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The author describes his growing involvement in Communications Society activities that had significant impact on his career. He describes his experience in presenting a paper at the 1982 IEEE International Conference on Communications in Philadelphia on the topic of how the Bell System would maintain its digital telecommunications network, which was then in its infancy. The Communications Society Board of Governors' recognition of the growing opportunities and challenges of conferences when it restructured the Board, with the new structure starting in 2008 is discussed.

The article provides information on the activities and achievements of the 2007 IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conference (WCNC) held from March 11 to 15, 2007 in Hong Kong, China. The theme of the conference was Wireless Gateway, given Hong Kong's special position within the fast growing vibrant economies and excitement of China and Asia. Hong Kong is well known for its advances in information and communications technology. Furthermore, WCNC 2007 was a resounding success. It broke every record there was to be broken. It had an overwhelming number of paper submissions, truly exceeding all expectations.

The article discusses the services provided by the U.S.-based Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Communications Society for its members. The organization will be introducing unified and standardized ways to run conferences. Keynote speeches, workshops and panel sessions will be added to its online offerings. On a trial run, the online facility will feature video feeds related to conference activities. Generic educational broadcasts on industry topics will be provided to society members.