MMA opens Annual Meeting registration

Registration is now open for the 44th MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show, which will be held in person on Jan. 20 and 21, 2023, at the Hynes Convention Center and Sheraton Hotel in Boston.

The largest conference for municipal officials in the state features:
• A range of informative and timely workshops
• Compelling and inspiring speakers
• Member business meetings and important policy discussions
• A lively Trade Show featuring the latest services and solutions for cities and towns
• Countless networking opportunities

The MMA is excited to return to its usual in-person event for the first time since January 2020.

“We can’t wait to see so many of our members gathered in person again!” said MMA Executive Director Geoff Beckwith. “And we know they’re anxious to see each other. That face-to-face interaction is powerful, and helps us all with our collective mission. We’re really looking forward to a great event.”

The MMA’s Annual Meeting website has the very latest information about this dynamic, timely and engaging conference, which is a forum for learning and a celebration of the innovations and best practices in community governance.

The 2023 MMA Annual Meeting theme is “Connect, Engage, Be Inspired.”

The speaker lineup includes:
• Opening keynote Elizabeth Lombardo, a noted psychologist and author who offers strategies for improving mental and emotional resilience
• Friday dinner speaker Anthony Everett, an Emmy-winning journalist and longtime host of WCVB Channel 5’s “Chronicle”

Over two days, 18 workshops will cover key municipal issues such as affordable housing, cannabis, clean energy, communications, cybersecurity, an economic and fiscal outlook, electrification infrastructure, federal funding opportunities, a labor law update, manager-board relations, mental health and policing, a municipal law update, PFAS, private roads, recruitment and hiring strategies, regionalization, succession planning, and wellness.

Workshop titles, descriptions and panelists will be published next month. Descriptions of Learning Lab sessions, to be held on the Trade Show floor, will also be published in November.

The Trade Show will be open on Friday, Jan. 20, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturday, Jan. 21, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Companies, nonprofits and government agencies interested in exhibiting at the meeting can find details and contract information on the MMA website.

The two-day event will also feature networking receptions, awards programs and other activities.

First-time Annual Meeting attendees will get a special welcome during an event-opening orientation session from 8 to 9 a.m. The session is an opportunity to learn from seasoned MMA members about the best strategies for making the most of the Annual Meeting experience, as well as MMA membership.

The MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show typically attracts more than 1,000 local leaders and more than 225 exhibitors. The last in-person event, in 2020, was attended by a record 1,300 local leaders.

The MMA will be taking precautions in order to host a safe, in-person event, and is currently requiring full vaccination or a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours to attend the Annual Meeting. Masks are optional. These safety protocols are subject to change based on the latest public health data and guidance.

The MMA will be using larger rooms at the Hynes Convention Center for general sessions and workshops to allow attendees to spread out, and hand sanitizing stations will be placed throughout the Hynes and Sheraton.

Registrants must agree that they will not attend should they have COVID-19, have any symptoms of COVID-19, or have had contact with someone in the past two weeks who has tested positive. Those who cannot attend for these reasons may request a COVID-19-related refund of their registration fee up to the start of the meeting.

The MMA may be updating safety information as we get closer to the event.

Registration
Online registration is available at www.mma.org/register, and the early rate is $225 for members. Reservations will also be accepted for the Women Elected Municipal Officials Leadership Luncheon, which will be held on Friday, Jan. 20, and costs $45, and the Friday evening dinner and entertainment, which costs $55.

Only online registrations will be accepted. No registrations can be accepted by mail or over the phone. The MMA accepts credit cards for Annual Meeting transactions, or we will invoice your municipality after the meeting. MMA staff are happy to help anyone who needs assistance. Attendees may use their unique username and password to register. Those who don’t have a username and password, or who have forgotten them, may email amregistrations@mma.org.

MMA Partnership Program members qualify for member rates. All Partnership Program members must renew membership with payment by Jan. 1 in order to register for and attend the MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show. Partnership Program renewals or applications will not be accepted during the Annual Meeting.

After the early registration deadline of Jan. 11, all registrations will be at the on-site rate of $275.

Hotel information
The Sheraton Boston Hotel, conveniently located next to the Hynes, is the host hotel. The MMA negotiated a reduced room rate of $202 per night for a single or $212 per night for a double. The reduced-rate rooms are expected to sell out quickly, and reservations must be made by Dec. 23 to take advantage of the special rates.

Hotel reservations must be made directly with the hotel. To make reservations, call the Sheraton at 800-325-3535 or register online using a special MMA link.

For more information on the Annual Meeting, contact Timmery Kuck at 617-426-7272, ext. 106. For Trade Show and Partnership Program information, contact Karen LaPointe at 617-426-7272, ext. 154.