This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the IMDA having been founded in 1987. I wish to offer a profound thanks to those IMDA members that have supported the organization for over three decades. Your dedication and inputs have made the IMDA a strong and vital organization worldwide. You are an essential ingredient in making the IMDA so highly successful. Your involvement, strengthen bonds of professionalism and friendship is what makes the IMDA special. This is truly reflected in the international nature of the membership and, of course, the vast number of fascinating conference locations that have spanned the globe. The second order of business is to recognize the organizers of our conferences who have worked diligently over the years to provide exciting congress venues with rich academic, educational and social programs. I and the membership are truly indebted to them for their enthusiastic spirit and tireless work. 

We look forward with great anticipation to the twenty-seventh World Business Congress, sponsored by the Hang Seng Management College in Hong Kong. You will see from the call for papers, and program structure, that this is going to be an impressive site to celebrate our anniversary. I look forward to seeing many “old” IMDA friends in Hong Kong and to welcome those of you who will be new to the IMDA. You will find the IMDA to be a truly unique professional organization that stresses collegiality and the development of worldwide professional relationships.