Reflecting on the ADA Annual Session

Oct. 19, 2009

We came. We saw. We were surprised.

That was the general feeling I received from the exhibitors I talked with during the ADA’s recent gathering in Honolulu. Many people expected the crowds in the exhibit hall to resemble the 2001 meeting in Kansas City, but attendance was good (in spurts, once CE classes adjourned). All in all, most exhibitors I talked to were pleased with what they saw in Hawaii. Of course, the big question is this … if expectations were somewhat low to begin with, did that make the bigger-than-expected crowds seem better? It’s a question worth pondering.

Also, much of the worry about the crowds in Honolulu seems to have put that much more emphasis on the Greater New York Dental Meeting. Will the crowds be even bigger? Estimated numbers are showing pretty high attendance at the meeting, but how that translates into show floor traffic remains to be seen. Will there be more new products introduced there than in normal years? Right now, that’s what I’m hearing. It will be interesting to see if perception actually is reality when Thanksgiving weekend arrives in the Big Apple. I’ll be there and I’ll let you know what I see.

If you’d like to catch up on my daily thoughts from Honolulu, I did a video blog every day after the meeting. You can find the videos at the following links:

Day 1: Click here

Day 2: Click here

Day 3: Click here

Economics seem to be one of the themes of this month’s e-newsletter. I certainly encourage you to listen to what Wall Street has to say about the dental industry through my video interview with Jeff Johnson of R.W. Baird, as well as read the findings of a recent survey we did with R.W. Baird. Also, please read the article by Brian Hufford in our “Tips & Tricks” section. It was written for Dental Economics, but it is a very good overview of what has happened to our economy since the dawn of the new millennium. I know it helped me understand a lot about my personal finances.

Thanks for being a part of the second Proofs e-newsletter. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about Proofs (print or electronic), feel free to drop me a line at [email protected].

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