Ten years ago, Dentaltown.com was a feisty upstart online community that was ever so slowly gaining traction with dentists and dental professionals around the world. It was really beginning to take shape and it was getting stronger with every passing day. New members were finding out about the Web site from current members, signing on and starting discussions most dental professionals never had with their peers ever before. There was no fear; on Dentaltown.com, none of us were competing against each other for patients in the same area, and it was nice to finally be able to discuss our own practices with our friends and stop feeling so alone. Ten years ago, we were all just getting to know each other online, and the positive conversations and the help that we were all giving to one another were leading to some true friendships!

If I wasn’t working away at my own dental practice here in Phoenix, Arizona, I was working on Dentaltown.com with my team, to ensure it remained an impactful and viable online community. Back then, I was putting in 80+ hour work weeks. It was all I could do to even get a full night of shuteye. But, man, we were having a blast meeting new dentists from around the world, connecting them with dental manufacturers and service providers and turning this fledgling Web site into the strongest and largest online dental community the world had ever seen!

Then, out of the blue, two Townies (aka, members of Dentaltown.com) from opposite coastlines of the United States – Dr. Sameer “socalsam” Puri and Dr. Tarun “T-bone” Agarwal – came to me and told me the members really wanted a place to be able to meet each other in person, and that they wanted to help make that happen. I thought it was an awesome idea; I thought how cool it would be just to see all of these dental professionals get up from their computers, hop on a flight and come together in one room and meet each other for the first time – even though they’d known each other online for months, or even years. That idea formed the first-ever Townie Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. We all expected the first meeting would draw maybe 100-200 people and it drew more than 450 attendees! Due to the hard work of Sameer, Tarun, volunteers like Dr. Glenn Hanf and our partners over the last 10 years it’s only gotten bigger and better. We turned this annual event – part dental meeting, part family reunion – into the best dental event in the world. I really can’t believe how far we’ve come.

This April, we are celebrating 10 years of the Townie Meeting and I’m personally inviting every single one of you to come and party with us. It’s going to be a blast! This meeting isn’t just for members of Dentaltown – as always, all dental professionals are invited! This year, as in every year, we’re heading back to Las Vegas. Why Vegas again? The American Dental Association surveys its members every so often and asks them where they’d like to have the annual session. The overwhelming response is Vegas. It’s America’s Playground, baby! It has more flights, more hotel rooms and more offsite activities than anywhere else in the United States. So keeping the Townie Meeting in Vegas every year makes it one of the easiest destination events for dentists around the United States.

This year, the Townie Meeting is going to be held at one of the hottest and newest hotels in Vegas – The Cosmopolitan. You’ve got to see this place to believe it. It’s breathtaking. It’s such an appropriate setting to celebrate a decade of the Townie Meeting. For the last 10 years Sameer and Tarun have listened to attendees, by reviewing evaluations and responding to comments about previous seminars and every year the presentation line-up just gets better and better and better. We’ve got an incredible line-up of speakers this year. I’m pleased to share the stage with the Madow brothers (on loving dentistry, having fun and prospering), Dr. Michael “Miguel” Melkers (on communication and comprehensive care), Dr. Frank Lauciello (on removable prosthetics), Tim Ives (on curing caries), Dr. Mike Barr (on Web site SEO), Dr. Dan Poticny (on CEREC), Dr. Uday Reebye (offering a hands-on bone grafting workshop with pig jaws) and so many more.

You really should try to arrive on or before Wednesday, April 25, so you can take part in some fun pre-Townie-Meeting activities with me and the rest of your pals. The Townie Golf Extravaganza tees off at 1 p.m. on April 25, so bring your clubs! To learn more about fees and schedules, visit www.towniemeeting.com. Later that evening, we’re holding the Wine & Cheese Welcome Reception from 6 to 8 p.m. It’s a nice, low-key time to reconnect with old friends, hang out with me, Sam and T-bone, mingle with some of the awesome speakers who are going to be presenting at the meeting, and it gives you the opportunity to pick up your meeting credentials early (so you can avoid the lines and have more fun).

Each year, the opening party (the highlight of the meeting) has a special theme. In years past we’ve had the Townie Prom, Townies in Space and an ‘80s theme. Who can forget the Toga party at Caesars Palace a few years back? This year, the party’s on Thursday, April 26 and (drumroll, please) our theme is James Bond. Come dressed up as a villain (Jaws, anyone?) or a Bond girl – or even as 007 himself. Last year we saw some great costumes and this year we hope everyone brings their A-game! I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Fifth Annual Townie Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament, which starts at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, April 27 in the exhibit hall (have you ever seen a poker tourney on a dental show floor before?). These poker games are pretty amazing and all the players have a great time (even when they’re losing, but especially when they’re winning).

I want to thank Sam and T-bone for having the guts and vision 10 years ago to take a risk and create this meeting for all dental professionals to enjoy. Join us as we celebrate 10 years of the Townie Meeting at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. I truly think that if you’ve never been to a Townie Meeting before, you will find it is unlike any other dental meeting you’ve ever seen. Go check out www.towniemeeting.com and learn more about what else we have in store for you. See you in Vegas!