The people in the know can be found at the Learning Lounge (Ballroom B, Level 3). This year, ICMA is rolling out an innovative concept—an intimate lounge setting where experts will be delivering short talks on big issues. Inside the lounge, you can sample multiple presentations conducted simultaneously or you can hang out at the Experts Bar for a shot of good, strong advice from leaders in the field.

Here is what’s on tap for Monday:

Monday in the Learning Lounge (Ballroom B, Level 3)

9:45am–10:15am 

Lounge 1, “How to Evaluate Your IT Department”

IT can be one of the more complex and mysterious parts of local government operations. As a local government leader, how can you tell how your IT Department is performing? ICMA’s own chief information officer will help you tackle such questions as, What approach should I use? What measures or key indicators are important? What steps should I take? Can I take this on in-house or do I need to hire a consultant?

Lounge 2, “Low-Tech Citizen Engagement”

Our brains are cluttered with so many bits and bytes of information that local governments are scrambling to stand out in the fragmented world of smartphones and tablets. In an effort to be noticed, Evanston, Illinois, decided to go low-tech (yes, low-tech). Listen to Evanston’s Wally Bobkiewicz and Erika Storlie as they explain how they got back to the basics of citizen engagement to break through the clutter.

Lounge 3, “When an Emergency Hits Home”

When disaster strikes your community, it’s personal. Local government managers are often faced with balancing their professional roles with their family responsibilities. Hear from James Jayne, county manager of Navajo County, Arizona, as he shares the insights and best practices of other managers who have faced a crisis at home.

10:30am–11:00am

Lounge 1, “Keeping the Power On When You Don’t Have the Power: Collaboration in Emergencies”

When a power outage strikes your community, local governments usually find themselves powerless to direct utility companies in the response. Without legislative authority, what can you do to collaborate with your utility company to respond effectively to the situation? Learn about potential issues and how to deal with them.

Lounge 2, “Open for Business”

Learn how East Central Florida county managers collaborated with MyRegion.org to create a regional permitting program known as “Open for Business.” This creative economic development initiative is now endorsed by elected bodies in 86 separate communities.

Lounge 3, “Sustainable Economic Development through Innovation”: CANCELLED

Because of the flooding in Colorado, our presenter is unable to attend the annual conference and so this session has been cancelled.

9:45am–11:00am

Experts Bar, “Selecting the Right e-Medium for the Message”

You’ve got something too important to say. Do you tweet it, post it, pin it, or throw your hands in the air and hire a town crier? (We are in Boston, after all.) Belly up to the bar and have a chat with Lauren Schieber, principal of the Dallas-based Vivanti Group. She will dispense sound advice for communicating your message in this increasingly complicated digital age.

2:30pm–3:00pm

Lounge 1, “From Sugar Plantation to Global City”

Public administration is hard as it is, but what happens when the make-up of your community has changed so much that you have to understand new holidays, different cultures, and surprising foreign etiquette rules—even seemingly simple things such as how to shake hands or how to exchange business cards? Learn how to navigate the complexities of a diverse community without almost creating an international incident (true story) as Sugar Land, Texas, shares its best practices.

Lounge 2, “Selecting the Right e-Medium for the Message”

Recently, Twitter announced its initial public offering via (what else?) a tweet. Times certainly have changed. Lauren Schieber, principal of the Dallas-based Vivanti Group, will discuss e-communication and teach you the rules of Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and apps.

Lounge 3, “Show the Love”

Sometimes we get so caught up in “putting out the fire” that we forget to let our teams know that they are doing a great job. Whether you are communicating up, down, or across your organization, this session will show you how to rekindle that camaraderie with your team.

2:30pm–3:40pm

Expert’s Bar, “Résumé Review Bar”

Retool your résumé with advice from people in the know. This team of experts will share the latest trends in recruitment and give you tips on how to make your résumé rise to the top of the heap.

3:10pm–3:40pm

Lounge 1, “Building Municipal Volunteerism 101”

Building a strong volunteer base is essential to increasing citizen engagement and, frankly, getting more done on a tight budget. Hear best practices from Dublin, Ohio, and learn how you can develop internal practices to engage volunteers to assist with programs, services, and events.

Lounge 2, “Evanston en Español”

Break down the language and culture barriers that hinder citizen engagement efforts. Learn how Evanston, Illinois, successfully reached out to its Latino community (in Spanish!) through social media, radio, print, and even collaborations with the community, the Mexican government, and faith-based organizations.

Lounge 3, “How Well Do You Know Your Citizens, Really?”

It used to be that if you wanted to know what was on the minds of your residents, you hired a firm and did traditional market research. Today, you can analyze your own data right from your own smart device or desktop. Esri’s Christopher Thomas will show you how governments are tapping into demographic shifts, real-time polling, and lifestyle trends to identify and attract businesses to their communities.