THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR ANATOMY (AAA) is the professional home for more than 2,500 students, educators, and researchers in the anatomical sciences from nearly 60 countries. AAA’s flagship event, Anatomy Connected, is the leading annual gathering for professionals in anatomical science, drawing more than 1,000 attendees from a wide range of disciplines and career stages. In 2022, AAA partnered with SB to begin planning its first-ever stand-alone meeting and tradeshow, a significant strategic shift from its past participation in a larger joint conference.
THE CHALLENGE
Until 2022, AAA convened as part of Experimental Biology, a large interdisciplinary meeting that included several scientific societies. With the dissolution of Experimental Biology after the 2022 event, AAA faced a critical challenge: how to develop a robust, independent meeting and tradeshow experience that would serve its members’ evolving needs.
THE STRATEGY
To meet this challenge, AAA turned to SB to conceptualize and execute a scalable meeting and tradeshow model tailored specifically to anatomical science professionals. Understanding the long-term vision, SB designed a phased approach to support the event’s anticipated growth:
- Year 0 – Develop tradeshow concept that meets AAA’s conference goals.
- Year 1 – Launch with simple tabletop exhibits in a hotel hallway.
- Year 2 – Expand to traditional exhibit booths within a hotel venue.
- Year 3 – Transition to a full-scale meeting held in a convention center.
This strategic model provided a clear pathway for growth while ensuring each stage delivered value to attendees and exhibitors. SB’s deep experience in scientific tradeshows and meetings helped AAA navigate logistics, attendee engagement, and exhibitor planning with confidence.
“SB’s strategic abilities helped create the industry components of our new annual meeting for our members and positioned us for long-term growth.”
— Colby Shultz, Senior Director, Meetings and Education, American Association for Anatomy
THE RESULTS
- Supported the successful launch of AAA’s first stand-alone meeting, Anatomy Connected, post-Experimental Biology.
- Achieved annual growth in both exhibitor participation and attendee satisfaction.
- Positioned the event for a seamless transition into a convention center environment by Year 3.
THE CONCLUSION
Through close collaboration and strategic planning, SB helped AAA build a scalable, sustainable meeting and tradeshow platform. This partnership not only preserved AAA’s vital role in the scientific community but also empowered it to grow on its own terms.
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