As the summer draws to a close and some of the first hints of Autumn begin to caress the air, thoughts naturally turn to one thing…The California Dental Association Fall Session in San Francisco, CA.  In a previous post, I wrote about some of my favorite aspects of being a marketer in the dental industry.  CDA North is one of them.  So, with one of my favorite events quickly approaching, here’s a short list of a few reasons it is special to me:

• Location, location, location.  San Francisco is just a great city, and September is a wonderful time to be there.  The W Hotel in San Francisco is an awesome property, and during CDA North you can always count on finding some cool dental folks there to hang out with and with whom to share ideas.  Plus it was in San Francisco where I first “performed” karaoke, so it holds a dear place in my heart.
• Progressive minds.  Maybe it’s the climate or something in the water, but CDA North has always provided ample opportunities to speak with progressive dentists.  There is a certain attitude among these dental professionals that is hard to find outside of the Townies.  It always makes for very interesting conversations.
• Time of year.  It occurs as we begin to wake up from our state of relative summer hibernation.  Not many product launches occur here, but it gives us a chance to try some new tactics in the calm before the show season storm.  It is also a great opportunity to spend some time re-connecting with your sales & marketing teams, getting everyone on the same page before the flurry of the fall activity.
• It’s holding its own.  With all the buzz about the slow, painful death of dental trade shows, this one seems to be holding its own.  According to CDA, dental professional attendance is holding steady.  There’s also a decent percentage of dentists who attend.  For a self-proclaimed trade show fan like me, that’s good news.

These are just a few things I enjoy about the CDA North meeting.  The transition from summer to fall is a great time in the dental industry.  What do you look forward to most?