{"id":32027,"date":"2020-10-12T18:34:37","date_gmt":"2020-10-12T18:34:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2020\/10\/12\/ausa-overcomes-unprecedented-challenges-to-host-annual-meeting-this-time-virtually\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:42:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:42:14","slug":"ausa-overcomes-unprecedented-challenges-to-host-annual-meeting-this-time-virtually","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/ausa-digital-show-dailies\/2020\/10\/12\/ausa-overcomes-unprecedented-challenges-to-host-annual-meeting-this-time-virtually\/","title":{"rendered":"AUSA overcomes unprecedented challenges to host annual meeting \u2014 this time virtually"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The show must go on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the \u201cArmy family reunion\u201d aspect of the Association of the United States Army\u2019s annual meeting<\/a> won\u2019t be possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic, attendees will still hear from Army leaders and defense industry representatives and visit the exhibit floor \u2014 all virtually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis has certainly been a challenging year. 2020 has been for all of us in lots of different ways,\u201d retired Gen. Carter Ham, president of the Association of the United States Army, told Army Times in an Oct. 6 interview. \u201cBut here at AUSA, where we have for many, many years conducted in-person events to educate, inform and connect, to relate to our members, to support the Army \u2014 that\u2019s just not possible in 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 33,000 people attended last year\u2019s annual meeting. But like other professional associations, AUSA had to adapt and bring the annual meeting to a virtual space this year to accommodate the thousands of soldiers and defense industry representatives, along with Army veterans, families and civilians, who plan to take part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See our complete coverage of AUSA Now, the 2020 Annual Meeting and Exposition.<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why AUSA members, service members and others can tune into the AUSA annual meeting from their home this week, from Tuesday through Friday, thanks to virtual programming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat was a significant undertaking for us and for all of the associations,\u201d Ham said, noting that other associations shared their knowledge and experience related to virtual programming during the planning process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Ham admitted he was initially \u201cdisheartened\u201d about missing the in-person aspect of the meeting, he said AUSA welcomed the opportunity to connect with others who haven\u2019t historically attended for various reasons \u2014 such as travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But attendees can expect some changes this time around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat I call the Army family reunion aspect of AUSA will be very different this year,\u201d Ham said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Visitors to the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2019 Meeting and Exposition browse through the defense industry exhibits. More than 400 exhibitors will be featured virtually at this year’s event. (Army Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople who often come to Washington, D.C., with the hope, with the expectation, with the experience of seeing their friends, their soldiers they have served with before \u2026 that simply is not possible in this virtual experience,\u201d Ham said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One challenge during the planning process was finding a way to feature an exhibit floor, which historically features hundreds of defense companies and other businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe wanted to keep that aspect of AUSA, but how do you do that virtually?\u201d Ham said. \u201cSo we were able to find a platform, a virtual platform, that does in fact allow people to go virtually, to visit businesses, and there will be over 400 of them exhibiting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t