MMA Annual Meeting starts today!

The Hynes Convention Center in Boston will be buzzing today and tomorrow as more than 1,200 local leaders gather for the 44th MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show.

The conference — the first to be held in-person since January 2020 — features:
• 18 informative and timely workshops on key municipal issues
• An inspiring speaker lineup
• A robust Trade Show featuring the latest services and solutions for cities and towns
• Member business meetings and important policy discussions
• Countless opportunities for municipal officials to connect with their peers and share ideas

Members will be able to get a sense of the new administration’s priorities for the coming year from newly inaugurated Gov. Maura Healey during the Opening Session, and from Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll during the Women Elected Municipal Officials Leadership Luncheon on Friday as well as the MMA Annual Business Meeting on Saturday.

The speaker lineup also includes:
• 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”
• Closing speakers Clarence Anthony of the National League of Cities and Marc Ott of the International City/County Management Association, who will discuss diversity, equity and inclusion in local government

Workshops will cover topics such as succession planning, municipal law, regionalization, cybersecurity, housing, labor law, PFAS, communications, energy, policing, recruitment, and transportation funding. There will also be 10 half-hour Learning Labs on the Trade Show floor.

The MMA Annual Meeting website has all the details about this dynamic forum for learning and celebration of the innovations and best practices in community governance.

This year’s conference theme is “Connect, Engage, Be Inspired!”

Those who did not register in advance can still attend by going to the on-site registration desk on the second floor of the Hynes.

The MMA will not be checking COVID vaccination status, but is advising attendees to keep up with the latest COVID vaccines for which they are eligible. Attendees are urged to take an at-home COVID test prior to attending, and not attend if they have any COVID symptoms or if a household member has tested positive. Attendees are welcome to wear a mask if they choose. (See the website for more details.)

Be sure to visit www.mma.org regularly for ongoing timely coverage, including addresses by Gov. Healey and Lt. Gov. Dricoll. And follow our event hashtag on Twitter — #massmuni23 — as well as Facebook posts by MMA staff and members.