ASAE Heats Up Saint Louis

More than 5,300 association industry executives brought the heat to Saint Louis during the 2011 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition. People met, mingled, networked, danced, and most importantly, learned what was new in the association world. If you weren't able to join us or if you want to relive the experience, we've collected some of the photos and tweets to share the excitement around the event.

The event kicked-off with a once in a lifetime party at the Gateway Arch featuring headliners Michael McDonald and Chingy. As association executives walked and ate their way through a sampling of great tastes of Saint Louis, they also connected with longtime friends and new faces and made plans to connect during the rest of the meeting.

lindydreyer: Amazing. Really fantastic start to this session! Nothing like true stories of how associations change the world to set the tone. #Asae11

chicagogirl27: @petergsheahan as the closing speaker is worth staying an extra day at the meeting. He's awesome. He gets us #asae11

At the opening general session, association professionals told their personal stories of what it means to be an association professional and the impact associations have on the country and throughout the world. The new format of the general session was just one change made to the education formats based on feedback from past attendees. This year, education formats ranged from 5 minute Ignite sessions to 3 hour Deep Dive sessions. Speaker Peter Sheahan brought down the house during the Closing General Session, telling attendees to question their assumptions and master the art of storytelling.

Lauren Hefner: "speak the truth, even if your voice shakes" best and most true ignite slide ever #asae11

Adrienne Bryant: RT @lzgiannini: What can associations learn from Prince? DELP scholar Stefanie Reeves doing a great job with a creative idea #asae11

Jeffrey Cufaude: We have to be relentless and radical about seeking the truth. @joegerstandt #asae11 LZ3 Session: Ignite #1

Of course everything was not perfect, the rooms were ice cold and blankets were requested — but we'll trust the insightful conversation warmed things up.

JennaKellam: ASAE is trying to cryogenically freeze me. #asae11 (shiver)

Of course, learning just doesn't happen in a structured setting. This year a new Innovation Forum and several lounges gave attendees ample opportunity to discuss what they learned in the sessions and share their knowledge.

Lisa Junker: The capacity to be extraordinary is an innate human ability. Don't ask permission to be extraordinary. #asae11

Greg Parker: Great discussions on how to address common challenges in the Small Staff environment: time mgmt, boards, social media, etc... #ASAE11 LH6

Carrie Hartin: Thinking mobile & global "@DursoConvene: Florence Chua: China has 900M to 1B mobile users -- which is 60-70% market penetration #asae11"

As was the case for the past few years, attendees were also heating up social media tools. Collectively, attendees and those following back at the office sent more than 3,500 tweets and uploaded a variety of photos to the Flickr photo pool. For the first time, select articles from the Daily Now were posted as an interactive blog allowing people to follow along at home.

Rick Johnston: Bob Wenger: don't disregard the lurkers who read conversations; it is one form of engagement. #asae11

Brian Pitman: Don't accept when someone thinks they know everything about you. They don't. - @joegerstandt #asae11

rwenger: engagement isn't just about being active, engagement includes readers #ASAE11

Over 400 exhibitors participated in the Association Solutions Marketplace featuring products, services and destinations tailored directly to the association industry. Attendees were able to do everything from building a bear and touring a funhouse to enjoying St. Louis cuisine — all with the ultimate goal of finding a great solution to fit their business needs.

And the fun and engagement didn't stop when attendees left the convention center. At the various receptions, parties, and ASAE Foundation's The Classic, they were met by great food, entertainment, and magical St. Louis hospitality. Attendees also had the opportunity to explore various St. Louis locations, including the Missouri Botanical Garden at The Classic and downtown streets during the closing night block party.

Wade Koehler: Be "proactively reactive" to your board, be ready to react to changes #ASAE11 #lm7

Brian Shea: Cannot believe how much fun I had at the #asae11 Classic tonight. Wonderful food, drink and music!

Leah Chandler: Pleased to meet so many fabulous folks at #ASAE11. Have never seen MO Botanical Gardens look more magical. #STL

For those who came with us to St. Louis, we thank you for your passion and excitement and for making it one of the best Annual Meetings ever. For those who missed us this year—join us next year to see how much heat we can bring to Dallas!

RudyMilian: St. Louis did the best job of any city hosting ASAE. When departing, the TSA screener saw my #asae11 bag and asked if I felt welcome.

djmcknight: Departing St. Louis… Proud to be serving Associations and enjoyed learning more about opportunities Assn's face! Thank you ASAE #asae11

JoshatDisney: If #asae11 met my very high expectations in every way, host city St Louis exceeded them. Way to set the bar! Buh-bye ASAE — see you in Dallas