Annual Conference and Expo sessions announced! Learn how to improve public meetings, leverage federal infrastructure dollars, turn compost into funding, and more!

This year’s Annual Conference and Expo is shaping up to be another invaluable learning opportunity, filled with dynamic panel discussions, engaging breakout sessions, high-profile keynote presentations, and chances for city leaders to connect directly with their peers.

The COVID-19 pandemic and potential economic uncertainty have exacerbated or created new challenges for city leaders. One of the best ways to find solutions for these issues is by attending breakout sessions during the annual conference. Each session has been vetted by Cal Cities members and staff to ensure that officials receive engaging information on the issues that matter most to them.

This year’s annual conference, scheduled for Sept. 7-9 in Long Beach, offers over 40 breakout sessions on a range of topics, including public meetings, homelessness, equity, economic development, pensions, and public safety.

Sessions range from big picture concepts — like how Norwalk and Sacramento are pioneering new public engagement processes — to more specific issues, such as how to spur economic development in rural communities. The annual conference also features several sessions on how to effectively use federal infrastructure grants and implement organic waste recycling regulations (SB 1383, Lara, 2016).

For more information about this year’s educational sessions, visit the “schedule at a glance” section of the Annual Conference and Expo webpage. Be sure to note the timing of the department, caucus, division, and Cal Cities business meetings when you visit.

Registration and hotels

Conference registration is required to attend all conference activities, including department and division meetings and the General Assembly. Officials that register for the annual conference by Monday, July 27, will get an early bird discount. Full conference registration includes access to educational sessions, most receptions, Thursday lunch with exhibitors, and Friday’s closing luncheon.

Registration for all three days starts at $650 for city officials from a member city. The sharing of registration is prohibited.

There are several hotels surrounding the convention center and a limited number of hotel rooms are available at reduced rates for registered attendees. After registering for the conference, attendees will receive a link to the discounted hotel rooms in a confirmation email. The deadline to reserve a discounted hotel room is Tuesday, Aug. 9. 

If you have special needs, please contact Conference Registrar Megan Dunn before Friday, Aug. 5. For additional questions, please email education@calcities.org.

Individuals falsely claiming to be the housing bureau/service for the 2022 Annual Conference and Expo may attempt to contact you. Cal Cities has contracted with LiveCon as the official housing service for the annual conference. Official emails regarding the conference will come from a calcities.org or live-con.com email account and the actual hotel.