5 Highlights You Can’t Miss on Wednesday of Winter #MACoCon

MACo’s Winter Conference is only five weeks away, December 10-12, 2025, at the Hyatt in Cambridge, MD.

Join more than 1000 local government officials and decision-makers, legislators, state and federal officials, and commercial representatives for this can’t-miss policy-planning event. Back by popular demand, we have added more content to Wednesday of MACo’s Winter Conference – you do not want to miss this!

REGISTER TODAY!
(The lowest registration rates end on November 7!)

1. OPENING SESSION

Start the conference with a timely discussion on housing:

Housing at the Crossroads: Local Challenges in a Changing Landscape
(Wednesday, December 10, 2025; 10:15 AM – 11:45 AM)

2. AFFILIATE PANEL SESSIONS

We are offering TWO blocks of educational workshops on Wednesday afternoon. Do not miss these sessions:

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM:

  • Problematic Policy: Passing the Buck on Wrongful Convictions
  • County Solutions to Safeguard Local Communities
  • Streamlining Engagement: Maximizing Communication Tools for Government
  • Powering the Future: What Battery Storage Means for Maryland Counties
  • If You Build It, They Will Come: Infrastructure As a Tourism Strategy

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM:

  • Stretching County Dollars: Smarter Purchasing Through NACo’s Public Promise Procurement
  • Navigating Trust and Collaboration: Counties Protecting Public Health Together
  • The Reentry Bridge: Where Access Meets Opportunity
  • Scoring the Future: Understanding MDOT’s “Project Scorecard”
  • Elections at Work: Local Leadership, Modern Challenges

Read the session descriptions in our brochure.

3. ACADEMY FOR EXCELLENCE

Three Academy for Excellence Core Courses are being offered during the conference: two on Wednesday —County Financial Management (Wednesday, 8:45 AM – 10:15 AM) and Open Meetings Act (Wednesday, 10:30 AM – Noon) —and one on Friday —Employment Issues (Friday, 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM). All registered participants can attend; only Academy Fellows receive Academy credit. Read more about these Academy courses.

4. AFFILIATE MEETINGS

MACo Affiliate Members (groups of county-appointed officials and professionals in various county service areas) meet throughout the conference for peer-to-peer discussions and networking. If you are a county employee working in one of the following fields, you should plan to attend on Wednesday!

  • MACo Emergency Management Affiliate
  • MACo Information Technology Affiliate
  • MACo Human Services Affiliate
  • Regional Councils’ Lunch (invitation only)

View the brochure for times. Please note: only county professionals in these fields are invited to attend these meetings.

Interested in sponsoring one of these meetings and talking directly to front-line county decision-makers? Contact Regina.

5. EXHIBITORS!

MACo’s Winter Conference hosts approx. 70 exhibiting companies. These vendors will present cost-saving products and services for all levels of government and the private sector. ONLY 3 BOOTHS LEFT! Contact vwhite@mdcounties.org if you’re interested in exhibiting.

MACo’s Winter Conference, “Local Leadership, Lasting Impact: Shaping What’s Next,” will be held at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Hotel in Cambridge, MD, from December 10-12, 2025.

Learn more about MACo’s Winter Conference: