USAE
THE WEEKLY COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OF ASSOCIATIONS, CVBs AND HOTELS
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AUGUST 12, 2025
Showtime: Magic Johnson Discusses Leading Others During ASAE Keynote By Todd McElwee
over-stimulation, extroverts can often feel under-stimulated. “Psychologists talk about how introverts and extroverts are the north and south of human temperament,” said Cain. “What they’re really telling
When Magic Johnson first retired from the NBA in 1991, he departed as the league’s all-time leader in assists at 9,221. Never did he lead the league in scoring, but the Los Angeles Lakers’ Hall of Fame point guard did set the pace for assists four times while winning three MVPs. For much of the 1980s, one could have argued Johnson was the best basketball player in the world. Yet Johnson always looked to make everyone around him the best they could be. The results are unarguable—the Showtime Lakers won five championships during his career. As Chairman and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises—an investment conglomerate that focus primarily on ethnically diverse and underserved urban communities—Johnson now seeks to bring the best out of the communities his company works with.
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Adam Burke, President & CEO, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, accepts a $42,250 check from Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE, President & CEO, ASAE, during the ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition in Los Angeles on August 10. The donation was made via the ASAE Research Foundation’s Meeting Community Needs: L.A. Wildfires Relief Fund.
Susan Cain Speaks About Introversion and Leadership at ASAE
By Jonathan Trager
Introvert Susan Cain addressed an audience of thousands at the ASAE Annual Meeting on August 11 about the nexus of temperament and leadership.
During a Q&A with interviewer Holly Ransom, the bestselling author of Quiet and Bittersweet pointed out that introverts and extroverts actually have differences in nervous systems. While introverts are more prone to
Meetings Industry Leaders Discuss Strengths, Challenges at ASAE Annual Meeting By Jonathan Trager and Todd McElwee During the ASAE Annual Meeting at the Los Angeles Convention Center, USAE asked leaders of destination organizations to identify something they believe the industry is doing well and something the industry needs to do better or address. A representative sample of the responses follows.
Leonard Hoops, President & CEO, Visit Indy Strength: “When people gather, we make the world a better place. That’s kind of Humanity, 101, and the meetings industry and associations both help facilitate that. I’ll give a specific example of having my son [who has cerebral palsy]. When we host a physical therapy association, and I see physical therapists and Please turn to page 3
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Page 4 Scene At ASAE Opening Night Page 5 Scene At ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition Page 7 Philanthropy Southwest Staff Attends First ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition
Conversation with ASAE Chair Heidi Brock, President & CEO, American Forest & Paper Association The ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition is a time for work and reflection for Heidi Brock. As her tenue leading the ASAE Board of Directors winds down, Brock took the time to share with USAE some of what has been achieved and some of what she has learned during the past year. USAE: What accomplishment will you remember the most fondly from
your time as Chair? Brock: It’s hard to believe how quickly the year has gone! Serving as Chair of the ASAE Board truly has been an extraordinary and rewarding experience. It has given me the opportunity to work alongside a remarkable group of volunteer leaders who care deeply about ASAE and are fully committed to ensuring its continued success as the Please turn to page 6