GovTech Intelligence Platform, The Atlas for Cities, bought by Government Executive Media Group

From time to time GovEvents will come across information we feel our members and audience would benefit from. Here's something we wanted to share that was originally posted on TechCrunch.

The Atlas for Cities, the 500 Startups-backed market intelligence platform connecting tech companies with state and local governments, has been acquired by the Growth Catalyst Partners-backed publishing and market intelligence company Government Executive Media Group.

The San Diego-based company will become the latest addition to a stable of publications and services that include the "Route Fifty," a publication for local government and the defense-oriented intelligence service, DefenseOne.

Continue reading

GSA Exec Dismissed During Spending Scandal Gets His Job Back

Originally posted by Kedar Pavgi on Government Executive

A Merit Systems Protection Board judge on Monday ruled that a General Services Administration executive was wrongfully dismissed after being caught up in a conference spending scandal, according to Federal News Radio.

MSPB Administrative Law Judge Patricia Miller reversed GSA's decision to remove Paul Prouty following allegations of misconduct and overspending at a training conference. Prouty, a 41-year veteran of GSA, was dismissed during the fallout from an $820,000, four-day conference in Las Vegas in 2010, and left the agency last August.  Until then, he had served as the agency's Public Buildings Service Region 8 commissioner.

Continue reading

Postal Service Defends Pricey Conference as Chance to Boost Revenue

Originally posted by Eric Katz on Government Executive

The U.S. Postal Service on Wednesday defended its decision to spend more than $2 million on an upcoming conference, saying the event is an opportunity to grow revenue.

USPS is sending 400 employees to the National Postal Forum Conference, an annual event held to educate businesses and mailing industry professionals on the services available to them. The vast majority of USPS attendees participate in the conference for free, as they are deemed to have added value, according to the Postal Service.

Continue reading

GSA Cancels This Year’s Training Conference and Expo

Originally posted by Charles S. Clark on Government Executive

Citing tight budgets, the General Services Administration on Friday announced it is suspending its signature Training Conference and Expo, which had been scheduled for May 14-16 in Orlando, Fla.

The annual event, designed for federal, state and local government employees and military members who make or influence procurement decisions, was attracting fewer than usual agency participants, GSA noted.

Continue reading

Agencies Justify Conference Tabs Above $100,000

Originally posted by Charles S. Clark on Government Executive

 

Agencies have submitted summaries of conference spending in fiscal 2012 to the Office of Management and Budget that include justifications for training events that exceeded $100,000. The reports are required by a May 2012 memo from Acting Budget Director Jeffrey Zients.

Expanding on a 2011 OMB directive and executive order from President Obama promoting efficient spending, the latest Zients memo requires reductions in travel and conferences in the wake of the spring 2012 scandal involving extravagant spending at a General Services Administration training conference. It prohibits conferences costing more than $500,000 and requires agencies to report on events costing more than $100,000. Reports from all agencies were due Jan. 31.

Continue reading