Now accepting proposals for the 2026 City Managers Conference

Submissions due by August 8

By Cal Cities Education Staff 

Do you have fresh ideas or bold insights into municipal leadership? Cal Cities is accepting dynamic, forward-thinking session proposals for the City Managers Conference, the premier education event for city management in California. Held Feb. 11-13 at the Meritage in Napa, this three-day conference unites city managers and public sector leaders to learn and collaborate.

What we’re looking for

Member-driven and member-led programming is a cornerstone of Cal Cities’ educational activities. Over 95% of all programming comes directly from our open calls for proposals! Submissions from individuals, groups, businesses, and organizations on any topic of interest are welcome.

Cal Cities encourages session proposals that are creative and modern in their programming and format. Submissions on any topic relevant to city managers are welcome. Previous sessions include:

• Managing Through Council Transition and Implementing a Robust Onboarding Program
• Mass Casualty Events: What Nobody Taught You and You Didn’t Want to Learn
• Practical Tools for Defining Performance Expectations for Department Heads

The conference is also a great opportunity to host a roundtable discussion on current events that builds relationships and solutions!

Sessions may not include sales pitches, commercialism, or product promotion of any kind. The deadline to submit a proposal is Friday, Aug. 8.

How to submit

Learn how to create an excellent proposal by reviewing the Call for Proposals section on the City Managers Conference webpage. When you have your idea (or ideas!) ready, submit your proposal using the online submission form by Aug. 8, 2025. If accepted, you’ll present your session at the 2026 conference at the Meritage Hotel in Napa.

For questions, please email Associate Manager, Event Program, Erin Wylder.