What are the biggest public sector conferences?

Among the largest and most influential are the IACP Annual Conference for law enforcement, NACo's Annual Conference for counties, NLC's City Summit for cities, ISTELive and FETC for K-12 technology, EDUCAUSE for higher-education IT, DISTRIBUTECH and the APPA National Conference for utilities, and AUSA and Sea-Air-Space on the federal side. The right one for you depends on who buys your product.

Which conferences do state and local government buyers attend?

Mostly the national associations their agencies belong to: NACo for counties, NLC and the U.S. Conference of Mayors for cities, ICMA for city and county managers, NCSL for state legislators, NASCIO for state CIOs, GFOA for finance officers, and NASPO and NIGP for procurement. Large state leagues such as the Texas Municipal League and Cal Cities draw big crowds too.

When should I start outreach for a conference?

As soon as you commit to the show. Government buyers plan their conference schedules, and their limited time on the floor, in advance, so a few weeks of lead time gives agencies room to put a meeting or booth visit on the calendar.

Can vendors attend government association conferences?

Most conferences on this list sell exhibit space and sponsorships to companies, and many offer vendor registration. Some sessions and events are open only to government members, so check each event's registration rules before you plan your schedule.

How current are the dates on this list?

We checked each conference's next edition against the organizer's website, or a published announcement, on October 25, 2026. Dates and venues can change, and “TBA” means the organizer hadn't posted dates yet, so confirm on the official site before you book travel.

Can KSG help us get meetings at a conference?

Yes. KSG's event prospecting service books meetings with target agencies before a show, drives booth traffic and follows up with attendees afterward, including agencies that couldn't attend. Book a 30-minute call to talk through your event calendar.

Top 100 Public Sector Conferences for 2026–2027

The short version

100 conferences in 11 sectors: state and local government, state associations, finance and procurement, government IT, public safety, education, utilities, transportation, health and human services, community development and federal.
Next edition, checked at the source. Each listing shows the next edition, in late 2026 or 2027, with the dates and host city the organizer had posted as of October 25, 2026, plus a link to the official site.
A booth isn't a plan. The companies that get the most from these shows book meetings with target agencies before they arrive and follow up within days.

How we chose these conferences

We started with the events where public-sector buyers gather in numbers: the national associations their agencies belong to (counties, cities, state CIOs, police chiefs, superintendents, public power utilities and more) and the major trade shows those agencies attend. Then we kept the conferences that matter most to companies selling to government: national reach, decision-makers in the room and a way for vendors to take part, usually through exhibits or sponsorships.

Conferences are grouped by sector and listed in date order within each group, so you can scan a market's calendar quickly. The numbers are for reference, not a ranking. A few state-level events made the list because California, Texas and Florida are large public-sector markets in their own right.

The 100 conferences

Filter by sector or search by name, organizer or city. Conference names link to each official website. “TBA” means the organizer hadn't posted dates when we checked.

State and local government

10 conferences. National associations where county, city and state leaders meet — the core of any SLED event plan.

#	Conference	Next dates	Where
1	NLC City SummitNational League of CitiesMayors, council members and city staff	Nov 18–21, 2026	Nashville, Tenn.
2	CSG National ConferenceThe Council of State GovernmentsState officials from all three branches	Dec 3–6, 2026	Anaheim, Calif.
3	U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter MeetingThe United States Conference of MayorsMayors of cities with 30,000+ residents	Jan 20–22, 2027	Washington, D.C.
4	NACo Legislative ConferenceNational Association of CountiesCounty elected officials and staff	Feb 20–23, 2027	Washington, D.C.
5	NLC Congressional City ConferenceNational League of CitiesCity leaders advocating on Capitol Hill	Mar 15–17, 2027	Washington, D.C.
6	NACo Annual Conference & ExpositionNational Association of CountiesCounty leaders from across the U.S.	Jul 23–26, 2027	Savannah (Chatham County), Ga.
7	NCSL Legislative SummitNational Conference of State LegislaturesState legislators and legislative staff	Aug 9–11, 2027	Atlanta, Ga.
8	Election Center Annual ConferenceElection Center (National Association of Election Officials)Local and state election administrators	Aug 25–27, 2027	Dallas, Texas
9	ICMA Annual ConferenceInternational City/County Management AssociationCity and county managers	Sep 25–29, 2027	Philadelphia, Pa.
10	U.S. Conference of Mayors Annual MeetingThe United States Conference of MayorsMayors of cities with 30,000+ residents	2027 dates TBA	Atlanta, Ga.

State associations

4 conferences. The biggest city and county meetings in three of the largest state markets: California, Texas and Florida.

#	Conference	Next dates	Where
11	CSAC Annual MeetingCalifornia State Association of CountiesCalifornia county supervisors and staff	Nov 30–Dec 4, 2026	Chula Vista, Calif.
12	FLC Annual ConferenceFlorida League of CitiesFlorida city officials	Aug 19–21, 2027	Orlando, Fla.
13	Cal Cities Annual Conference & ExpoLeague of California CitiesCalifornia city officials and staff	Sep 22–24, 2027	San Jose, Calif.
14	TML Annual Conference & ExhibitionTexas Municipal LeagueTexas city officials and staff	Oct 13–15, 2027	Houston, Texas

Finance, procurement and administration

8 conferences. Where finance directors, procurement officers, treasurers, risk managers and pension administrators gather.

#	Conference	Next dates	Where
15	NASPO ExchangeNational Association of State Procurement OfficialsState procurement officials and suppliers	Mar 8–11, 2027	Orlando, Fla.
16	NCPERS Annual Conference & Exhibition (ACE)National Conference on Public Employee Retirement SystemsPublic pension trustees and administrators	May 16–19, 2027	New York, N.Y.
17	GFOA Annual ConferenceGovernment Finance Officers AssociationGovernment finance officers	Jun 6–9, 2027	New Orleans, La.
18	PRIMA Annual ConferencePublic Risk Management AssociationPublic-sector risk managers	Jun 13–16, 2027	New Orleans, La.
19	NCMA World CongressNational Contract Management AssociationGovernment contracting professionals	Jul 25–28, 2027	Aurora (Denver), Colo.
20	NIGP Annual Forum & Products ExpositionNIGP: The Institute for Public ProcurementPublic procurement professionals	Aug 8–11, 2027	Kansas City, Mo.
21	APT US&C Annual ConferenceAssociation of Public Treasurers of the United States & CanadaLocal and state treasurers and finance staff	Aug 22–25, 2027	Oklahoma City, Okla.
22	NASPO Annual ConferenceNational Association of State Procurement OfficialsState chief procurement officers	2027 dates TBA	Location TBA

Government IT, cybersecurity and GIS

9 conferences. State CIOs, digital-service teams, GIS staff and the federal IT community.

#	Conference	Next dates	Where
23	ACT-IAC Imagine Nation ELCACT-IACFederal IT executives and industry partners	Dec 10–11, 2026	National Harbor, Md.
24	Esri Federal GIS Conference (FedGIS)EsriFederal GIS and mapping teams	Feb 9–10, 2027	Washington, D.C.
25	Smart Cities Connect Conference & ExpoSmart Cities ConnectCity technology and innovation leaders	Mar 23–25, 2027	Boston, Mass.
26	NASCIO Midyear ConferenceNational Association of State Chief Information OfficersState CIOs and IT leaders	May 9–12, 2027	Salt Lake City, Utah
27	Code for America SummitCode for AmericaGovernment digital-service and product teams	Jun 3–4, 2027	Washington, D.C.
28	Esri User ConferenceEsriGIS professionals, many from government	Jul 12–16, 2027	San Diego, Calif.
29	Billington CyberSecurity SummitBillington CyberSecurityFederal and state cybersecurity leaders	Sep 7–9, 2027	Washington, D.C.
30	NASCIO Annual ConferenceNational Association of State Chief Information OfficersState CIOs and IT leaders	Oct 3–6, 2027	Indianapolis, Ind.
31	AWS Summit Washington, DCAmazon Web ServicesPublic-sector cloud and IT teams	2027 dates TBA	Washington, D.C.

Public safety, 911 and justice

17 conferences. Police, sheriffs, fire, EMS, 911, emergency management, corrections and courts.

#	Conference	Next dates	Where
32	IAEM Annual Conference & EMEXInternational Association of Emergency ManagersEmergency managers	Nov 6–12, 2026	Long Beach, Calif.
33	NSA Winter Legislative & Technology ConferenceNational Sheriffs' AssociationSheriffs and command staff	Feb 8–11, 2027	Washington, D.C.
34	IWCE (International Wireless Communications Expo)InformaPublic-safety radio and communications teams	Mar 8–11, 2027	Las Vegas, Nev.
35	FDIC InternationalFire Engineering / Clarion EventsFirefighters and fire-service trainers	Apr 12–17, 2027	Indianapolis, Ind.
36	IACP Technology ConferenceInternational Association of Chiefs of PolicePolice technology leaders	May 3–5, 2027	Charlotte, N.C.
37	National Hurricane ConferenceNational Hurricane ConferenceEmergency managers and hurricane-response officials	May 24–27, 2027	San Juan, P.R.
38	NSA Annual ConferenceNational Sheriffs' AssociationSheriffs and deputies	Jun 20–24, 2027	Charlotte, N.C.
39	NENA Annual Conference & ExpoNational Emergency Number Association911 directors and emergency-communications staff	Jun 26–Jul 1, 2027	Nashville, Tenn.
40	FBINAA National Annual Training ConferenceFBI National Academy AssociatesPolice leaders who are FBI National Academy graduates	Jul 12–15, 2027	Phoenix, Ariz.
41	APCO Annual Conference & ExpoAPCO InternationalPublic-safety communications officials	Jul 25–28, 2027	Anaheim, Calif.
42	NOBLE Annual Training Conference & ExhibitionNational Organization of Black Law Enforcement ExecutivesLaw enforcement executives	Jul 30–Aug 3, 2027	Washington, D.C.
43	Fire-Rescue International (FRI)International Association of Fire ChiefsFire chiefs and fire-service leaders	Aug 18–20, 2027	Anaheim, Calif.
44	ACA Congress of CorrectionAmerican Correctional AssociationCorrections officials and staff	Aug 19–22, 2027	Columbus, Ohio
45	Court Technology Conference (CTC)National Center for State CourtsCourt technology and administration leaders	Sep 14–16, 2027	Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
46	EMS World ExpoHMP GlobalEMS leaders and providers	Sep 27–Oct 1, 2027	New Orleans, La.
47	IACP Annual Conference & ExpositionInternational Association of Chiefs of PolicePolice chiefs and law enforcement leaders	Oct 9–12, 2027	Philadelphia, Pa.
48	AJA Annual Conference & Jail ExpoAmerican Jail AssociationJail administrators and staff	2027 dates TBA	Spokane, Wash.

K-12 and higher education

11 conferences. Superintendents, school boards, business officials, district technology leaders, campus IT and facilities teams.

#	Conference	Next dates	Where
49	FETC (Future of Education Technology Conference)LRP Media GroupK-12 technology and district leaders	Jan 26–29, 2027	Orlando, Fla.
50	TCEA Convention & ExpositionTexas Computer Education AssociationTexas educators and district IT staff	Jan 31–Feb 3, 2027	San Antonio, Texas
51	AASA National Conference on EducationAASA, The School Superintendents AssociationSchool superintendents	Feb 25–27, 2027	Atlanta, Ga.
52	SXSW EDUSXSWEducators and education leaders	Mar 13–16, 2027	Austin, Texas
53	NSBA Annual ConferenceNational School Boards AssociationSchool board members	Apr 2–4, 2027	Washington, D.C.
54	CoSN Annual ConferenceConsortium for School NetworkingDistrict CTOs and IT leaders	Apr 12–14, 2027	Orlando, Fla.
55	ISTELiveISTE+ASCDEducators and edtech leaders	Jun 27–30, 2027	Boston, Mass.
56	APPA Annual ConferenceAPPA: Leadership in Educational FacilitiesCampus and school facilities leaders	Jul 12–15, 2027	Salt Lake City, Utah
57	EDUCAUSE Annual ConferenceEDUCAUSECollege and university IT leaders	Oct 18–21, 2027	Orlando, Fla.
58	ASBO International Annual Conference & ExpoAssociation of School Business Officials InternationalSchool business officials	Oct 20–22, 2027	Phoenix, Ariz.
59	Council of the Great City Schools Annual Fall ConferenceCouncil of the Great City SchoolsLeaders of the largest urban school districts	2027 dates TBA	Location TBA

Utilities, energy and water

9 conferences. Public power, cooperatives, water and wastewater utilities, regulators and state energy offices.

#	Conference	Next dates	Where
60	NARUC Winter Policy SummitNational Association of Regulatory Utility CommissionersState utility regulators	Feb 7–10, 2027	Washington, D.C.
61	NRECA PowerXchange & TechAdvantageNational Rural Electric Cooperative AssociationElectric cooperative leaders	Feb 12–17, 2027	San Diego, Calif.
62	NASEO Energy Policy Outlook ConferenceNational Association of State Energy OfficialsState energy officials	Feb 22–25, 2027	Washington, D.C.
63	DISTRIBUTECH InternationalClarion EventsUtility grid and technology teams	Mar 1–4, 2027	Atlanta, Ga.
64	UTC Telecom & Technology ConferenceUtilities Technology CouncilUtility telecom and IT staff	May 17–20, 2027	Las Vegas, Nev.
65	AWWA ACE (Annual Conference & Exposition)American Water Works AssociationWater utility professionals	Jun 13–16, 2027	San Diego, Calif.
66	APPA National ConferenceAmerican Public Power AssociationPublic power (municipal utility) leaders	Jun 18–23, 2027	Orlando, Fla.
67	NACWA Utility Leadership Conference & Annual MeetingNational Association of Clean Water AgenciesPublic wastewater and clean-water utility leaders	Jul 13–16, 2027	Anchorage, Alaska
68	WEFTECWater Environment FederationWastewater and water-quality professionals	Sep 25–29, 2027	Chicago, Ill.

Transportation, public works and fleet

12 conferences. State DOTs, transit and toll agencies, county engineers, public works, motor vehicle agencies and government fleets.

#	Conference	Next dates	Where
69	IBTTA Annual Meeting & ExhibitionInternational Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike AssociationToll agency leaders	Nov 12–15, 2026	Arlington, Texas
70	AASHTO Annual Meeting & ExpoAmerican Association of State Highway and Transportation OfficialsState DOT leaders	Nov 15–18, 2026	Louisville, Ky.
71	TRB Annual MeetingTransportation Research BoardTransportation agency staff and researchers	Jan 10–14, 2027	Washington, D.C.
72	ATSSA Convention & Traffic ExpoAmerican Traffic Safety Services AssociationTraffic safety and DOT officials	Feb 5–9, 2027	Long Beach, Calif.
73	NACE Annual ConferenceNational Association of County EngineersCounty engineers and road officials	Apr 5–8, 2027	Cleveland, Ohio
74	NAFA Institute & ExpoNAFA Fleet Management AssociationFleet managers, many in the public sector	Apr 5–7, 2027	Pittsburgh, Pa.
75	ITS America Conference & ExpoITS AmericaDOT and transportation-technology leaders	Apr 12–15, 2027	Salt Lake City, Utah
76	APTA Mobility ConferenceAmerican Public Transportation AssociationTransit agency leaders	Apr 18–21, 2027	Seattle, Wash.
77	NACTO Designing Cities ConferenceNational Association of City Transportation OfficialsCity transportation officials	May 11–14, 2027	Nashville, Tenn.
78	Government Fleet Expo & Conference (GFX)Government FleetGovernment fleet managers	Jun 15–18, 2027	Atlanta, Ga.
79	PWX (Public Works Expo)American Public Works AssociationPublic works directors, engineers and fleet managers	Aug 22–25, 2027	Phoenix, Ariz.
80	AAMVA Annual International ConferenceAmerican Association of Motor Vehicle AdministratorsMotor vehicle and driver-licensing agency leaders	Sep 28–30, 2027	Omaha, Neb.

Health and human services

7 conferences. Human services, Medicaid and public health leaders, plus state health IT.

#	Conference	Next dates	Where
81	APHA Annual Meeting & ExpoAmerican Public Health AssociationPublic health professionals	Nov 1–4, 2026	San Antonio, Texas
82	State Healthcare IT Connect SummitState Healthcare IT ConnectState Medicaid and health IT leaders	Mar 29–Apr 1, 2027	National Harbor, Md.
83	HIMSS Global Health Conference & ExhibitionHIMSSHealth IT leaders, including public agencies	Apr 5–8, 2027	Chicago, Ill.
84	Preparedness SummitNational Association of County and City Health OfficialsPublic health and preparedness staff	Apr 19–21, 2027	Atlanta, Ga.
85	APHSA National Human Services SummitAmerican Public Human Services AssociationState and county human services leaders	Jun 27–30, 2027	Kansas City, Mo.
86	NACCHO360National Association of County and City Health OfficialsLocal health department leaders	Jul 20–23, 2027	Orlando, Fla.
87	NAMD Fall ConferenceNational Association of Medicaid DirectorsState Medicaid directors and staff	Sep 25–28, 2027	National Harbor, Md.

Community, planning and development

7 conferences. Parks, planning, housing, economic and workforce development, libraries and building codes.

#	Conference	Next dates	Where
88	IEDC Annual ConferenceInternational Economic Development CouncilEconomic development officials	Oct 25–28, 2026	New Orleans, La.
89	NAWB The ForumNational Association of Workforce BoardsWorkforce board leaders and staff	Apr 5–8, 2027	New York, N.Y.
90	National Planning Conference (NPC27)American Planning AssociationCity, county and regional planners	May 15–18, 2027	Houston, Texas
91	ALA Annual Conference & ExhibitionAmerican Library AssociationPublic, school and academic librarians	Jun 24–28, 2027	New Orleans, La.
92	ICC Annual Conference, Expo & HearingsInternational Code CouncilBuilding officials and code professionals	Sep 12–22, 2027	Reno, Nev.
93	NRPA Annual ConferenceNational Recreation and Park AssociationPark and recreation agency staff	Sep 28–30, 2027	Houston, Texas
94	NAHRO National Conference & ExhibitionNational Association of Housing and Redevelopment OfficialsHousing authority and community development leaders	Oct 28–30, 2027	Las Vegas, Nev.

Federal and defense

6 conferences. The large federal and defense shows where agencies and contractors meet.

#	Conference	Next dates	Where
95	WESTAFCEA International & U.S. Naval InstituteNavy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard leaders	Feb 16–18, 2027	San Diego, Calif.
96	Sea-Air-SpaceNavy League of the United StatesMaritime services and defense industry	Apr 4–7, 2027	National Harbor, Md.
97	TechNet CyberAFCEA InternationalDoD cyber and IT leaders	May 11–13, 2027	Baltimore, Md.
98	GEOINT SymposiumUnited States Geospatial Intelligence FoundationThe geospatial intelligence community	May 17–19, 2027	Kissimmee, Fla.
99	AFA Air, Space & Cyber ConferenceAir & Space Forces AssociationAir Force and Space Force leaders	Sep 20–22, 2027	National Harbor, Md.
100	AUSA Annual Meeting & ExpositionAssociation of the United States ArmyArmy leaders and defense industry	October 2027 (dates TBA)	Washington, D.C.

How to get more from a public-sector conference

Conferences put a lot of buyers in one place, but a booth alone reaches only the people who happen to walk by. A few habits make the difference:

Pick shows by buyer, not by size. A smaller association meeting full of your exact buyers can be worth more than a giant expo where they're a sliver of the crowd.
Book meetings before you go. Government buyers plan their conference schedules, and their limited time on the floor, in advance. Reach target agencies a few weeks out with a specific reason to meet.
Follow up within days. Interest fades quickly after a show. Qualify every conversation and booth scan while it's fresh, and schedule the next step.
Reach the agencies that didn't travel. Many agencies can't send staff to every show. Take the same message to them by phone and email so your event budget works harder.

KSG runs this outreach for companies that sell to government: pre-show meeting setting and post-show follow-up for national shows such as IACP and SHOT Show, follow-up after Government Fleet Expo, and regional roadshows. See event prospecting.

About this list

We checked every listing against the organizer's website, or a published announcement, on October 25, 2026. Dates, venues and formats change, so confirm on the official site before you book travel. Kensington Sales Group isn't affiliated with these organizations, and a listing isn't an endorsement.

Know of a conference we should add, or a date that's changed? Email sales@kensingtonsalesgroup.com.

Top 100 public sector conferences for 2026–2027.