Visit Milwaukee is transforming the meeting planner experience into an all-out game-day celebration with the launch of the Milwaukee Tailgate Club, a spirited new initiative debuting at the 2025 American Society for Association Executives (ASAE) Annual Meeting & Exposition.
Inspired by Milwaukee’s storied tailgate tradition, the Milwaukee Tailgate Club connects planners with Visit Milwaukee's team and unlocks exclusive access to themed perks, swag, priority invites, and yearlong surprises. The program makes its grand entrance at ASAE inside Visit Milwaukee’s tailgate-themed booth, bringing Cream City hospitality and game-day energy to the meetings world.
“Tailgating is a uniquely Milwaukee experience,” said Josh Albrecht, chief marketing officer at Visit Milwaukee. “With the Tailgate Club, we’re inviting planning professionals to join that energy in a fun, memorable way that lasts well beyond our time on site.”
Meeting planners can join the Tailgate Club by stopping at the Visit Milwaukee booth during ASAE and speaking with one of the team's national account executives. Founding members will receive exclusive swag like a Tailgate Club hat and membership card, along with year-round perks such as priority invites to future events, access to post-show giveaways, and more. And once you’re in, you’re in for good.
The Tailgate Club isn’t just for ASAE -- it's designed to travel with Visit Milwaukee to trade shows and conferences across the country. No matter where planners meet us, Tailgate Club members continue to receive perks and priority access.
“Creating authentic Milwaukee experiences that build long-term relationships is our goal,” said Leslie Johnson, vice president of sales & event experience. “This club achieves that by blending fun, tradition, and connection in a way few destinations can. I can’t wait to personally introduce the Tailgate Club to planners on the show floor and show them how Milwaukee brings the spirit of hospitality to every event.”
ASAE announced during its 2024 annual meeting that Milwaukee will host the ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition August 5-8, 2034, a major win that underscores the city’s growing prominence as a meetings destination. The event, which will bring about 3,000 meeting planners to experience Milwaukee for themselves, will take place in the newly expanded Baird Center that now offers more than 1.3 million square feet of total space, 52 breakout rooms, and an expanded rooftop ballroom with stunning skyline views of the city.
The Visit Milwaukee sales team regularly attends major trade shows like ASAE to connect with decision-makers and promote the city as a world-class convention destination. These efforts are aimed at attracting groups to experience everything Milwaukee has to offer, including the state-of-the-art Baird Center, for their future meetings and events. Because of their work on tradeshow floors coupled with strategic marketing campaigns, in 2024, the Visit Milwaukee sales team booked events and conventions that will generate over 287,000 hotel room nights for future years, driving economic growth for the community.