Sitting at a lively seminar on post-convention reports at the recent PCMA meeting in Orlando, I was pleased to find the presenter quoting long passages from our December cover story on the "standardization" effort within the industry. But I was disappointed when she misnamed our publication as Association Meetings Management.

With all the magazines planners receive, it doesn't help that some of the titles are very similar and therefore confused. But with our new logo, AM, we hope to stand out even more in the crowd of meetings publications. Like our new name, our aim is to keep it short and snappy and as reader-friendly as possible.

With that in mind, our redesigned magazine features a front section called AM Report, where we provide intelligence--more useful than just information--that will help you on the job. Our features are shorter with lots of sidebars and pullout quotes, because we understand people "graze" a magazine before they decide what to read. And because this is a people industry, we're putting people on the cover as much as possible. It's another way for you to expand your network of peers. And you can meet someone else new in our Interview department, where we go one-on-one with an industry personality who has something interesting to share.

We offer a new opportunity for readers to enter the magazine in our Last Word column, appearing on the last page of the magazine--one of the best-read spots. This is a chance for readers to express their views on professional issues (such as this month's focus on acquisitions in the industry), as well as personal ones (balancing family and work, for example). As always, your input, contributions, and reactions are welcome. Our staff is just a phone call or e-mail away.

And a tip of the hat to our design director, Kim Aaronson, who created our new look. Her many talents include the ability to design a new magazine (sister publication Technology Meetings) and to redesign our five other meetings publications--all in one year. Thanks, Kim!