I'm fortunate that my job allowsme to attend various benefits conferences and health careconventions where I hear from leading experts, meet themany great people who make up our industry and yes, visit somewonderful locations. But it's always nice when an opportunity popsup in my own backyard.

This month, I'm writing my column from the Colorado BusinessGroup on Health's 11th Annual Colorado Culture of Health andWellbeing, a “premier conference designed for employers, wellnessmanagers and other health professionals who work to improve allfacets of employee health.”

Related: HLTH Conference 2018: Top 16takeaways

Like many of you, I spend a significant portion of my timestudying and reading about the industry via news reports, whitepapers, analyses and industry publications. But nothing matches alive event when it comes to putting your finger on the pulse ofwhat's happening in our industry.

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

And as I walk around this CBGH event in Denver, I'm seeingsomething that should make every benefits consultant excited: roomafter room full of employers who are searching for answers. Topicsinclude some of the usual suspects, like wellness and healthliteracy, but guess what else is on the agenda? Data innovation,health care concierge services, and reference-based pricing. Sessions wherebenefits consultants, HR professionals and members of the C-Suiteare sharing case studies and openly discussing the successes andchallenges they've faced while instituting solutions such asdirect primary care and specialty drug plansutilizing data analytics and continuous-improvement care models.And believe me, the audience is paying attention and taking pagesof notes.

Change is hard—especially at the scale and speed that yourclients are facing. But they want your help. As Nolan Waterfallsays in this month's Face of Change column, “There's a lot of feararound alternatives. A lot of employers we talk to say, 'No, let'sjust renew.' They just want to get on with their business.” Butwhen it comes to adoption of these innovations, “it's absolutelythe 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 thatfuture a little closer.