By Stephanie McCall, IWCE show director

Yes, folks, that is correct: IWCE has been around for 40 years. Boy, has it changed since the beginning of time, when it started in 1977 as the National Business Radio Conference in Denver, Colo.

We’ve all witnessed the show transform from a pure radio-dealer conference to a show that encompasses public safety, utilities, transportation and hospitality, to name a few. With this evolution, not only have we seen the types of attendees change, we’ve seen the types of exhibitor change. We still have the legacy technology exhibitors, but we are signing on new types of exhibitors every day that provide solutions to complement critical-communications technologies.

At IWCE 2017, we have exhibitors that will be showcasing wearable devices, software applications, next-generation 911 solutions and even some companies that have drone products. It’s going to be an exciting opportunity for critical-communications professionals of all kinds.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, we are having a 40^th Birthday Bash on Wednesday, March 29—keep your eyes open for more information or visit www.iwceexpo.com. If you have photos you’d like to share during the party, please send them to me at stephanie.mccall@penton.com–and don’t forget to identify who is in the photo, as well as any other pertinent information.