As I wrote last month, it's been impossible to ignore the excitement and optimism at the broker/consultant events I've attended recently. In the weeks since the BenefitsPRO Broker Expo, my inbox and social media feeds have been flooded with kudos about the show along with questions and suggestions for next year. It's gratifying to be involved in an industry that's so fired up and tuned in.

And as I walk around this CBGH event in Denver, I'm seeing something that should make every benefits consultant excited: room after room full of employers who are searching for answers. Topics include some of the usual suspects, like wellness and health literacy, but guess what else is on the agenda? Data innovation, health care concierge services, and reference-based pricing. Sessions where benefits consultants, HR professionals and members of the C-Suite are sharing case studies and openly discussing the successes and challenges they've faced while instituting solutions such as direct primary care and specialty drug plans utilizing data analytics and continuous-improvement care models. And believe me, the audience is paying attention and taking pages of notes.

Change is hard—especially at the scale and speed that your clients are facing. But they want your help. As Nolan Waterfall says in this month's Face of Change column, “There's a lot of fear around alternatives. A lot of employers we talk to say, 'No, let's just renew.' They just want to get on with their business.” But when it comes to adoption of these innovations, “it's absolutely the future; it's only a matter of time,” he says.

As we're witnessing each day, every question, thoughtful answer, spirited debate and collaborative discussion is bringing that future a little closer.