NEWS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 2, 2022
Contact: Virginia White, Deputy Director | 410.269.0043 | vwhite@mdcounties.org
Annapolis, MD (08/02/2022) – “Taking Care of Business” is this year’s Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) Summer Conference theme. The conference will be held at the Roland Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, MD from Aug. 17 through Aug. 20, 2022. With COVID being a continuing concern, MACo recently released updated safety protocols recommending – but not requiring – that attendees wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status. MACo further recommends that attendees review the most recent information from the CDC and other public health authorities in preparing for their participation. Conference sessions will explore resources available for recovering and struggling businesses, creative ways to achieve common goals, and partnerships available to take our communities from “surviving” to “thriving.”
Approximately 3,000+ representatives from county and state government, commercial companies across Maryland—as well as representatives from seven different states and the District—will convene at MACo’s Summer Conference. Attendees will discover best practices, learn about county solutions, and explore potential partnerships through three general sessions, more than 30 educational sessions, a 300-booth tradeshow, a 60-booth technology expo, and several networking events.
MACo’s Summer Conference will kick off with a Tech Expo on Wednesday, August 17, showcasing technology innovations through an exhibit show and a series of sessions covering cybersecurity, tech tools for government, and broadband. 50 companies will be on hand at the Tech Expo to demonstrate products including: telecommunications devices, emergency services support, backup and disaster recovery solutions, ransomware containment, and more. Attendees will see demos of software to help with data storage, secure digital record-keeping, and cybersecurity.
An exciting Wednesday addition to Summer Conference is a live, ongoing demonstration of Next Generation 9-1-1 remote call-taking technology. 9-1-1 specialists assigned to 7 different counties will be taking emergency calls from across the state while on site at the convention center to display this technology, which is critical for ensuring resiliency and redundancy for Maryland’s 24 county 9-1-1 centers.
Following the Tech Expo is the larger 300-booth tradeshow on Thursday and Friday. The tradeshow gives organizations the opportunity to showcase how they can work with counties to help them save money and increase service delivery. Beyond the exhibit hall, attendees will have more than 30 educational sessions they can choose to attend. Sessions cover the wide spectrum of county government services and explore topics like infrastructure, emergency communications, housing, tourism, cybersecurity, workforce challenges, local disasters, and inflation, among others.
Another exciting addition to the conference is Podcaster’s Row. For a window of time on Friday, August 19, podcasts focused on Maryland policy and politics will be set up in the main Exhibit Hall to interview conference attendees live from the conference.
“MACo’s Summer Conference is my favorite event every year,” said MACo President and Talbot County Council Member Laura Everngam-Price. “It brings together the best of the best from around our state to work on learning from the past year and planning for the year ahead. This strengthens our relationships locally and with state leaders, enabling us to collectively solve problems facing Marylanders every day. There is no better place to get to know others who are putting in the work to make our state an even better place than it already is.”
A highly-anticipated conference highlight is the Town Hall Forum with U.S. Senator Ben Cardin. The Friday morning forum will focus on Federal updates and issues concerning local government. Additionally, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen will deliver opening remarks on Thursday, discussing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Networking events at the conference include MACo’s Governor’s Cabinet Reception, Taste of Maryland Reception, and the Crab Feast. The Governor’s Cabinet Reception is attended by the Governor, Lt. Governor, and their Department Secretaries and is an opportunity for county leaders to discuss local matters with the Administration. Governor Hogan is confirmed to deliver welcoming remarks on Thursday morning.
As it is an election year, the closing event of MACo’s Summer Conference is a Statewide Candidate Forum. The top two candidates for Governor, Attorney General, and Comptroller have been invited to participate. The conference will adjourn on Saturday following the forum.
MACo’s Summer Conference truly has “something for everyone” involved in Maryland’s government and policy landscape – it is the largest gathering of government officials in the state.
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About the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo): MACo is a non-profit and non-partisan organization that serves Maryland county governments by articulating their needs and ideas to the Maryland General Assembly. The Association’s membership is composed of county elected officials and representatives from Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City. MACo’s members determine Association policy and positions on executive and legislative proposals through an elected Board of Directors and Legislative Committee. Through MACo’s advocacy, training, education programs, and annual conferences, members are provided with endless opportunities to increase their capacity to serve their residents.
Note to Members of the Press: You are invited to attend the conference and may register through MACo’s website: www.mdcounties.org/SC22OnlineRegistration.
