Well worth attending: 2015 ICMA Annual Conference (with related video)

The International City/County Management Association’s (ICMA) 101st annual conference takes place Sept. 27-30 in Seattle. The show brings together 3,500 local government managers from around the world. Over four days, participants will engage in networking opportunities and learn about key local government management issues and practices.

Attendees can choose from daily keynote presentations, educational and Solutions Track sessions, roundtable discussions, ICMA University workshops and forums, field demonstrations, and numerous presentations of technology applications.

The opening general session will feature a presentation by Shawn Achor, an expert on the science of positive psychology and the connection between happiness and success.

The Monday (Sept. 28) keynote speaker is diversity advocate, consultant and author Vernā Myers. In a humorous, spirited presentation, Myers will encourage attendees to recognize their own biases to actively combat them, emphasizing a “low-guilt, high-responsibility” philosophy.

The Wednesday morning keynoter at the conference will be Kelly Leonard, an executive with The Second City comedy theater in Chicago. He is coauthor of the new book, “Yes, And.” The volume tells how improvisation reverses “No, But” thinking and improves creativity and collaboration.  The volume offers lessons from The Second City troupe.

The association has carved out two periods of free time (in addition to Sunday evening) for strolling through the exhibit hall, speaking to the show’s 180 exhibiting companies, browsing the bookstore and attending a solutions track session.

A few conference highlights:

Build Public Trust Through Online Citizen Engagement
Register for this workshop and come away with a deep understanding of the pitfalls and best practices for building public trust with online engagement. Case studies at the session illustrate how the process works in the real world.

Center for Sustainable Communities— several conference sessions on
Getting started on, or looking to expand or enhance, your sustainability community’s efforts? Several sessions at this year’s conference will give attendees the tools they need to make a difference back home.

Police, the Community, and the Manager
ICMA executive director, Bob O’Neill will lead this educational session.

The ICMA 2015 conference features educational sessions on the following topics and more:
Our Changing Demographics: How Diversity Is Evolving in Our Communities

Smart Communities

Reenergizing Neighborhoods: From Now to Wow

Surf’s Up: Delivering Broadband Technology to Everyone

Life, Well Run: Telling the Story of Local Government through Social Media

Our Role in Ensuring the Equal Rights and Social Inclusion of Marginalized Groups

Building the Workforce of the Future

The preliminary conference program is here.

Visit this website for details.

In the video, see some of Seattle’s attractions leading up to the 2015 ICMA conference.

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