While I do expect to return to podcasting via this site.  It's been challenging as a small operation to deal with the simultaneous issues over the past couple years.  Getting back on my feet and still keeping up with the normal business flow of work for the company left little time for fun stuff like doing interviews, writing and taking care of the technical parts of editing and posting a regular podcast.

Honestly, doing that work solo on top of helping my clients just isn't realistic.  So, expect some podcasts in the future, but maybe not at the same crazy pace as before.

I'm now just over a year out from my third back surgery and I'm finally starting to feel a bit closer to normal!  It's been a slow process, but I've been blessed by family, friends and even customers who have supported and encouraged me at each step of the way.

The meetings industry continues to shift and evolve around us on a daily basis.  The pace of change is frantic and it's difficult to keep it all in perspective.  But, I've been trying to maintain my knowledge in the technical side of things.  I just attended NAMM a couple weeks ago to marvel at the amazing advances in audio technology available to us now.  I was also interviewed recently by an industry publication about safety and security for events in a world where some horrible acts have been committed against innocent groups attending events.  I'll have some thoughts to share here on that topic soon.

I've also committed to serving again on my MPI chapter board for the next year.  So, I expect to have a few things to share about navigating the waters of a volunteer organization and supplying measurable value to the members.

To anyone reading this, I thank you for sticking with me and staying connected during my long hiatus to recover.  I hope to justify your wait with some solid information and conversations once again and going forward.

No specifics, no grand promises...just a desire to continue the conversation of how we can improve ourselves and our work in an industry that we all spend much of our days obsessing over.  

​More to come very soon!  Jon

Breaking the regular podcast formatting again, but I wanted to post and give some information/explanation for the lack of new podcasts over the past few months.

Well, some of you may have noticed my lack of podcasts and even activity here since last December.  I was off dealing with some personal health issues (spinal fusion surgery) and another serious medical situation for a close family member.  The best laid plans sometimes get derailed by the unexpected.

I'm back on my feet now and working on my physical therapy and rehab.  The good news is that my surgery seems to have been very helpful and is really making a difference so far.  And, the family member is doing great as well and recovering from their cancer treatments.  So much respect and gratitude for two different skilled medical teams from St. Joseph's Hospital in Orange, CA.

I'll be slowly ramping back up and posting new podcasts soon.  They may not be a as frequent for a while, since I have to focus on customers as a priority, but I'll be at MPI WEC 17 next week in Las Vegas and should have a number of great interviews and discussions to bring back here.

Thank you all for sticking with me and I look forward to continuing our conversations.
​Jon

Podcast Show Number 3 with Carol Krugman is now available here, and on our podcast hosting site.  You can find a link on the menu above under the Blog tab to our podcast page.  

You can also find us on iTunes and Stitcher where you can subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode.  

Or, you can also click here to download the episode: Download this episode (right click and save)

We have a special edition of the podcast being posted again today.  This is part two of an interview with Paul Van Deventer, President and CEO of Meeting Professionals International.

We talk more with Paul about the recently concluded World Education Conference in Atlantic City and about the reinvention happening within MPI over the past few years.  

You can find part one posted just previous to this one.
​Or, as always you can find us on our podcast page, iTunes and Stitcher.

The first episode of the brand new Strategic Meeting Tech Podcast will be available on our linked podcast site tomorrow.  After that you can expect to see a new podcast each week where we will discuss trending topics, technology and other stories that affect all of us in the meetings and events industry.

Hosted by Jon Trask, CMP, CMM; a radio journalist and a former co-host of the ground-breaking "Meetings Podcast" for nearly 10 years.  The Strategic Meetings Tech Podcast aims to become a go-to source for news inside the meetings industry.  We have a slate of solid guests already lined up, as well as some very interesting previews of the CMP Conclave, The CIC Hall of Leaders, an update from MPI, and looks ahead to IMEX America and LDI all coming up over the next few months.

Please drop us a note or comment with any areas that you'd like to have covered.  This is intended as a conversation and not a monologue, so tell us what you want hear about and we'll do our best to cover it.