For the past seven years, Convene has been fortunate to have the talent and vision of the New York City design firm, Shostak Studios, behind our "look." And under the collective expert eyes of our art director, Roger Greiner, and creative director, Mitch Shostak, Convene has received awards for its design from the Society of National Association Publications and the Society of Publication Designers. The magazine's design has also gotten consistently high marks from our readers.

So why mess with a good thing? Because we all benefit from taking stock of where we are and how we can become better.

A magazine is defined not only by its content, but by the presentation of that content. In the hands of a creative designer, the way the page is laid out and the images on the page not only engage you, they bring the story to life, enhancing and reinforcing your understanding of the content. That's the mark of a "visual thinker." Visual thinkers are able to use the visual arts (graphic design, illustration, photos) to communicate a message and foster learning - as opposed to just making the pages aesthetically pleasing.

Roger, our resident visual thinker, has set out to improve on a good thing by making it easier for you to get what you need in Convene. With our new design, you can either skim - with "Key Take Away" boxes - or dig deeper for information. Topic-relevant Web sites are offered in sidebars throughout.

And that's a good thing, because you never know where a link can take you. While I was researching an article online a few months back, I came across a link to a different article … one telling a truly amazing story. I asked our senior writer, Andrea Doyle, to follow up, and the result is a Leading by Example profile (p. 50), that again proves that one person can make a difference.

We hope you'll benefit not only from our visual thinker, but big thinkers. In this inaugural issue, our cover story (p. 24) is meant to keep you on your toes. The top minds inside and outside the meetings community have provided their insights on five "megatrends" and what they mean for our industry.

While meeting planners may not be directly responsible for the educational programs offered by their organizations, I know firsthand that adult education is a hot-button topic for them. Nearly seven years ago, Convene published a special issue called "How Adults Learn,"and it continues to be one of our most popular reprint requests. The "How Adults Learn, Now" series debuts in this issue (p. 40), picking up where that supplement left off.

Lastly, there are three new additions to this January issue; two which will run once each year, and one which will appear regularly. Our Sustainable Meetings section (p. 119) showcases venues and destinations that take greening seriously.

If you don't think people in this field are an interesting lot, reading what destination marketing executives think about their cities, the industry, and what the future may hold (CEO Profiles, p. 63), will change your mind. So might our Point/Counterpoint series (p. 144). Let us know what you're thinking. We may have a new look, but we continue to look forward to your feedback.

All the best for 2008. 

Michelle Russell
Editor
mrussell@pcma.org 

HOW ADULTS LEARN, NOW: Throughout this year, the insights presented in this new series by PCMA enior Director of Education Glen Ramsborg, Ph.D., and Sue Tinnish, will help you deliver a better learning experience for your attendees.

POINT/COUNTERPOINT: This new column offers two people's very different take on the same topic. See which side of the fence you're on when it comes to Second Life (turn to the back page).