AT THE 2024 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show held last week in Orlando, Florida, history was being made at the same time it was being recalled. Miraj Patel
assumed his role as the youngest chairman the association has had, while his predecessor Bharat Patel and AAHOA President and CEO Laura Lee Blake spoke on the
legacy that led to the association's current success.
AAHOACON24, the 35th national conference for the association, saw more than 7,000 registered attendees and 524 exhibitors at the Orange County Convention Center,
blocks away from Disneyworld and Universal Studios. It included more than 44 education sessions and had two times the number of sponsors than in 2023 with 26.
Event revenue was 6 percent higher than 2023 and 31 percent higher than in 2022. The tradeshow sprawled over more than 84,500 square feet of exhibit space.
In a speech during the first general session, Bharat presented his theory on what led to AAHOA's current status: compound success.