The Industry

associations and meetings; organized by the American Society of Association Executives

The Attendees

4,500 people who organize confabs for other people, plus some 750 reps from convention centers, visitor bureaus, and hotels trying to woo them

The Issues:

•“Leadership Habits That Work”: These include “Do not wait for an invitation,” “Do not take things personally,” and “Do sit where you can best see and be seen and heard,” according to one executive coach. She also pointed out one habit that doesn’t work: Most of that session’s attendees chose seats in the back and in other locations where they could minimize eye contact.

•“Relationship Selling: Where Did the Love Go?”: Pop classics such as “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “We Can Work It Out,” and “Help!” were employed as instructional materials for restoring loyalty, trust, accountability, and cooperation to business dealings. The presenter’s parting thought: “As you write your relationship story, what song are you thinking about?”

•“The Power of Approachability”: Keynote speaker Scott Ginsberg has worn a name tag every day, 24/7 for the last five years—even in the shower. (He sports a “Hello My Name Is Scott” tattoo on his chest.) In his speech, Ginsberg explained that the universal response to the question “How are you?”—“Fine”—is actually an acronym for “Feelings I’m Not Expressing.” Instead of shutting off “your personal front porch” with that conversation stopper, he suggested seeking the “CPI”—the common point of interest.—Rob Tierney