Get a sneak peek at some of the session topics coming to Annual Conference!
Subject to change. Please check back often for updates.
Each year, the AWC Annual Conference offers a wide variety of sessions for elected officials and senior level staff. Session topics address emerging issues and topics, foundational roles and responsibilities, legislative issues, idea sharing, and roundtable forums to share successes and identify solutions to local challenges.
We offer tracks for:
- Certificate of Municipal Leadership (CML) core competencies
- Executive mayors
- Small cities
- City managers/administrators
- Essentials for new and returning elected officials
Pre-conference sessions – registration open now!
Choose from a variety of pre-conference offerings before the main event even kicks off. Registration for pre-conference sessions is required. The price for pre-conference sessions is included in the full Annual Conference registration fee. Please note that there is a cancellation/no show fee of $25 for pre-conference sessions.
- Collaborative leadership training: Join our partners from the Ruckelshaus Center to learn how to embrace differing viewpoints and build consensus to solve real-world challenges. Learn more!
- Short Course on Local Planning: This foundational training from our partners at the state Department of Commerce provides a practical overview of land use planning in Washington state. Learn more!
- Mayor as CEO: Mastering your role as the city's executive: Designed exclusively for mayors in mayor-council governments, this session will equip you to better navigate your role as the city's executive. Learn more!
- Hanford Site mobile tour: Come explore the U.S. Department of Energy’s 580-square-mile Hanford Site, which was the primary producer of plutonium for national defense for over 40 years. Learn more!
Some of the hot topics and popular returning sessions you can expect at this year’s conference include:
- Adopting comp plans and managing growth
- Advocacy boot camp
- Affordable housing strategies
- All things open meetings and meeting management
- Ask MRSC
- Building an inclusive culture in your city
- Cities 101 for the community – educating your residents and harnessing their involvement
- Cybersecurity threats and resources to protect your city
- Downtown revitalization strategies and creating a sense of place
- Exploring revenues and revenue options
- Exploring the needs of small, rural communities
- Infrastructure funding opportunities and challenges
- Disaster preparedness and leading through an emergency
- Leveling up your communications skills
- AI for beginners and maximizing at city hall
- Navigating issues related with homelessness
- Parliamentary procedure and running effective council meetings
- Police retention and supporting the workforce
- Preparing for the 2026 World Cup and other major events
- Roundtables for city staff to share with peers and learn from each other
- Social media and the First Amendment
- State and federal outlook
- Tax Increment Financing – who is doing it and how it works
- Understanding the legal landscape of elected office
- Wrestling with tight budgets and considerations for budget cuts and revenues
- Youth councils and youth engagement
Roundtables sessions for:
- Mayors in mayor-council cities
- Mayors in council-manager cities
- Mayors pro tem/Deputy mayors/Council presidents
- New and newer councilmembers (joined council since fall 2023)
- Councilmembers
- City managers
- Clerks, department heads, and other city staff