CLEVELAND — The city of Cleveland has one more day to make a great impression on the people who organize conventions and events around the country.
The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) is hosting their annual meeting and exhibition in downtown Cleveland through Tuesday, Aug. 13.
The four-day event brought more than 5,000 people to the area with an estimated economic impact of $15 to $18 million, according to Destination Cleveland.
Destination Cleveland President and CEO David Gilbert says the bulk of the money was spent in downtown on hotels, restaurants, retail, and ride share transportation services. He also says they have made a real effort to get attendees into Cleveland neighborhoods.
“We've done numerous tours that people have paid for, and that money went into businesses in the neighborhoods,” Gilbert says. “We try really hard to spread those visitor dollars throughout the community.”
Leaving a positive impression on attendees matters for future economic growth in the city. According to ASAE, 20 percent of conference attendees book a meeting in the host city within five years.
Gilbert pointed out Monday that the business booked directly from Cleveland hosting ASAE this year will translate to between $200 and $500 million for the region.
“We're thrilled that this many people chose to come to Cleveland, but I think it's also an amazing sign of our industry that the lag in people attending because of COVID now is absolutely behind us,” Gilbert says.
Cleveland does have competition. Representatives from cities across the country were also in town pitching their region to attendees.
“Our members are looking for very creative experiences,” says Michelle Mason, ASEA president and CEO. “They want to go beyond the convention center in some cases, and so having that level of flexibility and agility will go a long way.”
Attending ASAE brought Jackie Rodriguez of Tennessee to Cleveland for the first time.
“I’ve been to quite a couple of cities for conferences and honestly it (Cleveland) is one of the top cities that we’ve been to.” Rodriguez says. “The buildings are just beautiful.”