MMA opens Annual Meeting registration

Members may now register for the 43rd MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show, which will be held in person on Jan. 21 and 22, 2022, at the Hynes Convention Center and Sheraton Hotel in Boston.

The largest conference for municipal officials in the state features:
• A range of informative and timely workshops
• Compelling and inspiring speakers
• Member business meetings and important policy discussions
• A robust Trade Show featuring the latest services and solutions for cities and towns
• Countless networking opportunities

The MMA’s Annual Meeting website has the very latest information about this dynamic, timely and engaging conference, which is a forum for learning and a celebration of the innovations and best practices in community governance.

The 2022 MMA Annual Meeting theme is “Recover. Renew. Reimagine.”

The speaker lineup includes:
• Opening keynote Eric Termuende, a globally recognized speaker, author and podcaster on the future of work
• Former Gov. Jane Swift at the Women Elected Municipal Officials Leadership Luncheon
• Closing session speaker Clarence Anthony, a former mayor and current executive director of the National League of Cities

Over two days, 18 workshops will cover key municipal issues such as climate change adaptation and resilience, a municipal law update, a state and local fiscal outlook, advancing diversity in public safety, community engagement, cybersecurity, energy, placemaking, housing, labor law, wellness and energizing your workforce, board relations, recycling, Community One Stop, transportation, the future of work, adult-use marijuana, and police reform.

Workshop titles, descriptions and panelists will be published next month. Descriptions of Learning Lab sessions, to be held on the Trade Show floor, will also be published in November.

The MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show attracts well more than 1,000 local leaders and more than 225 exhibitors. The last in-person event, in January 2020, was attended by a record 1,300 local leaders.

The Trade Show will be open on Friday, Jan. 21, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturday, Jan. 22, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Companies, nonprofits and government agencies interested in exhibiting at the meeting can find details and contract information on the MMA website.

First-time Annual Meeting attendees will get a special welcome during an event-opening orientation session from 8 to 9 a.m. The session is an opportunity to learn from seasoned MMA members about the best strategies for making the most of the Annual Meeting experience as well as MMA membership.

The MMA is taking precautions in order to host a safe, in-person event, and is closely monitoring health and safety guidance from public health officials. These precautions may include a mask mandate, proof of vaccination status, and proof of a negative COVID-19 test.

The MMA will be using larger rooms at the Hynes Convention Center for general sessions and workshops to allow attendees to spread out, and hand sanitizing stations will be placed throughout the Hynes and Sheraton.

Registrants must agree that they will not attend should they have COVID-19, have any symptoms of COVID-19, or have had contact with someone in the past two weeks who has tested positive. Those who cannot attend for these reasons may request a COVID-19-related refund of their registration fee up to the start of the meeting.

The MMA will provide updated safety information as we get closer to the event. The MMA is looking into using a web-based service to manage health and safety information for the event.

Registration
Online registration is available at www.mma.org/register, and the early rate is $195 for members. Reservations will also be accepted for the Women Elected Municipal Officials Leadership Luncheon, which will be held on Friday, Jan. 21, and costs $45, and the Friday evening dinner and entertainment, which costs $49.

Only online registrations will be accepted. No registrations can be accepted by mail or over the phone. The MMA accepts credit cards for Annual Meeting transactions, or we will invoice your municipality after the meeting. MMA staff are happy to help anyone who needs assistance. Attendees may use their unique username and password to register. Those who don’t have a username and password, or who have forgotten them, may email amregistrations@mma.org.

MMA Partnership Program members qualify for member rates. All Partnership Program members must renew membership with payment by Jan. 1 in order to register for and attend the MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show. Partnership Program renewals or applications will not be accepted during the Annual Meeting.

After the early registration deadline of Jan. 12, all registrations will be done on-site at a rate of $245.

Hotel information
The Sheraton Boston Hotel, conveniently located next to the Hynes, is the host hotel. The MMA negotiated a reduced room rate of $196 per night for a single or $206 per night for a double. The reduced-rate rooms are expected to sell out quickly, and reservations must be made by Dec. 23 to take advantage of the special rates.

Hotel reservations must be made directly with the hotel. To make reservations, call the Sheraton at 800-325-3535 or register online using a special MMA link.

For more information on the Annual Meeting, contact Timmery Kuck at 617-426-7272, ext. 106. For Trade Show and Partnership Program information, contact Karen LaPointe at 617-426-7272, ext. 154.