Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
The MMA’s annual conference, now called Connect 351, will take place at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and adjoining Omni Boston Hotel from Jan. 23 through Jan. 25 in Boston’s Seaport District.
Big changes are in store for the MMA’s conference in January, as the event moves to the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and expands into a third afternoon.
To coincide with these changes, the event — which has been known for 45 years as the MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show — also has a new name: Connect 351.
The new name is meant to convey the value of connection for members when they attend the conference, as well as the MMA’s role in connecting all 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts.
“With the change of location to a new, larger and modern facility, it seemed like a great opportunity to reconsider how we describe and talk about our main event,” said MMA Executive Director Adam Chapdelaine. “The shorter and more conversational name, we think, conveys the essence of the event and our collective pride in our state’s 351 municipalities.”
In a process that included interviews with MMA members, an MMA team led by Communications Director John Ouellette worked with the firm Holland Mark to arrive at the new name. The next phase of the branding project will be the development of graphic elements, which will be rolled out next month.
Connect 351 will be held at the BCEC and the adjoining Omni Boston Hotel in Boston’s Seaport District. The lively neighborhood, also known as the South Boston Waterfront, has numerous restaurants, cafes, entertainment venues, retailers and activities, including the Institute of Contemporary Art.
The 2025 conference will open earlier than in past years, on Thursday, Jan. 23. Registration will open at 2 p.m., as will the Trade Show and the Headshot Station for members. A late-afternoon reception will be held on the Trade Show floor, providing an opportunity to meet with exhibitors. Additional Thursday programming will be announced this fall.
The Trade Show and conference programming will continue all day on Friday, Jan. 24. Saturday’s events will include member business meetings and workshops, and the conference will conclude at 3:30 p.m.
The MMA is continuing to develop the program, and updates will be posted on www.mma.org in the coming weeks and months. As always, the conference will feature 18 timely and informative workshops, inspiring speakers, countless networking opportunities, membership business meetings, receptions, awards programs and other activities.
Registration for Connect 351 will open on Oct. 1, and the dates of the conference are Jan. 23-25, 2025.
Trade Show
The 2025 Trade Show will be open on Thursday, Jan. 23, from 2 to 5:30 p.m., and on Friday, Jan. 24, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. An opening reception will be held on Thursday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. The Trade Show will not be open on Saturday, Jan. 25.
Booth selection and sponsorship opportunities are now open to all companies, nonprofits, and government agencies looking to connect with MMA members. Visit the 2025 MMA Trade Show web page for details, including sponsorship opportunities, the contract for exhibit space, the up-to-date exhibit hall floor plan, and a list of 2024 exhibitors and sponsors.
As exhibit contracts are received, the MMA will update the online floor plan. Sponsors and exhibitors will be updated continually on the Trade Show web page.
The MMA’s Trade Show provides an opportunity to meet representatives of companies, government agencies and nonprofits with products and services that benefit local governments.
If you know of a company that would be interested in sponsoring or exhibiting but is not currently listed, contact Advertising & Trade Show Manager Karen LaPointe at klapointe@mma.org or 617-426-7272, ext. 154.
For more information about the conference, visit www.mma.org/Connect351.