Sneak peek at the 2016 Annual Meeting

The countdown is on for the 2016 Annual Meeting that starts Thursday, July 14, in Charleston. Last minute preparations are taking place at the Association's office this week. 

Envelopes with name badges and event tickets for more than 800 registrants have been checked and double checked. Today, 40+ staff members gathered to stuff registration packets. Many hands make light work - it only took 18 minutes to stuff more than 800 folders!

The full agenda, jam-packed with more than 40 sessions and events, is online and also available through the meeting app.

Downloading the app in advance gives meeting registrants the chance to create a personalized schedule, read speaker bios, look at the attendee list, and create a profile for commenting and social media interaction. 

This May Uptown article gives background on two nationally-known speakers who headline the opening general session on Friday morning. They will discuss generational trends in communication and technology.

Kathleen Parker

Nine 15-minute tech talks scheduled throughout the Annual Meeting give elected officials a quick glance at timely IT topics such as VOIP phone systems, network security and body-worn cameras, while the Friday delegates’ lunch features nationally-known newspaper columnist, Kathleen Parker. She will share her witty, and sometimes provocative, perspective on the 2016 presidential election.

The Association will roll out its new economic development grant program at the opening general session on July 15. All cities have received a copy of the application packet by mail. Additional information and a link to the online application are in the July Uptown.

Downtown Anderson's start-up challenge

Recent Uptown articles give background on several breakout session topics, including land-use liability, local governments’ role in managing the zika virus and the opioid abuse epidemic, parks and recreation trends, creative ideas for downtown development, and legal and legislative updates.

Twitter users can keep up with meeting activities by following the Association @muniassnsc and using the hashtag #mascam16.  

Charleston, here we come!