Although ancient Romans and semi-modern Victorians differed greatly in their attitudes toward things such as morality and public behavior, they were precisely aligned in how they thought about travel: It was a good thing. In both cultures, travel was considered a critical ingredient of one’s personal and professional identity. Travel accelerated learning and expanded the mind. To be untraveled was considered to be akin to being uneducated.

I recently undertook a quick survey of how contemporary organizations view travel — or more specifically, conference attendance. Attitudes have vacillated in recent years, but personally, I like the idea of conferences. To be more precise, I believe great executives and great organizations can develop superior insight through strategic participation in a curated portfolio of conferences. 

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