On a more serious note, I'd also like to take a moment to remember someone we lost this year. Dave Albertson passed away on Nov. 24 from heart disease. He ran our competitor across the way as editorial director of SourceMedia's Healthcare Group, and he's one of the few mainstays in this industry since the first day I stepped onto a trade show floor. I'm sorry I never made an effort to get to know him better because I've heard from more than a few people that he was one of the genuine good guys. It's a regret I'll never be able to fix.

Too often we got caught up in the everyday hassles of what we do for a living, take people for granted – just assuming they'll always be around – or simply not make that small extra effort to possibly get to know someone beyond a familiar face in a crowd you see a few times a year. I know I've done that myself already, reaching out to someone just last month who I've kinda known for years, but never spent much time with. I'm excited by the prospect of a new friendship, the value of a different perspective and maybe another person I can call after a day like this one.

Here's wishing you a happy Christmas, the best of holidays and a new year without a single regret.