Help Successful Meetings compile this year's "Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry" list. It's easy to do -- simply head here and nominate a candidate. In doing so, you'll make your own contribution advancing the understanding of the meetings industry. That's what lists do: provide clarity and help us understand the world around us.
From the most complex actuarial tables that predict our deaths to the banal grocery lists that help keep us alive, lists keep the information organized and understandable. Maybe that's why we love lists. It's also why we need them -- especially in the meetings industry.
It's important to acknowledge individuals who have contributed to the business of meetings; made it easier for meetings professionals to do their jobs; helped raise awareness of the industry; or, through their actions, have had a significant impact for good or bad on the industry. Those actions are the glue that holds organizations -- and industries -- together.
In previous years, we've asked a few industry luminaries and those who had formerly been on the list for their opinions when we compiled our rankings. This year, in addition to that, we thought we'd open it up to the industry at large. This list is all about identifying key influencers; who knows where someone is doing something that might start a ripple effect?
So if you know someone that you think merits inclusion on this year's list, please let us know. Hopefully the sum total of our combined influence will produce a list that will provide greater perspective on the meetings industry and its context in the broader world.