More Than a Meeting City: Inside Asheville’s Purpose-Driven Approach to Events
In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Meghan Henning takes listeners to the Blue Ridge Mountains for a powerful conversation with Ed Silver, Vice President of Business Development at Explore Asheville. With more than 25 years in travel and hospitality—from Flight Centre and American Express Travel to GBTA and Lodging.com—Ed brings a unique blend of tech, business development, and destination strategy to his role. From supporting Asheville’s recovery after Hurricane Helene to rethinking how DMOs show up as true partners for associations, Ed shares how Explore Asheville is aligning events, community needs, and long-term impact. Whether you’re scouting future host cities or rethinking how you choose destinations altogether, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at how to move from “room blocks and contracts” to mission-aligned, high-impact meetings.

