ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership had a 13 percent attendance spike for its Annual Meeting and Exposition, held August 21–24 in Los Angeles, with more than 5,500 attendees, which includes those who participated in the meeting virtually. It marked the first time that ASAE offered an online component to its annual conference.

David Gabri, president and CEO, Associated Luxury Hotels International, won the Academy of Leaders Award.

ASAE attracted 2,856 association executives (compared to 2,183 in Toronto in 2009), 1,894 exhibitors (compared to 1,798 in 2009), and 772 other participants (compared to 920 in 2009), for a total of 5,522 attendees. Also, 439 companies exhibited at the show, (compared to 436 in 2009), occupying 733 booths.

For the inaugural virtual meeting, the association had 213 people attend remotely, according to ASAE President and CEO John H. Graham IV, CAE. The cost to attend virtually was $695. ASAE also offered those attendees who registered to attend the live event an opportunity to access the 70 on-demand learning lab sessions for $395 if they signed up by August 31.

Graham said at a press conference that 50 percent of those association executives who signed up for the virtual meeting had colleagues from their associations attend the live meeting. He also said that “we hoped [the virtual attendance] would be higher, but this is a space we have to be in.”

In other technology news, Graham announced that the Technology Conference & Expo 2010 will be held December 13–15 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The event has been held in February in the past, but it was canceled in 2010 because of a snow storm. Graham said that the association was also considering a virtual trade-show element to this year’s event.

At the annual meeting, ASAE honored three individuals for their contributions to the association world. David Gabri, president and chief executive officer of Associated Luxury Hotels International, won the Academy of Leaders Award. It is ASAE’s highest honor given to industry partners for their support of ASAE and the entire association community. David Parker, CAE, president and CEO of the American Gas Association, earned the Key Award, which goes to the chief executive who demonstrates exceptional qualities of leadership. Finally, R. Norris Orms, CAE, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, won the Professional Performance Award. This award recognizes invaluable contributions made by association executives who are not CEOs.

Read more about ASAE’s star-studded affair in Los Angeles and view our photo gallery.