As I pass my 10th anniversary with The NEWS, I think back on the various locales I have visited and meetings I have attended. I also think about the possible settings for future meetings and trade shows. Maybe you can help me with some suggestions.

I think the location of a meeting impacts how much work is actually done. I recall several Las Vegas and Orlando gatherings where the distractions had a lot to do with half-empty seminars and sparsely attended exhibit halls. Face it, the lure of the locale has a lot to do with how many people attend a meeting and how many people attend a meeting, if you know what I mean.

Sometimes the weather plays havoc with meeting plans, too. One year an ACCA meeting was planned for Albuquerque, in part to take advantage of the great skiing venues I would assume. But the weather was mild and good skiing conditions were sparse. In another year an AHR Expo was scheduled for Atlantic City in late January, surely an unusual idea. But the weather was mild and the turnout was good.

I couldn’t help but think of last winter’s big storms in the Denver area when ACCA set their stakes down in Colorado last week. But the weather cooperated and there were no stories of people sleeping in the airport because of cancelled flights. And this past January’s AHR Expo in New York City? Stupendous and fairly mild weather by winter standards.

I’ve been in great places by my standards, such as Grand Forks, S.D. in February and Austin, Texas in July - places where the weather could have played havoc on my comfort but only made the trips more enjoyable.

So where should the next big meeting be held? I vote for a cruise, preferably where stops include Cancun and other Mexican locales. I know that very little work would get done but oh the fun we would have.