In August, CHAMPS attended the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) annual meeting and exposition in Atlanta, GA. Over three days, more than 5,000 association professionals and industry partners gathered to share knowledge, solutions and resources and forge connections while finding inspiration to continue making strides in their industry.

Along with Tracy Wise, senior vice president, business operations & administration for The Center for Health Affairs and CHAMPS GPO, I was in attendance to introduce our services to individuals unfamiliar with our work and the many benefits we can offer their organizations.

Consisting of more than 48,000 individual members, ASAE is an organization for association management and represents both organizations and individual association professionals from nearly every sector of the economy and countless professions. While their annual meeting might not seem like an obvious place for a GPO to exhibit, the background of attendees allowed for the perfect opportunity to enlighten an audience comprised of many individuals unaware of how a partnership with CHAMPS can be a game changer.

Speaking to the association professionals in attendance about the impact a GPO can have as a value-added program for their association, many were surprised to learn the specifics of what our portfolio of contracts has to offer. Attendees were intrigued by our vast portfolio of more than 2,600 contracts, no-cost membership, dedicated national account managers, and the average savings of 10-20% on items our members procure regularly.

Because this was an off-industry conference, there were countless opportunities to go over those details and educate booth visitors on how they were missing out on savings. With most never having explored a GPO, I quickly detailed how an association can benefit from CHAMPS by focusing on our ability to identify savings for an association’s own use, through referral partnerships that bring savings to the association’s members, and as a new revenue stream for the association.

Being only one of two GPOs exhibiting provided us with ample opportunities to communicate with new types of industries. This included conversations with representatives from a biotechnology association and an energy association, both of which were unaware of the many perks offered by a GPO membership. These brief interactions are what make events like ASAE invaluable by providing the opportunity for partnerships that bring the GPO industry to other sectors.

The event itself was a spectacle with thousands of attendees, well-respected speakers and opportunities for socializing and making new connections. This year’s ASAE annual meeting’s theme was “Shape Your Purpose” and emphasized the unique approach that associations take when defining and expressing their personal and organizational purpose. Offering sessions, attendees were able to receive credit hours toward certification or renewal of the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation.

With our headquarters located in Cleveland, OH, we were thrilled to hear from Kevin Clayton, senior vice president and head of social impact and equity for the Cleveland Cavaliers, as he spoke about the 2024 ASAE meeting, which will take place in Cleveland, OH.

The event featured numerous noteworthy speakers, including:

• Daymond John, a self-made multimillionaire, best known for a starring role on ABC’s business reality TV show, Shark Tank. John presented his 5 Shark Rules: set a goal, homework is key, amore: bring value to others, remember you are the brand, and keep swimming.
• Chad Foster, author of the book Blind Ambition: How to Go from Victim to Visionary, who challenged traditional roles of peak performance and encouraged everyone to lean into the disadvantages that make them strong and unique.
• Soledad O’Brian, documentarian, journalist, speaker, author, and philanthropist, who spoke about the importance of elevating and empowering authentic stories on social issues.

Learn more about ASAE and their annual meeting, here. For more information on the benefits of a CHAMPS GPO membership, contact us.