Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
Registration for Connect 351, which will be held on Jan. 22 through 24 at the Menino Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, opened on Oct. 1.
Registration opens today for Connect 351, the MMA’s annual conference, which will be held Jan. 22-24 in Boston’s Seaport District.
Connect 351 offers local leaders an opportunity to collaborate with and learn from their peers across the Commonwealth through a diverse program of events, including timely, information-packed workshops, myriad networking opportunities, membership business meetings, receptions, awards programs, and other engaging activities.
The event will be held at the same location as last time, though the venue has a new name: the Menino Convention and Exhibition Center.
The Connect 351 program is quickly taking shape, and MMA staff are hard at work finalizing the remaining details. As always, the latest and most comprehensive information about the conference is available on connect351.org.
Speakers
Friday’s keynote speaker, educator and activist Timothy Shriver, will discuss bridging the divisions between opposing viewpoints and focusing on one another’s humanity.
Saturday’s keynote, Cassandra Madison of the Center for Civic Futures, will discuss artificial intelligence and local government.
Tami Pyfer, co-creator of the Dignity Index, will address the Women Elected Municipal Officials Leadership Luncheon on Friday afternoon.
Workshops
The 2026 conference will feature a total of 17 workshops over two days, with 14 workshops in two blocks on Friday and three large interactive workshops on Saturday covering crisis communications, disaster response, and cybersecurity.
The Friday workshops will cover topics such as municipal law, clean energy siting and permitting, labor law, employee recruitment and retention, community event planning, strategic leadership, community engagement, and dealing with stress.
Complete workshop details will be available on the Connect 351 website by mid-November.
Trade Show
Exhibitors continue to fill the rows for the annual Trade Show, where more than 250 companies, nonprofits, and government agencies will be showcasing the latest innovations, technology and services of interest to municipal officials.
The Trade Show will be open on Thursday, Jan. 22, from 2 to 5:30 p.m., and on Friday, Jan. 23, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. An opening reception will be held on Thursday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. The Trade Show will not be open on Saturday, Jan. 24.
More information will be available soon on the series of Learning Labs that will return to the Trade Show floor.
The Trade Show web page has complete information, including sponsorship opportunities, a contract for exhibit space, a new exhibit hall floor plan, and the list of exhibitors and sponsors from the 2025 event. The MMA will update the online floor plan as exhibit contracts are received, and sponsors and exhibitor lists will be updated continually on the event website.
If you know of a company that would be interested in sponsoring or exhibiting but is not currently listed, contact the MMA’s new event and development specialist, Stacey Compton-Maga, at [email protected] or 617-426-7272, ext. 154. Click here to learn more about event sponsorship opportunities.
Schedule and features
The 2026 conference will open on the afternoon of Thursday, Jan. 22, with the Trade Show, a Women Leading Government session, and a new interactive networking and skills activity called Boardroom Breakout. The Trade Show and Headshot Station for members will open at 2 p.m.
Conference programming continues all day on Friday, Jan. 23, and Saturday events include MIIA’s Annual Business Meeting and Breakfast, member business meetings, and the MMA Annual Business Meeting. The conference will conclude at 3:30 p.m with a dessert reception.
Member video
A new video on the Connect 351 website features interviews with municipal officials about why the conference is so meaningful for them.
“I think the greatest value from the conference is that it broadens your perspective,” said Dennis Town Administrator Liz Sullivan. “Every year, you leave with an enhanced passion to go out there and keep moving forward with that positive energy after being recharged … from the conference.”