ICMA is preparing for its 2021 annual conference in Portland, Oregon, October 3-6, as an in-person experience but the final decision to proceed as a live event will be announced in June. ICMA members may live in a state that has already reopened or is reopening for business in phases. Those decisions, accompanied by guidelines, are made by the governor. At this point in time, Oregon is not at a place where ICMA feels comfortable announcing that we are moving forward with an in-person event this October. As much as we are eager to get to Portland this fall, the decision must be driven by a realistic assessment of our ability to resume safe operations.

We are also aware that there are member concerns regarding the safety of conference attendees in Portland. Marc Ott, ICMA Executive Director/CEO, and Troy Brown, ICMA President-Elect, visited Portland in mid-April to assess its public safety.  Portland, like many cities, is confronting issues related to social justice, livability, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid it all, Portland is a safe place to visit and if we are in person, we recommend that attendees exercise the same caution, concern, and common sense as when traveling to any conference destination.

If you’re still not comfortable attending an in-person event this year, ICMA is also planning for a digital version of the 2021 ICMA Annual Conference.

If everything goes according to plan for an in-person experience, we plan to launch housing and registration in early-to-mid-July, when we will unveil a schedule of events and detailed information for an in-person event.