National League of Cities to Celebrate City Achievements Through City Showcase Program

July 6, 2011 07:53 by author

The National League of Cities is currently accepting applications for its 2011 City Showcase program, which is an opportunity for Michigan communities to get a national spotlight on innovative practices and programs. The deadline to apply is July 31 by going to this link.

The centerpiece of the City Showcase activities will take place during NLC’s Congress of Cities and Exposition in Phoenix, November 9-12. Representatives from selected programs will engage in conversations with attendees about their implementation strategies, successes and lessons learned. They will also have the opportunity to display their information in the exhibit hall.

Participating cities will be honored by NLC in a conference-wide event and recognized in conference publications. Selected city programs will also be showcased on NLC’s website and highlighted in Nation’s Cities Weekly and other venues. Programs selected to participate will be provided with two free registrations to NLC’s Congress of Cities and Exposition in Phoenix. Southwest Airlines, the official airline of the City Showcase, will make it possible for some participating cities to fly to Phoenix to share their successes with conference attendees. The cost of the exhibit space is covered by NLC. Additional scholarships may be awarded to participating programs for display and other travel expenses.

City Showcase programs are selected for their innovative practices and for their contribution to a collection of programs that demonstrates a wide range of geographical locations, city sizes and topic areas. Programs that address a variety of topics relevant to cities will be considered, but emphasis will be placed on programs that are aligned with one or more of the conference’s 2011 concurrent conference topics: Green Cities; Economic Development; Infrastructure; and Your City’s Families. The Michigan Municipal League's annual Community Excellence Award program also highlights communities with creative and innovative projects and programs and I hope some of the League's past CEA winners and nominees consider applying for this program.

For more information about the showcase program go here or those with additional questions can contact Lara Malakoff at malakoff@nlc.org or Will McGahan at mcgahan@nlc.org.