A unique blend of old-world charm and vibrant, North American energy, Montréal, Québec, Canada, was the location of ICMA's 95th Annual Conference, September 13-16. For four days, 2,500 ICMA members, speakers, and guests gathered in the Palais des congrès de Montréal to learn, study, and enhance their skills against the backdrop of a unique, international city.

The  economy, redefining services in challenging times, leading practices and policies for a sustainable world, and workforce issues were the themes of the educational program, developed by the 2009 Conference Planning Committee under the direction of chairman Robert R. Kiely, city manager, Lake Forest, Illinois. The conference also featured career tracks of sessions developed specifically for assistant managers, ICMA Credentialed Managers, and managers of small communities, as well as workshops and special sessions on speed coaching, ethics, and avoiding financial meltdown. All conference educational session handouts and speaker presentations received by staff are posted on the ICMA Web site at http://icma.org/conference_handouts.

ICMAtv returned to ICMA this year to cover a number of annual conference sessions and events. This year’s program included special segments on more than 20 local governments, most of them Canadian. To view the entire program of community highlights, visit ICMAtv.com.

A study in sustainable urban development, Montréal was an engaging learning laboratory for conference attendees, who took advantage of the cosmopolitan location and near-perfect weather to participate in more than a dozen field demos, tours, and cultural events planned by the 2009 Host Committee under the leadership of chairman Duncan E. Campbell, director general, Westmount, Quebec.

Conference Content Goes High Tech
ICMA introduced a new concept in conference attendance in Montréal, with the launch of its first-ever virtual conference option in partnership with Strategic Partner Granicus. Nearly 100 registrants took advantage of this new opportunity to experience the conference off site by watching the Monday and Tuesday keynote addresses and 20 educational sessions live-streamed directly to their local governments. The content of the virtual conference was archived, and the educational sessions will be available to on- and off-site registrants on-demand through October 31, 2009. Solutions Track content will be available for one year. To access the virtual conference content at 2009 eConference Montreal View Page, virtual conference registrants must use their username and password; onsite registrants and managers in transition should refer to the e-mail they received from Granicus in late September.

Everybody’s Bloggin’ ‘Bout Montreal!
Before, during, and after the conference, attendees shared their perspectives on the event, the city of Montréal, and, well, just about everything through the official annual conference blog. The first ICMA conference blog launched during the 93th Annual Conference in Pittsburgh in 2007, and its popularity among members soared this year. Dozens of participants shared their thoughts each day on everything from keynote speakers to the best restaurants, and the blogging continued as they returned to their communities. To read the blog postings, visit the Montréal Conference blog at http://icmaconference.wordpress.com.

Sunday Kick Off: Lessons in Love Leadership
Outgoing President David M. Limardi, city manager, Highland Park, Illinois, presided over the Sunday opening session. Highlights of the program included:

• A welcome from Joan McCallen, president and CEO of conference principal sponsor ICMA-RC
• Introduction of the incoming members of the ICMA Executive Board
• An official welcome from Claude Dauphin, president of the Montreal Executive Committee and Bill McMurchie, mayor of Pointe-Claire, Quebec
• Presentation of the 2009 Host Committee gift to ICMA Executive Director Bob O’Neill
• Recognition of the first group of recipients of ICMA’s Annual Awards and of James D. Crosby, city manager of Yukon, Oklahoma, who received a 45-year Service Award.

John Hope Bryant, founder, chairman, and CEO of Operation HOPE, energized attendees with an address based on his new book, “Love Leadership: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World.” Bryant stressed the importance of paying attention to the little things, and leading life in the “excellence” range. Check out the video of his annual conference presentation.

Following Bryant’s session, attendees congregated in the conference exhibit hall to sample the “The Flavors of Old and New Montreal.” This Sunday reception, sponsored by the 2009 Host Committee, marked the official opening of the exhibit hall.

Monday: Sustainable Development and the State of the Environment
During his long and distinguished career, award-winning scientist, environmentalist, and broadcaster Dr. David Suzuki has raised public consciousness about environmental issues and inspired massive efforts to preserve and protect our natural world. In his return to the ICMA Annual Conference keynote stage on Monday, he discussed the relationship between the economy and our communities, and how we’ve become “servants” to a nonsustainable economy. He offered attendees an alternative model of sustainable development that requires us to bring the economy back to a place in which humanity can live well and still protect the environment. Watch Suzuki’s conference interview with ICMAtv.

Tuesday: An Outlook for the Economy and Local Government
Dr. Alice Rivlin, a foremost analyst on the U.S. economy and one of the most influential policy makers in Washington, D.C., took the ICMA Annual Conference keynote stage on Tuesday morning. Renowned as a visionary thinker with a keen eye on the changing state of the national economy, the health system, and the state of U.S. cities, Rivlin led attendees through an assessment of what went wrong with the U.S. economy, why no one saw it coming, and what the future holds for local governments. Following the keynote address, conference attendees joined Rivlin to continue the discussion of the economy during a special breakout session.

Wednesday: Why Standing Still is NOT an Option
On Wednesday morning, Darnell Earley, city manager, Saginaw, Michigan, took the reins of ICMA as president. Earley assumed the organization’s highest leadership position as part of the organization’s closing session, where he inspired members and attendees with a stirring, personal address that focused on his family, mentors, major influences, and career, and his vision for ICMA. He encouraged attendees to reclaim their passion for public service and for the local government management profession. Visit ICMAtv to see an interview with then incoming President Earley.

Highlights of the Celebration of Service to the Profession, a traditional component of the closing session, included the induction of the incoming ICMA Executive Board and recognition of ICMA’s 2009 Annual Award recipients and Distinguished Service Award recipients Dennis Beach and David Elder.

The 95th ICMA Annual Conference closed with a presentation by Linda Duxbury, one of Canada's leading workplace health and demographic experts. Duxbury stressed how, despite all the talk about the importance of leading a balanced life, most of us are experiencing less balance, more stress, less productivity, and more dissatisfaction. She underscored the need to transform our workplaces to accommodate the next generation of employees, for whom achieving balance in life is a major concern.

Mark your calendar for the 96th ICMA Annual Conference in San Jose/Santa Clara County, California, October 17-20, 2010.