From the ATA President, Gregory A. Brent The annual meeting in Indian Wells (Palm Springs) October 26-30 is on track to be one of the highest in attendance for the past several years. The profile of those attending our annual meeting are younger, include a greater fraction of women, greater diversity of discipline, and a steady international representation. There is increasing involvement of trainees with significant expansion of programs for fellows over the last five years. The fellow "track" offered throughout the meeting is not available at any other endocrine meeting. With less institutional and personal resources for most members to attend meetings and increasing competition for our travel funds, how is this growth possible? The annual scientific meeting remains the flagship activity of our association and consumes the largest portion of our staff effort. Given the importance to our association, and the intense interest shown by our members, it may help to provide some insights into the process and the priorities in meeting selection and planning. We no longer have a local organizing committee for each city, but a working group consisting of the Executive Director, Meeting Coordinator, and the Secretary/Chief Operating Officer, as the representative of the board of directors. The identification and selection of venues goes on year round with visits to many potential sites. Most sites are chosen 6 to 8 years ahead of the meeting, providing us the best selection and room rates. Since at least 30% of our attendees are international, any venue we select must be accessible with a single flight from a major US hub city. We don't look for the most remote destinations, but do find ones that are distinct from the other hotels and cities used by our mostly larger sister societies. We strive for a mix of geographic locations and a mix of urban and resort settings. A segment of our association is often critical of resort meetings, although these meetings are consistently the most highly attended, and most popular with fellows. Although the food and amenities are often more expensive, the rooms in the "shoulder" season that we chose are relatively low. Large societies use a convention center and offer multiple hotel accommodation opportunities, often across a range of costs. We receive meeting space by virtue of the room block at our hotel, so need to fill the host venue. It is our practice to always include a block of low-cost rooms for fellows at any of our venues. The room rates for our hotels, in the vast majority of cases, remain significantly below those offered by the headquarters hotels for other endocrine meetings in North America and abroad. We have been consistently able to offer "4 star" hotel experiences at "3 star" prices. We recognize the limited funds now available for many to travel, but also want to offer a high quality experience for those who faithfully come to our meeting each year, often traveling very long distances. Locating all activities at one venue produces a unique meeting experience. The time, frustration, and waiting that occurs when finding a shuttle, taxi, or subway to get from your hotel to a convention-based meeting saps energy and enthusiasm. More importantly, the concentration of attendees at one venue results in many opportunities to meet colleagues to share socially and scientifically, the heart and soul of our meeting. The growth in membership and diversity of our association and success of our annual meeting, however, is not because we chose attractive venues. It is the passion of our members who have faithfully supported and contributed their money, time and energy to our association for 20, 30 and for a significant number of members, more than 50 years. It is those mentors who have forever touched our personal and professional lives by investing in our training and passing on their passion for science and clinical medicine. It is a direct result of the efforts many members have made to reach out and invite colleagues to join and become engaged in the work of the ATA. Please don't miss out this year. Our annual meeting, in a single high quality venue with outstanding science and many opportunities for interaction, is distinct in character. Join your many colleagues who have already registered and make your plans to attend our annual meeting in Indian Wells (Palm Springs). The small amount of additional travel time or connection you need to make, will be well worth the unique experience when you arrive. Great science, inspiring speakers, connecting with colleagues, nurturing and supporting the next generation of thyroid scientists, surgeons, pathologists, nuclear medicine physicians and endocrinologists. All of this in a beautiful inspiring setting. I will be passing the presidential gavel into the capable hands of Dr. Jim Fagin at the close of the annual meeting, as Terry Davies passed the gavel to me last year. Jim has been fully engaged in the work of the ATA board and executive committee as president-elect this past year, and has already been making his committee appointments and developing initiatives for the coming year. Dr. Rick Kloos will be completing his term as Secretary/Chief Operating Officer this year. Rick has provided outstanding leadership to the ATA, guiding our association through a very challenging time and leaving us stronger than ever. I hope that every member will take the time to personally thank Rick for his contributions and dedication in this position, which has become more complex and demanding as our association has grown. The personal and professional sacrifices necessary to do the job in the way that Rick has done it are very significant. Dr. John Morris brings a long record of service to the ATA and outstanding leadership skills as our incoming Secretary/Chief Operating Officer and I know he will do an exceptional job. I want to express my deep appreciation to our hard working committee members and chairs, board members, and especially to Rick for his guidance and support. Finally, our ATA staff, under the leadership of Bobbi Smith, continues to provide outstanding administrative support to our ever expanding programs. Despite the complexity of our organization, our staff have maintained the warm and personal touch that make each member feel valued and important, and you are. It has been a privilege to serve as your president. Best regards,
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