Presenting together for the first time in the U.S., Captains Mark and Scott Kelly open the conference and will discuss how their experiences as U.S. Navy pilots, lessons learned as astronauts in NASA’s Twin Study, and revelations from Scott’s year on the International Space Station have shaped their lives. The Kelly brothers will reflect on how flying in combat, dealing with loss, and their military experiences shaped their views on teamwork, leadership, risk taking, overcoming adversity and adapting to change.

“We are excited to have Mark and Scott Kelly speak as our opening keynotes because they will tell stories that have never been told before and will provide insights that will inspire and motivate all of our attendees,” said ASAE President & CEO John H. Graham IV, FASAE, CAE.

For 2016, ASAE engaged the association community in co-creating a wide range of new learning formats. “We know that learning is social,” said Rhonda M. Payne, CAE, Chief Learning Officer at ASAE, “and both formal and informal learning experiences are a critical part of a successful, self-directed program.” For intensive training and skills development, offerings include full day preconference certificate programs, half day preconference workshops, and a series of 60 and 90-mintue Learning Labs and Deep Dives during the conference.  Other learning formats include: Express Learning (20 minutes), Panel Discussion, OpenSpace attendee generated discussions and Edutainment sessions, which are creative and experiential formats like Ignite, StorySlam, or Improv.  

The preconference certificate programs offer five full-day options for attendees: AMCs Engaged!; Building a Strategic Foresight Capacity, Creating High-Performance Teams by Embracing Diverse Work Styles; One-Day Association MBA; and Executive Leadership Presence for Aspiring CEOs.

There are five half-day preconference workshops covering the following topics: Creating and Leading a Culture of Innovation; Everything You Need to Know about Association Law; Global Trends: A Primer for Association Growth; CLAUSEtrophobia: Negotiating and Influencing Contracts and Business Agreements; and Social Media Intelligence.

ASAE is helping the association community give back to two local organizations during the event in Salt Lake City this year: The Good Samaritan Program and the Utah Food Bank. The Good Samaritan Program has helped the poor and underserved people in Salt Lake City community since 1984. The program provides sack lunches, referrals, clothing, and toiletries at no cost. The Utah Food Bank has been serving the community for more than 110 years, and has distributed over 31 million meals to the entire state. It’s part of a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks.  

NOTE: Members of the press receive complimentary registration to attend the event. Please contact ASAE Public Relations department to request your complimentary pass.

ASAE thanks the following Alliance Partners for their continued support of the association community:

Strategic Partners
Abila
Atlanta CVB
Business Events Canada
Personify
Reno Tahoe USA
Team San Jose
YourMembership

Corporate Partners
Visit Baltimore
Dallas CVB
Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB
Fort Worth CVB
GEICO
Louisville CVB
Mexico Tourism Board
Naylor Association Solutions
Omaha CVB
Visit Orlando
Visit Salt Lake
Meet in Washington State

Event Partners
BrightKey
The Broadmoor
CliftonLarsonAllen
DelCor Technology Solutions
Dubai Association Centre
Hong Kong Tourism Board
Johnson Lambert LLP and Vault Consulting
Korea Tourism Organization
Manifest
MemberClicks
Meet In Minnesota
New Orleans CVB and New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

MEDIA CONTACT: Lauren Precker, CAE, lprecker@asaecenter.org or 202-626-2765.

About ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership
ASAE is a membership organization of more than 21,000 association executives and industry partners representing 9,300 organizations. Its members manage leading trade associations, individual membership societies and voluntary organizations across the United States and in nearly 50 countries around the world. With support of the ASAE 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. For more information about ASAE, visit asaecenter.org.