Every year, as the Martial Arts SuperShow winds down, the inevitable question arises: What are you going to do next year to top this?

Before I tackle such a tough question, I’d like to share some of this year’s highlights with those of you who were unable to attend.

As I walk the tradeshow floor I try to meet as many people as possible. At the end of most conversations, I usually ask what that person likes best about the show. These comments are from the countless MAIA members and non-members who shared their thoughts with me.

Whether you’re a UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championships) fan or not is irrelevant. Dana White, the UFC president, did a fantastic job addressing the Opening Ceremonies audience. He was charismatic and funny, yet down to earth. He’s really a nice person and has his thumb on the pulse of the mixed martial arts industry. Many told me that hearing him speak was the highlight of the show.

Mixed martial arts superstar Matt Hughes was, as always, a class act. His seminar ranked as one of the favorites. His respect for the show’s attendees is evidenced by his willingness to pose for photos with attendees and sign countless autographs.

John Hackleman from “The Pit” and his student, Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell, were nothing short of fantastic. The seminar they taught was second to none. The time and effort they spent helping the MASuperShow was not only unexpected but phenomenal. Chuck has true star status. Mr. Liddell spent well over eight hours being photographed and shaking hands with the MASuperShow attendees. Mr. Hackleman’s and Mr. Liddell’s commitment to the show was truly appreciated.

The Ernie Reyes’ World Action Team is always top notch, but this year they were really on the money. My personal highlight of the show was recognizing Master Ernie Reyes, Sr. with the Martial Arts Industry Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He has influenced so many lives in such a positive way that this year’s award could have gone to no other person.

Always a favorite are the round-table discussions. This year, we added a round table just for small schools and actually answered every single question presented. Many people stopped to comment about how much they enjoyed that particular event. Randy Holeman received rave reviews from many of our participants who attended the management round table. I facilitated that event and personally took notes on what was shared at that seminar.

Finally, there were continuous comments about the professionalism of our industry as measured by the tradeshow floor. As one attendee observed, “Every year seems to get better and better.”

These are just a few of the successes, there are far too many for me to list. Rest assured the entire show wasn’t flawless; we had a couple of unique challenges. It is our game to iron out the kinks and make sure we learn from them, just as you would do in your own school.

As for next year, how do we top it? First, we take the show to a new city, Orlando, Florida. We’ve scheduled it one week past the 4th of July holiday, on July 10-12, and will continue to get the best of the best in the industry to teach, educate, perform and engage with the participants at the MASuperShow.

As much fun as the 2007 MASuperShow was and as much fun as the 2008 event will be, it takes a monumental effort to put on this event every year. There are so many people that make it happen. Of course, there are the sponsors, vendors, speakers and you, the participants. To all of you, thank you for your support. But, there’s also a host of behind-the-scenes people that make this event happen. They are the TEAM members at MAIA and Century. They work all year long to make this event the success that it is.

On behalf of the entire martial arts industry, we thank you and look forward to next year.