplaces that bring out the best in everyone starts by talking about it. She suggested taking personality tests that can help identify tendencies and be a grounding point. Then play “What I wish you knew about me” and structure work schedules that meet everyone’s needs.
“The noise of the world is just getting louder and we have a bias for extroverts, but just because they speak up more in meetings doesn’t mean they are more skilled,” Cain said. Creating a safe space for introverts to think and contribute alongside more outgoing colleagues is the path to the most productive team.
“Introverts comprise a third to half of the population. If we are not putting their nervous systems in optimal zones that is a waste of talent, creativity and energy.”
