2018 ICMA Annual Conference

Join the go-to event for leaders of cities, towns, and counties of all sizes around the world. The 2018 ICMA Annual Conference, in Baltimore, Maryland, September 23-26, 2018, is an indispensible forum for colleagues to interact as we pursue our common task of building sustainable communities and improving the lives of people worldwide.

What to look forward to:

This year's conference will include a special focus on creating smart communities that last and where people of all ages can live and thrive together. ICMA's 104th conference, like those before it, will offer attendees an abundance of innovative ideas and practical strategies for managing local governments in today's complex environment while also providing countless opportunities for professional and personal renewal and networking. Content topics for this year's event includes:

Creating Communities That Last
Equity and Social Inclusion
Not Your Grandparents' Workforce
Redefining Community Engagement: From the Couch to Town Hall Meetings
Smart Communities: What Are They?
The Challenges - and Responsibilities - of Putting Your Well-Being First

What's included with your registration:

Keynotes and Featured Speakers
Educational Sessions
Learning Lab Sessions
Roundtable Discussions
ICMA University Forums
Educational Exhibits and Soultions Track Sessions
Book Signings
Film Screenings
Networking
And more!

ICMA’s Annual Conference is an educational and networking opportunity that you can’t afford to miss, register today!

Speaker and Presenter Information

This year’s conference features four outstanding conference keynote speakers who will discuss a range of insightful, historical, and social-cultural issues:

Bestselling author and popular keynoter Daniel Pink returns to open this year’s ICMA Annual Conference on Sunday, September 23, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Pink will provide attendees with compelling insights from his new book, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, into how we can live richer, more engaged lives.
Drawing on her new book, Leadership in Turbulent Times, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Doris Kearns Goodwinreturns to ICMA’s keynote stage Monday, September 24, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. to examine the unique journeys of four presidents—Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson—as they develop into leaders.
Tuesday morning (September 25, 9:00 to 10 a.m.) keynoter Greg Bell believes there is one leadership characteristic that influences and strengthens all others: courage. Through powerful stories based on his book, Water the Bamboo: Unleashing the Potential of Teams and Individuals, Bell will show us how to unleash our own tenacity and cultivate the bravery and leadership potential of those around us.
Baltimore native Wes Moore has been busy since his first visit to the ICMA in 2011. In 2014, he founded Baltimore’s BridgeEdU, which focuses on students from marginalized populations, and he was named CEO of Robin Hood, New York City’s largest poverty-focused foundation. In his energizing, conference-closing presentation at the Celebration of Service on Wednesday, September 26, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., Moore will inspire us to see solutions instead of problems and to evolve, adopt, and inspire others.