Cal Cities accepting proposals for the 2027 City Managers Conference

Jun 17, 2026

Submissions due by July 13

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. 10-12 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, this three-day conference will bring city managers and public sector leaders together 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:

  • Navigating Ethical Waters: Balancing Personal and Professional Presence in an Era of Growing Digital and National Political Tension
  • Shadow Councils: When Advisory Bodies Go Rogue
  • From the Ground Up: Women City Managers on How They Got to the Top
  • We Have Our Strategic Plan ... Now What?

The conference is also a great opportunity to host a roundtable discussion on current events that build relationships and solutions. To host a roundtable, please propose the topic in the submission form.

Sessions may not include sales pitches, commercialism, or product promotion of any kind. The deadline to submit a proposal is July 13.

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 ready, submit your proposal using the online submission form by July 13. If accepted, you’ll present your session at the 2027 conference at the Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel in San Diego.

For questions, please email Event Program Manager Erin Wylder.