In the winter of 1976, Denver, Colorado, was more than just a gateway to the Rockies; it was the birthplace of a dialogue that would eventually underpin the safety and reliability of modern global infrastructure. At the time, the business of technical standards was described by many as “the most unstandardized business in the world.” Information was siloed, and distribution was physical, slow, and manual. Engineers often waited weeks for physical copies of standards to arrive by mail, a delay that could stall major infrastructure projects or compromise safety protocols in the field.
The Visionaries Behind the Board
Recognizing these hurdles, a small group of visionaries issued an invitation to the standards organizations they worked with to discuss common problems and shared goals. While only five people showed up to that first meeting in Denver, they formed the first iteration of what we now know as the Standards Publishing Advisory Board (SPAB). As we prepare to gather for our 51st year in Scottsdale, AZ, from February 23 – 25, 2026, we look back at those who paved the way.
We want to honor the original “Denver Five” and the leaders who sparked this movement: Mr. Berlarnard, Mr. Al Batik, and Mr. Rudy Leonis. They, along with their colleagues, possessed the brilliant idea to move the industry from individual silos to a collective brainstorm. Their goal was simple yet revolutionary: to determine how these organizations could work together to solve the technical and commercial hurdles of the engineering world. As industry veteran John Pace later noted, SPAB was the catalyst that finally made the standards business more standardized.
The Information Handling Services Dedication
From that first meeting in 1976, Information Handling Services (the company now known as Accuris) made a strategic commitment to prioritize and host this event every year. While we often keep SPAB separate from our commercial activities to preserve its integrity as a neutral forum, our dedication to this board is a cornerstone of our mission. We spend our days focused on the professionals who write and use these rules; hosting SPAB is our way of giving back to that community and honoring our contribution to the industry’s history.
The early years of SPAB were defined by the struggle to move information faster than a courier could carry it. In the late 70s and 80s, the “high-tech” solution was microfilm. Information Handling Services led the charge in helping partners convert massive paper libraries into searchable microfilm cartridges. This wasn’t just a storage solution; it was the first step toward the digital threads we discuss today. At meetings in the late 70s, the “Denver Five” and their growing number of peers debated “Uniformity in Indexing” – ensuring that a student of engineering or a professional in the field could find the same bolt specification regardless of the source.
The Human Glue and the Commitment to Scottsdale
The culture of SPAB has always been defined by the “human glue” that makes professional cooperation possible. These traditions built the trust necessary for competitors to sit at the same table and collaborate. We remember “Tex the Singing Cowboy” cooking breakfast on the trail and the “Crazy Olympics” of the 1980s. These weren’t just parties; they were essential trust-building exercises. When key stakeholders trust one another, the entire industry moves faster.
As we look toward Scottsdale 2026, we see the modern evolution of this trust. The upcoming summit, themed “From Standards to Systems: Building the Interoperable Future,” is the direct descendant of those 1970s microfilm debates. Today, we are moving from microfilm to living systems of intelligence. The upcoming meeting will explore how trust infrastructure defines the next decade of industry. To all the standards professionals who have been with us since those early days in Denver: we thank you for your tireless work in making the world more predictable and safe. We look forward to seeing the next generation of key stakeholders in Scottsdale next month.
A Legacy of Place: The SPAB Location History
To look back at the history of SPAB is to look at a map of five decades of American industry. Since that first gathering in Denver, Accuris has prioritized bringing key stakeholders together in environments that foster open dialogue and trust.
- 1976: Denver, CO (The Inaugural Meeting)
- 1977 – 1980: New Orleans, Charleston, Savannah, Tampa
- 1981 – 1985: Orlando, New Orleans, San Antonio, Key West, San Diego
- 1986 – 1990: Phoenix, San Francisco, Marco Island, Tucson, Grenelefe-Orlando
- 1991 – 1995: San Antonio, Myrtle Beach, San Diego, St. Petersburg Beach, Jupiter Beach
- 1996 – 1999: Scottsdale, Daytona Beach, New Orleans, San Diego
- 2000 – 2005: Fort Lauderdale, Tempe, Charleston, South Beach, Clearwater Beach, Tempe
- 2006 – 2010: Denver, St. Petersburg, Fort Lauderdale, San Diego, Orlando
- 2011 – 2015: Coral Gables, Marco Island, Scottsdale, Palm Springs, Pompano Beach
- 2016 – 2020: Clearwater Beach, San Diego, New Orleans, Denver, Cape Coral
- 2021 – 2022: Virtual (The Pandemic Years)
- 2023 – 2025: Denver, Palm Springs, Myrtle Beach
- 2026: Scottsdale, AZ (The 51st Year)
If you would like more detail, follow the SPAB LinkedIn page here: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/spab-standards-publishing-advisory-board/