Happy New Year, and glad tidings for 2016! All of us here at Meetings Today hope the change in the calendar brings with it a fortuitous 12 months ahead for you and yours.
In case you missed it last month, we kicked off a new column at the end of the magazine by humor writer Bob Calhoun. Named "Shattering Conventions," Bob is your proverbial "fish out of water," trying hard to fit into affinity groups such as "yarn-con"—don't call it "knit-con!"—in his December column, and infiltrating the steampunks in this issue's episode.
Besides the bon mots in his writing, Bob and his cameraman also shoot the whole experience for posterity. You can check out the videos either on our website or via each month's digital edition.
We're cooking up some great show coverage in 2016, and are always open for suggestions, so drop me a line if you know of any quirky collection of conventioneers coming to your destination.
It's all in good fun, so we hope you enjoy Bob's goofy take on the some of the more interesting get-togethers in our ever-curious industry.
One decidedly delicious gathering we covered this issue is a bit of a new take on our recently launched Top Chefs concept, with a two-page spread on MGM Resorts International's Recipe Showdown, which after regional competitions in 16 destinations culminated in a decisive culinary clash in Las Vegas Oct. 29.
Turn to page 10 to see who won and placed, and also to discover some of the winning recipes you can try at home.
I know that I'm seriously on that Huarache de Sonora appetizer!