Another year, another ACE/NETC annual meeting!

I'm a veteran of at least 20 annual meetings, so I sometimes wonder why I keep going to them. It's expensive, takes a lot of time and I keep seeing the same people. How much could I possibly miss if I just skip this year?

A lot!

Consider this:

• It took four and a half centuries to advance from the invention of a practical printing press using movable type to the invention of the offset press.
• It was seven decades from development of the offset press until Al Gore invented the Internet.
• It took less than 20 years more for Internet usage to become widespread and the World Wide Web to be invented.

In just the past few years, the social media have exploded.

At the present rate of change, there is something new to learn every week. If I step out of the loop for one year, it would be awfully hard to catch up.

Sure, I could stay home and try to keep up to date through mass media and online resources. But I’d be missing out on the real value of the annual meetings—the opportunity to hear how my clever colleagues are applying exciting new technologies, communication strategies and management ideas in their work. It’s all about ideas and connections.

Even though I’m retired and working only part time now, you won’t catch me sitting home when I can be at an ACE meeting, learning new stuff and stealing great ideas from my friends!

I hope to see you in Denver doing the same.

Tom Knecht

ACE Retiree Director