March 6 Proofs Note from the Editor

By Kevin Henry
Editor, Proofs

So what did you think of the 2012 Chicago Midwinter Meeting? I have my own opinions, but more than anything, I want to hear what YOU thought. What did you think of the show floor traffic? What did you think of the general mood of your customers? Are dentists and team members buying again? You’re in the trenches, dealing with your customers on a daily basis, so let me know your thoughts by clicking here and filling out a survey that will take less than three minutes of your time.

On Thursday of the Chicago Midwinter, the rumblings began about a snowstorm that would hit Chicago that night and make things a mess the next day. Weather forecasters talked about up to 10 inches of snow in the city, meaning Friday morning would be challenging to get around (even for a city prepared to deal with snow like Chicago). It was the buzz on the show floor all day Thursday. Every conversation I heard had the words “big snow” included in it.

So what happened? Very little snow fell in the city. Transportation wasn’t affected at all as the small amount of snow vanished during the day. People laughed it off and Friday proceeded as normal.

I’ll have to admit that I couldn’t help draw a parallel to the snow in Chicago and so many people worrying about the bottom dropping out of the economy. It wasn’t all that long ago when many conversations focused on “how bad things might get,” but we eventually looked around to see that the sky truly hadn’t fallen. Just as Chicago Midwinter survived the threat of Snowmageddon 2012, it appears that our industry has churned through an economic downtime and emerged as strong as ever.

Make no mistake about it though. It is a different economy, but I believe it’s an economy in which those companies that adapted can be the pacesetters in this new era.

Thank you in advance for answering our survey questions about Chicago. I’m looking forward to seeing your thoughts.

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