The Healthcare Convention and Exhibitors Association (HCEA) is a professional association founded in 1930 dedicated to improving the industry of healthcare conventions, medical meetings and healthcare exhibit marketing. History of HCEA Industry advocacy, quality educational programs, informational resources and valuable networking are all hallmarks of the Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors Association (HCEA), which will celebrate its 80th anniversary in 2010. During its long history, HCEA has developed into a dynamic organization that remains the only association solely dedicated to improving the effectiveness of all conventions, meetings and exhibitions for the healthcare industry. HCEA brings together industry stakeholders, including healthcare exhibitors, healthcare exhibition and meeting organizers and industry suppliers, who are instrumental in promoting healthcare convention marketing and exhibitions as vital components of the healthcare marketing mix. The early years HCEA began as the Medical Exhibitors Association (MEA) in 1930, launched during the Michigan State Medical Convention in Detroit, Michigan. According to historical archives, 12 charter members established a treasury with personal donations of $100 each to fund the new organization. During the first year, MEA membership rose to 22. In the early 1930s, MEA began compiling information about select medical meetings, and in 1934, MEA published the first Schedule of Conventions (which later evolved to become the Directory of Healthcare Meetings and Conventions). Later during World War II, MEA supported a wartime convention program with the U. S. Office of Defense and Transportation. In 1951, MEA joined forces with convention managers to hold the first Joint Conference on Medical Conventions (JCMC). This group of convention managers would later organize as the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA). Becoming HCEA In 1973, the organization announced that it had changed its name to the Health Care Exhibitors Association to represent more closely the broad range of business activities of its members. In the mid-1970s, the association moved its headquarters to Birmingham, Alabama. By 1978 membership stood at 209 and was open only to companies exhibiting at healthcare meetings, a policy that later changed when membership was opened to healthcare associations and industry suppliers. The year 1984 marked several significant changes for HCEA. The headquarters moved again to New Caanan, Connecticut. Also, the January JCMC meeting proved to be the last that HCEA and PCMA would hold jointly. Thereafter, HCEA would hold its own Annual Meeting every June. In January 1986, an association management firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, was chosen to manage HCEA,