CEO Graham cites high number of participants who flew in, estimates $16 million impact for city; looks ahead to Detroit next year.

ASAE14 has drawn the largest association executive attendance since the annual meeting was held in Chicago in the pre-recession days of 2007, ASAE CEO John Graham said Monday.

The event, which runs through today in Nashville, Tenn., attracted total participation of 5,924, including 3,142 executives, 1,863 exhibitors and 919 others according to preliminary figures, Graham said at his annual meeting press conference.

He noted that ASAE meetings in Chicago and Washington, D.C., draw a lot of local attendees given the concentration of associations in those locations.

"This is the highest number we have had in a long time of people actually getting on a plane and flying to our meeting," he said.

The conference will contribute an estimated $16 million to the Nashville economy during its four days, and could be worth $500 million in future impact given past experience that 20 percent of attendees will book meetings in the host city over in the next five years, Graham said.

"I think Nashville may even exceed that," he said.

Seventy-four percent of attendees said they had not been to Nashville in the past 15 years, he said.

Twenty-three percent were first-time ASAE attendees, which is about average, he said.

While discussing the association's continuing and upcoming diversity and inclusion initiatives, as Graham does every year, a journalist asked whether ASAE would continue to choose annual meeting locations in states where same-sex marriage is prohibited, as it is in Tennessee.

Graham said ASAE does not have a policy on the issue.

Revved up for Detroit
In response to a question about the choice of Detroit for next year's ASAE annual meeting, Graham said the city gets a "bad rap."

The Motor City bid on ASAE to host the meeting 10 years ago, but had too few hotels near its convention center, he said.

Now, the city has a relatively new airport—"the airlift is fantastic"—an improved hotel base and a "totally rehabbed" convention center, Graham said. Detroit also is a sponsor of the association and a longtime sponsor of the group's Diversity in Executive Leadership Program, he said.

"We like to do business with people who do business with us," Graham said. "Detroit has been a big supporter.

"We want to do everything we can to let people know that Detroit is on the comeback. Detroit, like Nashville, will knock it out of the park with venues and entertainment," he said.

Graham acknowledged there is a risk in siting a convention in a city getting so many negative headlines—Detroit filed for bankruptcy protection last year—but said "at the same time there's a terrific opportunity to tell the story of a city on the mend."

ASAE attendees interviewed by CEO Update said they welcome a meeting in Detroit.

"From what I'm reading, Detroit is dramatically changing," said Anthony Parkes, chief staff officer of ICC World Chambers Federation. The Paris, France-based group represents chambers of commerce around the world.

"Organizations and cities change, so I think it's an exciting city and one with a real entrepreneurial spirit. I'm looking forward to seeing how it has changed," said Parkes, a native Australian who said he regularly attends ASAE.