Future cities on agenda at MAV conferences

The role of local government in a digital world is the theme of Municipal Association of Victoria’s (MAV) upcoming ‘Transformers’ conference.

To be held at Kardinia Park, Geelong, from 18 to 21 March, the event will bring together expert speakers from around the world to discuss current technology trends, the digital maturity of councils, their challenges, the requirements of their communities and how to meet them.

Organisers are expecting more than 300 local and international municipal government stakeholders to attend.

Senior representatives from the local government ICT associations of New Zealand (ALGIM), the USA (GMIS), the UK (SOCITM), Canada (MISA), Belgium (V-ICT-OR), the Netherlands (VIAG) and Sweden (KommITS) also will be in attendance.

Keynote speakers will include:

• Thomas Frey (Google’s top-rated futurist speaker)
• Larry Irving (one of the world’s leading thinkers on technology for social good)
• Peter Auhl (CIO of the Year 2017–Australian Executive Awards, and Associate Director, Information Management and CIO at City of Adelaide)
• Lynn Warneke (Deputy Chief Digital Officer and Executive Director Channels & Platforms, Deakin University)
• Sam Hannah-Rankin (Director Public Sector Innovation, Department of Premier and Cabinet, Victorian Government)
• Colin Fairweather (CIO, City of Melbourne)
• Claudia Lajeunesse (Head of Digital iD, Australia Post)
   

The conference program will cover transforming local government, digital equity, improving business efficiency, the impacts of emerging technology and improving services for citizens.

Also organised by MAV for this month, the Smart Urban Futures conference (21–22 March) will address practical pathways for delivering smart urban futures, for large and small communities.

Topics to be covered include:

• Low carbon futures
• Economics and measuring success
• Smart technology, robots and autonomous vehicles
• Case studies of successful sustainable cities
   

Keynote speakers will include:

• Peter Jones (Professor of Transport & Sustainable Development at London Univ. College)
• Peter Newman (Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University)
• Dr Seona Candy (Senior Research Fellow, Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab)
• Kylie Legge (Founding Director, PlaceScore)
   

The conference is aimed at transport planners, strategic and statutory planners, urban designers, policy advisors, community wellbeing and sustainability officers, researchers, health promotion practitioners, asset managers, councillors and directors.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/madpixblue

Follow us and share on Twitter and Facebook