Staying on Our Toes The pace of change needn’t sweep you off your feet. D
id you hear the news that Android has overtaken Black- Berry as the top smartphone
platform in the United States? The once- small upstart acquired by Google has been growing exponentially recently, and it passed Apple in the smartphone realm earlier this year. But the numbers released in March made it official: The gold standard BlackBerry has been knocked
off its pedestal. The fact that Android wasn’t even on the
market just three short years ago made its ac- complishment all the more impressive. It just goes to show that the pace of change is faster than ever. And that’s something we need to take to heart in our own industry: Those fledgling organizations or events that we don’t even consider our competition could very quickly become a painful thorn in our side. Given how quickly things move and change,
it’s easy to feel paralyzed or to long for “the good old days.” For instance, there are those people who have wrung their hands for years about the future of trade shows. Yet the recently released Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) 2010 Exhibition Industry Census proves the resiliency of this industry. Despite peaks and valleys — and even a recession — the number of exhibitions held in 2010 remained relatively unchanged when compared to the number of exhibitions held in 2000. Those who know me or who follow my col-
umns know that I strongly believe that we need to embrace change and look for ways to use it to our advantage — particularly when it comes to adult education, engaging our constituents and attendees, and adding value. When we’re nimble and comfortable with experimenting with new ideas, we’re much better prepared to
8 pcma convene April 2011
face whatever challenges come our way, even those we never saw coming. The same goes for your professional develop-
ment. When you commit to enhancing your knowledge and skills on an ongoing basis, you build a solid foundation that will hold you in good stead even when you’re hit with unfore- seen challenges. At the same time, you’ll be better able to engineer the success of your meet- ing and prove integral to the success of your organization. In order to embrace someone, you first need
to open your arms. Embracing change means being open to new technologies and new ap- proaches, however overwhelming they may seem. PCMA is committed not only to helping you make sense of them, but also to helping you incorporate those that carry the most potential for your own organization. The latest example of this? We have part-
nered with the Virtual Edge Institute to create the first educational program to formally train and certify meeting professionals as digital strategists. Participants will be able to begin the certification process at PCMA’s Education Con- ference in Baltimore on June 20–23 by learning how to plan, build, design, and execute virtual events that achieve business objectives. Visit www.pcma.org/educon to learn more about this highly interactive conference. We’ll be focusing on the hottest trends and
topics in the industry today. We’d love for you to join the conversation. n
SURMOUNTING CHALLENGES: If you’re a medical meeting planner, you won’t want to miss the three articles that comprise this is- sue’s medical-meet- ings report. From deciphering how the new health-care law will affect medical conventions, to the latest developments in continuing medi- cal education, our cover story package (starting on p. 39) will help you stay ahead of this ever-changing environment.