Bigger picture

While MEA’s 30th-birthday convention at the Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre went over extremely well with an attendance of more than 400 delegates, I came away from the Leaders' Forum with the feeling that a change a direction is needed for MEA.I believe the association needs to ask the big question: Where does the membership want to go in the next 30 years? And then it should plan accordingly. In life, one can’t be everybody’s friend, and neither can MEA. New groups and associations are springing up and MEA can’t have its feet in all camps. I think it’s time to go back to its roots and concentrate on a much bigger picture – the planners. Perhaps you have some ideas regarding this that you’d like to share with me. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts.Meanwhile, the highlights of the convention were the key speakers Dr Fiona Woods and Peter Fitzsimmons, whose addresses were both uplifting and thought provoking.It was my first experience of the new Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre and I must admit I was impressed - my expectations were certainly exceeded. Paul D’Arcy and his team put in tremendous effort to make the conference run smoothly, and no request was too big or too small to be fitted in at the last minute. My congratulations go to the entire team at the Perth centre for a job well done.