ICMA Annual Conference 2026

ICMA Annual Conference 2026 took place from October 17 through October 21, 2026.

It was held at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, 300 E Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802.

Local government managers and professionals worldwide were the published audience.

It is most useful for city and county managers, assistant managers and other local government staff, since the audience is local government professionals from many countries and the keynotes (Simon Sinek, Jon Meacham, Kim Scott) were billed as centering on leadership and candor. Elected officials, or specialists wanting deep technical content in one discipline, would get less from a broad, general-session-driven gathering, though off-site learning sessions around Long Beach added some hands-on variety.

Local government managers at conferences like this usually wear business casual, with blazers or suits for general sessions and lighter options for off-site learning sessions. Comfortable shoes are practical at a large convention center in Long Beach, where days involve a lot of walking between sessions and off-site visits.

ICMA described it as the largest gathering of local government professionals worldwide.