The signature event of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) attracted 6,758 workplace safety and health professionals this month to set a new attendance record for the global event. An additional 217 people joined a livestream session while 4,360 exhibitor representatives populated the expo hall, ultimately involving more than 11,000 people at the sold-out Safety 2024 Professional Development Conference and Exposition in Denver. 鈥淲e saw an overwhelming desire from safety professionals to network with colleagues and stay current on best practices, industry trends and the latest product innovations,鈥� said ASSP President Pam Walaski, CSP, FASSP. 鈥淭he turnout was beyond our wildest dreams. Safety 2024 was an incredible success.鈥�
The registered attendance at the Colorado Convention Center from Aug. 7-9 far surpassed ASSP鈥檚 previous record of 5,937 attendees from Safety 2023 in San Antonio. It is one of America鈥檚 largest annual conferences for the advancement of workplace safety and health that began in Chicago in 1962. Boosting Safety 2024鈥檚 popularity was a dynamic expo with more than 650 vendor booths that covered nearly 120,000 square feet. The extensive product showcase was a key element of the overall experience, incorporating new and expanded elements such as tech talks, flash sessions and a career advancement center. 鈥淥ur expo is so engaging that we get some safety and health professionals coming only for that,鈥� Walaski said.
Safety 2024 welcomed more than 3,500 first-time attendees, making up more than half of the total attendance. About one-third of the record crowd was non-members. Those who had never been an ASSP member received a free year of membership. The extraordinary results signal future growth for ASSP and the occupational safety and health profession. 鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to be a global leader in providing professional development for the workplace safety and health community,鈥� Walaski said. 鈥淥ur event shares case studies and new safety approaches along with vast networking opportunities that help practitioners solve safety challenges and advance their careers.鈥�
The conference surpassed its $25,000 fundraising goal as participants donated nearly $27,000 to the ASSP Foundation, including a $10,000 match from Liberty Mutual. The ASSP Foundation promotes occupational safety and health as a career choice and works to build a sustainable talent pipeline in the profession that will help make all industries safer worldwide. Looking ahead to next year, ASSP鈥檚 Safety 2025 will take place July 22-24 in Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center.