Washington
#1 Political Event
Though particularly muted this year with several after-parties canceled and President Trump skipping the affair due to his tense relationship with the media, Washington’s “Nerd Prom” still was a must-attend on political reporters’ calendar. The evening was hosted by comedian Hasan Minhaj of The Daily Show, but the most well-received speakers were the grandfathers of journalism, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, along with Jeff Mason, president of the association, who received a standing ovation when he said, “We are not fake news. We are not failing news organizations. And we are not the enemy of the American people.” Next: Spring 2018
Washington
#2 Political Event
Though the White House referred to the speech as President Trump’s first address to a “Joint Session of Congress,” the television networks and the millions of Americans who tuned in for the update treated the remarks as equally significant to the typical State of the Union. Unlike speeches before, or since, this one, the President generally received high marks, with many correspondents praising his ability to “seem presidential.” In any case, nearly 48 million viewers tuned in. Next: January 30, 2018
National
#3 Political Event (up from #4)
With a new Republican administration, the association snagged President Trump to deliver a keynote address. The event gathered 82,000 attendees to the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, where 15 acres of guns and gear were on display. A country music jam with Chris Janson, Josh Thompson, and others was held, as was a night of Christian music with Matthew West, and Hank Williams Jr. performed one evening. Next: May 3-6, 2018
Washington
#4 Political Event (up from #5)
The 18,000-person conference drew big-name speakers, including Vice President Michael Pence, United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, and the entire bipartisan leadership of Congress. The organization works to strengthen, protect, and promote the relationship between Israel and the United States in ways that enhance the security of both nations. Next: March 4-6, 2018
Aspen, Colorado
#5 Political Event (up from #6)
As is the tradition for the event, held on the campus of the Aspen Institute, attendees tackled issues related to health and wellness for the first several days, discussing caregiving, the brain, and moonshots, among other topics. From there, they jumped into 10 ambitious program tracks, including Global Conflicts: Are There Paths to Peace?; Making It in the U.S.A.; Moral Commitments, Moral Choices; Reimagining the Internet; The America I Know; The Art of Change; The Genetics Revolution; Feeling the Heat: Big Ideas on Climate; Inside Creativity; and the Thinking Machine. Next: June 21-20, 2018
