Frequently Asked Questions
- When will program information be available?
- How do I add a workshop or leadership training seminar to my registration?
- How do I reserve a hotel room at the conference rate?
- What are Exhibitor Solutions Theaters?
- When and how can I sign up to be a Congress of Cities exhibitor? / Can you tell me approximately how many booths are still available?
- What is a good way to meet and work with my colleagues from across the country especially while I'm participating in the Congress of Cities & Exposition?
- What does a spouse/guest registration fee include? / How do I register someone as a spouse/guest?
- Are spouse/guest tours different from spouse/guest registration for the conferences?
- Can students attend the conference?
- What is the cancellation policy?
- What are the future dates and locations of the Congress of Cities and Exposition?
When will program information be available?
Program development for the Congress of Cities, begins in the spring with the vetting and selection of the themes to be explored in conference workshops and general sessions. The program committee and an internal staff program team both participate in this process.
June thru early September, workshop topics, titles and descriptions are finalized by the program team. A preliminary list of workshop topics is usually available on the website (www.nlccongressofcities.org) in late July or early August with final workshop titles and descriptions published online in September. From September thru October, speakers are confirmed and their information is added to the website as it becomes available.
General session speakers are confirmed thru the summer and fall and are announced as soon as the information is available. A program brochure with the latest information available is usually published in August/September.
Please check the conference websites frequently for updates. Starting in early summer, registrants of the Congress of Cities receive periodic updates on new program information in the Congress of Cities Alert, an e-mail alert sent only to registrants who included their e-mail as part of their registration information.
How do I add a workshop or leadership training seminar to my registration?
To update or register for LTI's, Mobile Workshops or Spouse Guest Tours:
Step 1 - Log on to the Registration Site
Step 2 - Scroll to bottom of the page.
Step 3 - Click on "Make Changes to Your Current Registration" to make an addition to add seminars.
Step 4 - Enter your email address in the field provided and your registration confirmation number.
Step 5 - Scroll down to "LTI Seminars" or "Mobile Workshop" and click the appropriate "Add/Modify" link to make your selections.
Mobile Workshops are included with full conference registrations (not included with spouse/guest registrations).
How do I reserve a hotel room at the conference rate?
Housing opens when registration opens. You must be registered for the conference to reserve a hotel room. Hotel selection options appear in the online registration process after all conference registration items have been made. Housing options are also listed on the printed registration form.
What are Exhibitor Solutions Theaters?
Exhibitor Solutions Theaters are workshops that offer a unique education and marketing opportunity to companies exhibiting at the Congress of Cities. These workshops, an opportunity only available to exhibiting companies, provide an exhibiting organization the chance to get in front of Congress of Cities delegates and provide information about their industry. The workshops are for 45 minutes and the theaters hold 75-100 people. For more information or e-mail lu@nlc.org.
When and how can I sign up to be a Congress of Cities exhibitor? / Can you tell me approximately how many booths are still available?
Visit the exhibitor website to a floor plan.
What is a good way to meet and work with my colleagues from across the country especially while I'm participating in the Congress of Cities & Exposition?
If you are a conference delegate who wants to find new networking opportunities and strengthen your involvement with National League of Cities, participating in a constituency group might be just what you are seeking.
What is an NLC constituency group?
Constituency Groups are networks of individual NLC members who like to share their common governance interests, best practice solutions and problem-solving approaches for diverse communities in their hometowns. They were established to reflect the multicultural interests and backgrounds of NLC's membership, and they work collaboratively with NLC to contribute to leadership development, policy formulation, advocacy, and program activities. The groups, led by annually elected Officers and Boards, meet at both NLC annual conferences and sponsor special activities throughout the year. Their quarterly newsletter, the Constituency and Member Group Report, highlights programs and issues of interest. All of the groups have annual membership and activity fees to support their programs.
If you want to join a group or renew your group membership while you are at the Congress of Cities conference, you may pay a group's related dues and fees in advance online as part of your registration payment. Simply check off the combined dues/fees for any of the groups.
Several special opportunities will occur among the various groups who invite their members and new colleagues to collaborate in their caucuses. Most of their meetings and events will be open to anyone registered for the Congress of Cities, while others will only be open to those who have purchased tickets for events. The majority of members renew their membership dues through the conference registration process along with related fees.
Constituency group dues or fees can only be paid by fully registered conference delegates. Spouse, guest and youth registration categories are not eligible for payment of constituency group dues and fees.
The five constituency groups are:
- Asian, Pacific American Municipal Officials (APAMO)
- Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Local Officials (GLBTLO)
- Hispanic Elected Local Officials (HELO)
- National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO)
- Women in Municipal Government (WIMG)
What does a spouse/guest registration fee include? How do I register someone as a spouse/guest?
At the Congress of Cities and Exposition, it entitles a spouse or guest to attend general sessions, workshops, the exposition, the Welcome Reception and the Closing event. Spouse/Guest also have access to a spouse/guest lounge hosted by the Host City. Spouse/guest tours are available for an additional fee.
You can select a spouse/guest registration as an additional option when registering a regular attendee.
Are spouse/guest tours different from spouse/guest registration for the conferences?
Yes. Spouse and guests of Congress of Cities delegates and exhibitors have additional opportunities to enjoy the Host City and all it offers. Special tours are created for spouses and guests by the conference's host city.
Spouse/guest tours require a separate registration process and fee, and they differ from the spouse/guest conference registration rate offered for the Congress of Cities and Exposition.
Can students attend the conference?
Yes. National League of Cities welcomes future public servants at the Congressional City Conference and the Congress of Cities and Exposition. To encourage future public officials and administrators to attend, NLC offers a student rate of $175, for students age 18 and above, which is a savings of more than $500 off the regular non-member rate. Academicians who wish to accompany their students can take advantage of the first-time attendee rate of $375, a savings of more than $300. Please forward this information to local universities in your community.
High school students age 15 to 18 can attend the conference as a youth delegate as representatives of their city's youth council. Youth delegates must be accompanied by a designated chaperone. The cost is $100 per youth delegate and $100 for a chaperone. Special programming that focuses on youth-related policy and governance issues as well as opportunities to network with other youth and local elected officials are also provided.
What is the cancellation policy for conferences?
All conferences have cancellation policies that are provided on both printed registration forms and the online registration website.
Rather than cancel, cities can elect to substitute a different city representative or staff member for a registrant unable to attend. The city need only contact the registration and housing center to make the change.
Cancellation policies generally include:
- All cancellation requests must be received in writing, postmarked by a specific date, usually three to four weeks out from the conference's opening date.
- All cancellations are subject to a $100 cancellation fee.
- No partial refunds will be made if you decide not to attend a particular function.
- No registrations or cancellations will be accepted by telephone.
- Spouse/Guest fees are nonrefundable.
- Registration and Housing Center Contact Information
For questions about cancellations, hotel reservations, receipts, adding events, etc.
Phone: 888-319-3864 or 703-449-6418
E-mail: nlcregandhousing@jspargo.com
What are the future dates and locations of the Congress of Cities and Exposition?
- November 12 - 16, 2013 Seattle, Washington
- November 19 - 22. 2014 Austin, Texas
