The National Association of Counties 2021 Annual Conference got underway July 9-12 in Prince George’s County, Md., just outside the nation’s capital.

Some of the featured speakers this year include Vice President Kamala Harris, who will address NACo members Friday, July 9; Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will take the stage Monday, July 12 and HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge will address conference participants Saturday, July 10.

The conference is being held in person and virtually, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the conference to go all-virtual in 2020.

“Safety is our top priority,” said NACo President Gary Moore. 

“We are reimagining the conference agenda and the format to reduce the overall number of sessions and maximize the use of our entire conference space to avoid overcrowding.”

The conference is being held at the Gaylord Hotel & Conference Center, a 1,996-room space on the Potomac River at National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Md. The hotel underwent a $64 million renovation while it was closed down during the pandemic. It just reopened to the public on July 1.

In addition to being a first-time large gathering of NACo members, the 2021 Annual Conference is also a celebration after facing the challenges of the pandemic year. 

NACo members are now looking ahead and taking steps to get their communities back home back on their feet. 

The conference is an opportunity to gain and share information about how they can do that with dozens of speakers, workshops and meetups scheuled.