MMA Annual Meeting and Trade Show
The 31st MMA Annual Meeting and Trade Show
January 22 and 23, 2010
Hynes Convention Center and Sheraton Boston Hotel
The MMA thanks the attendees, guest speakers, workshop presenters, exhibitors, sponsors, and everyone else who made the 2010 MMA Annual Meeting a success!
Next year’s Annual Meeting will be held Jan. 21-22, 2011, also at the Hynes Convention Center and Sheraton Boston Hotel.
The MMA Annual Meeting and Trade Show is the largest regular gathering of Massachusetts local government officials.The two-day event features educational workshops, nationally recognized speakers, awards programs, a large trade show, and an opportunity to network with municipal officials from across the state.
The MMA’s Annual Meeting is your best single opportunity to:
• Learn about solutions to problems facing your community
• Meet people who can assist you with resources and ideas
• Learn about valuable products and services for cities and towns
• Attend programs that will strengthen your ability to lead and serve your community
The MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show is held at the Hynes Convention Center and the Sheraton Boston Hotel in Boston’s scenic Back Bay.
What members are saying about the MMA Annual Meeting…
“In our busy professional lives, we rarely have the opportunity to come together and benefit from the wealth of knowledge and diversity of experience that each of us brings to public administration. I can think of no more critical time than today for us to benefit from each other’s knowledge, to mutually problem-solve, and to set a comprehensive agenda for the future of our cities and towns.”
– Robert Dolan, Mayor, Melrose
“The MMA Annual Meeting offers a wide range of experts available to provide advice and direction on all the issues that we face on a day-to-day basis. I come away from the conference feeling rejuvenated.”
– John Petrin, Town Manager, Ashland
“The biggest benefit of the MMA Annual Meeting is networking with colleagues from other communities and sharing best practices. The vendors at the Trade Show can also spark new ideas for municipal projects.”
– Richard Gregorio, Selectman, Stoneham
“The opportunity to hear from speakers (often heads of state departments) and to ask questions has been invaluable. Agency officials clarify things that are confusing, and we all learn from the experience of others.”
– Pat Brusch, Finance Committee, Belmont
“For me, Annual Meeting is the ultimate networking event. The energy, camaraderie, information and Trade Show give me inspiration to continue public service – and new ideas to bring back to Lexington!”
– Denise Casey, Human Resources Director, Lexington
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Workshops
31st MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show
January 22 & 23, 2010
Hynes Convention Center & Sheraton Boston Hotel
The MMA Annual Meeting featured 30 timely workshops held during three time slots over the course of the two-day event. Workshop panelists will lead interactive discussions on a wide range of topics. To gain the most from the workshops, Annual Meeting attendees from the same community are encouraged to attend different sessions and then share the information.
Click on the day and time for descriptions and any available materials for the workshops listed in that time slot.
Friday, First Session, 2-3:30 p.m.
• ABCs of School Funding
• Burdens, Budgets and Boundaries: Sharing Services to Protect Public Health
• Funding Strategies in Challenging Times
• Labor Law Update
• New Issues in Municipal Finance and Administration
• Open Town Meeting to a Mayor – and Everything in Between
• Ridding the Bumps in the Road: Building an Effective Relationship With Your DPW
• Saving Energy: Tips, Tricks and Traps
• Strategies for Developing Healthy Communities
• The Future Direction of Health Care – Federal and State Initiatives
Friday, Second Session, 3:45-5:15 p.m.
• A “New” Civil Service: Another Unfunded Mandate?
• Collective Bargaining Strategies for Health Insurance
• Costs, Benefits and Opportunities for Renewable Energy in Your Community
• Letting the Sunshine in: The New Open Meeting Law
• New Standards Governing Ethical Conduct
• Passing the Baton: Municipal Succession Planning
• Practical Financing for Redevelopment
• Social Media for Communities: A Passing Fad?
• So You Want to Be a Town Manager?
• Tapping Into the Creative Economy
Saturday Session, 2-3:30 p.m.
• Effective Mayor/Manager-Council Relations
• Finance and Budgeting Basics
• Going for Grants: Making Free Money Work for You
• Going Green: What Does It Mean?
• Harassment Prevention: A Briefing for Management
• Municipal Law Update
• Quinn Bill: Dealing With the Chaos
• Telecommunications and Cable Update
• Tips for Effective Evaluation of the Municipal Manager
• Water Infrastructure Funding Options
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Speakers
31st MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show
January 22 & 23, 2010
Hynes Convention Center & Sheraton Boston Hotel
The MMA Annual Meeting draws nationally recognized speakers who offer their insights on issues of concern to local governments. Each Annual Meeting concludes with a banquet dinner capped by quality entertainment.
Keynote speaker:
Author Richard Florida
WEMO Leadership
Luncheon speaker:
Joan Vennochi
Friday dinner speaker:
Former Patriot
Tedy Bruschi
Closing session:
Gubernatorial Candidates Forum
Moderator: John Henning
Saturday evening entertainment:
Comedian Paul D'Angelo
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Trade Show
31st MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show
January 22 & 23, 2010
Hynes Convention Center & Sheraton Boston Hotel
The MMA’s annual Trade Show, at the Hynes Convention Center, features more than 200 exhibitors offering the latest products and services of interest to the cities and towns of Massachusetts.
The Trade Show hours are:
• Friday, January 22, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Saturday, January 23, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Downloadable list of vendors for 2010 (subject to change)
• Trade Show floorplan (648K PDF)
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Awards
31st MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show
January 22 & 23, 2010
At each Annual Meeting, the MMA presents several awards that recognize outstanding achievements in improving the effectiveness of local government.
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MMA Annual Business Meeting
Saturday, January 23, 2010
10:15-11:50 a.m.
Ballroom A, Hynes Convention Center, 3rd floor
At the MMA’s Annual Business Meeting, members will consider resolutions on unfunded mandates, health insurance plan design, and the Police Incentive Pay Program.
The two policy committees that drafted these resolutions are welcoming member comments through Dec. 31 so that committee members will be able to review any input before the Annual Meeting.
Each resolution was drafted by the respective policy committee and approved by the MMA Board of Directors at the board’s Nov. 10 meeting.
The MMA’s Policy Committee on Personnel and Labor Relations has proposed the adoption of two resolutions: “A Resolution Calling for Action to Prevent Unfunded State Mandates in the Police Career Incentive Pay Program” and “A Resolution Calling for Health Insurance Plan Design Authority for Cities and Towns.”
The MMA’s Policy Committee on Municipal and Regional Administration has proposed the adoption of “A Resolution Opposing Current and Future Unfunded Local Mandates.”
These resolutions deal with major reform and funding issues confronting cities and towns and call for strong action by the state to provide immediate relief to municipalities and local taxpayers.
The policy committees ask all interested municipal officials to share their comments in advance of the MMA’s Annual Meeting.
Comments can be submitted to the MMA, Attn: Legislative Division, 1 Winthrop Square, Boston, MA 02110, or dbaier[at]mma.org.
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Hotel, Directions and Parking
31st MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show
January 22 & 23, 2010
Hynes Convention Center & Sheraton Boston Hotel
The sites for the MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show are located in Boston’s vibrant and historic Back Bay neighborhood, with easy access by public transportation as well as the Massachusetts Turnpike.
