I took a break from the blog last week, mainly because I had a fairly hectic travel schedule and was unable to devote adequate time to it.  Luckily my travels brought me to my hometown, Charlotte, NC.  There I had the chance to see a couple of friends who also happen to be dental people like myself.  It was a wonderful reminder to me of the great people we have in our industry. 

Next week is the ADA annual session in Las Vegas, and I can’t wait.  Of course, I’m excited to be going back to Vegas…I have to admit it’s one of my favorite cities.  But that’s not the only reason.  The ADA show has always been a little bit like going home for me.  It’s a great kick off to the dental show season.  Usually there’s some buzz beginning for the product innovations and launches to be unveiled at the Chicago Mid Winter just several short months away.  And it’s a gathering of old friends and a great chance to make some new ones.  Here are a few corporate friends I hope you get the chance to meet if you’re in Vegas next week for the ADA meeting:

• Lanmark360 – they won’t have a booth, but they’ll be everywhere lending helping hands
• Sirona Dental Systems – just chock full of great people & high-tech products
• DentalEZ Group – new friends of mine and champions of green dentistry
• Ivoclar – cool people and innovation too
• Patterson Dental – lots of friendly faces
• Carestream Dental – more cool products and people
• Pacific Dental Services – even more cool people

By now you get the gist:  I think the ADA is a great opportunity to connect and reconnect with others in the industry.  So take some time to make the ADA meeting a sort of homecoming for yourself.  Meet some old friends, make some new ones, and have some fun.  Next time, I’ll post some personal impressions from the meeting.  Until then, let me know what you like most about the ADA annual session.  Hopefully we’ll run into each other on the show floor!