Learn all you need to know about the most important local government topics today during Polco's sessions at the upcoming ICMA conference.
The ICMA Annual Conference in Austin, Texas, is around the corner. Polco and Balancing Act from Polco are offering informative sessions on the most important trends and biggest challenges facing local governments today.
Join us at these events for exclusive community research, discover emerging best practices in budgeting, learn how to make better decisions with data, and much more.
Be sure and stop by the Exhibit Hall and say hello at booth #439.
Austin Convention Center, Meeting Room 6B
8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Small cities, towns, and villages must meet rising demands with limited resources. Understand how to use the strengths of rural communities to mitigate these challenges. Plus, learn how small governments turn big data into successful community decisions without adding undue burden on staff. Additional fee applies.
The Sunset Room, 310 E 3rd St
6:30–9:30 p.m.
Start the ICMA conference weekend off right with live tunes in Live Music Capital of the World. Stop by the Sunset Room in the Austin Convention Center in the beautiful historic district for free beer, wine, and small bites. Party hosts include Polco, Envisio, Euna Solutions, HdL Companies, Tripepi Smith, and Climatec. October 1, 6:30 p.m. Space is limited. Reserve a spot
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom G
8:30–9:30 a.m.
Reaching community members from underheard groups is a top concern for many local governments. It’s also a major challenge. In this session, learn tips on how you can reach diverse populations. Hear from peer city leaders about initiatives, strategies, and tactics they have used to engage and serve groups who are typically less represented.
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom D
11:45 a.m.–1:15 p.m.
Join us as the League of Women in Government (LWG) and Polco reveal this year's Leadership Trailblazer Award winner. This award honors a woman who supports other women in local government. Additional fee applies.
Austin Convention Center, Meeting Room 18CD
1:30–2:30 p.m.
History’s largest generations, from Millennials to Baby Boomers, are all working together within the same organizations. A successful and healthy workplace requires employers to recognize the unique dynamic between these age groups. Learn best practices and find out what other organizations are doing to unite all ages in the workplace.
Polco Exhibit Booth
3:00–3:20 p.m.
Come to our booth and raise a glass to this year’s Voice of the People winners and Data-Driven Decision-Making certificate recipients. The toast is an excellent opportunity to connect with local government innovators and learn new strategies they’ve implemented to improve their communities and organizations.
Hilton Austin, Austin Grand Ballroom Salon G
5:30–6:30 p.m.
Each year, ICMA and Polco present The Voice of The People Awards to local governments that demonstrate excellence in community engagement. The VOP awards are the only accolade given to communities based on the opinions of those who matter most—residents. Join us as we recognize this year’s winners.
Tuesday, October 3
Austin Convention Center, Meeting Room 16
8:30–9:30 a.m.
The typical budget process is based on line items and historical precedent. While this does have some advantages, it is also slow and rigid and causes a host of problems. A new Rethinking Budgeting initiative, led in part by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), provides guidance to improve outdated processes. In this session by Balancing Act from Polco, discover new research findings and emerging practices for better budgeting.
Austin Convention Center, Meeting Room 19
1:30–2:30 p.m.
ICMA and Polco launched a program for government leaders to develop better data skills for strategic planning, budgeting, performance measurement, organizational development, and more. In this session, program participants share their learnings through case study presentations.