Countdown to the Annual Meeting - 44 Days!

Plans for the 2014 Municipal Association Annual Meeting in Charleston are well underway, and July 10 will be here before we know it. Charleston always offers lots of learning lab opportunities, and this year is no different.

The meeting registration and hotel reservation process for municipal officials takes place May 28 and 29 through an appointment process with timing determined by a random drawing last week. This process ensures fair access to room assignments and ticketed events.

This year's meeting will mark the last time the conference will be in Charleston during Mayor Joe Riley's tenure. He will open the Annual Meeting on Friday, July 11, with the keynote address that will look back over his 38 years as mayor. Riley will share his experiences along with the challenges and opportunities he sees for our cities and towns in the coming years.

Also on Friday morning, Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt will lead a lively conversation with a panel of South Carolina entrepreneurs. They will discuss what’s happening around the state to meet the Department’s innovation goals and what city leaders can do to make their cities “entrepreneur ready” so people can easily start a company, stay here and grow their business.

There are two great preconference sessions planned for Thursday, July 10. Last year's mobile workshop visiting two nearby cities during the Greenville Annual Meeting was such a success, we've planned a mobile session this year to visit Mt. Pleasant. Officials will be able to hear first-hand about the town's waterfront park, business corridor improvement project and highly acclaimed business incubator. Leaders from cities of all sizes will take away useful information they can apply in their own communities.

The second preconference session will focus on "The Art of Persuasion." Led by nationally acclaimed trainer Michelle Poche Flaherty, the session will teach strategies officials can use in their work to help their cities adapt to change and build consensus. Flaherty works with officials and chief executives from all levels of government and is familiar with the unique challenges government leaders face.

Municipal officials can register for these preconference sessions during the registration appointments on May 28 and 29.