Brownfields Conference Overview

This conference is the largest gathering of stakeholders focused on sustainable community revitalization and equitable economic development. We are thrilled that the 20th Brownfields Conference will be taking place in Detroit, Michigan from August 8th – 11th, 2023, but we need local support to make it the best conference possible for the thousands of registrants that will attend. For more information about the conference visit, brownfields2023.org/about/conference-overview/

Local Planning Committee Overview

The Local Planning Committee plays a key role in ensuring that the National Brownfields Training Conference presents the local character and welcomes brownfields stakeholders to the host city and region.

The overall committee plays an integral role in shaping the conference from sponsorships to site visits and education to outreach.  The committee will hold 2-3 in person meetings in  Detroit in conjunction with EPA and ICMA.  Additional meetings as subcommittees will take place focused around the key areas below.  Subcommittees will select a chairperson(s) and participate in calls with EPA and ICMA who will be managing the development of the overall conference.

• Identifying and supporting sponsorship funding needs. Conference sponsorship funding is used to support special events and programming such as receptions and tours or cultural events that to promote the host region. This will be a highly coordinated effort between ICMA and the committee to determine amounts needed for sponsored events, receptions, materials and more.
• Receptions and cultural events. The local planning committee works with ICMA to organize memorable receptions and cultural events that help to showcase the host city and region. There will be close collaboration between this subcommittee and the sponsorship subcommittee.  Both sponsorship funding and nominal participant fees have been used in the past to support to support cultural and reception events organized in parallel with the conference.
• Local marketing, outreach and communication. EPA and ICMA count on strong local and regional outreach by local partners to help attract registrants and exhibitors from the host city, state, and region.  ICMA will be providing materials and messaging to help recruit participants and exhibitors from the region.  ICMA leads the overall national marketing and outreach and counts on the local planning committee to strongly support communication with stakeholders in the host city, state, and region.
• Mobile workshops and site visits. Local experts help ICMA plan for six to twelve site visits and mobile workshops to noteworthy projects in the host city and region. The process includes identifying sites, routes, information sharing, and speakers for each workshop.
• Local, state, and region content priorities. A portion of the educational program is allocated to ensure that local, state, and regional priorities, topics, and speakers are showcased during the conference.  The local planning committee will guide the selection, development and execution of this programming.
• Getting dealmakers engaged. Over the years the conference has organized brownfield property showcases for developers, ½ day workshops on financing and deal making; project and property advisory consultations, and other activities designed to engage dealmakers (developers, financiers, real estate, energy companies, large firms with portfolios of properties, etc.).  For Brownfields 2023, ICMA would like to explore any new ideas for events and programming that will appeal to private sector and transaction stakeholders.

Contacts

ICMA

Emily Sparks, esparks@icma.org
Tad McGalliard, tmcgalliard@icma.org
Will Fricke, wfricke@icma.org