GSMCON2021 now virtual

The 2021 Government Social Media Conference is moving entirely to a virtual event during the originally planned dates, March 23-25, 2021, due to the ongoing impacts of the pandemic.

We look forward to hosting an amazing virtual experience that’ll be accessible to even more of our community, but also want to share with you more details about the decision.  

Why we’re moving virtual

While we were looking forward to bringing GSMCON to the east coast for the first time, here’s a snapshot of the key factors in changing to virtual:

• Our venue, the Philadelphia Marriott, has been closed to the public since April and has not released a date of reopening.
• The City of Philadelphia says their current assessment is a “high rate of community transmission,” has limited indoor events to 250 — just a quarter of expected GSMCON attendance — and is recommending self-quarantining for 14 days when traveling from most states.
• Social networks (including Facebook, Twitter and Nextdoor) have told us they will not be able to participate in a physical event.  
• Physical conference requirements right now significantly impact any experience – 6’ between seats, masks required, staggered food service, maximum number of people in rooms/hallways/elevators, etc.
• Our recent survey of attendees showed tremendous issues affecting your ability to attend – from health and travel concerns to significant budget cuts. 

Considering these reasons, and many others, moving the event to virtual will best help the most government social media communicators benefit from, and safely enjoy, the event.

Why we’re deciding now
We’re making this decision now to let you know as soon as possible for your own planning purposes, especially to all of our GSMCON2020 ticket holders who transferred to 2021 due to the beginning of the pandemic last March.

Happening March 23-25, 2021, GSMCON will still be an experience filled with valuable training, networking & camaraderie — just now virtual! We’re putting together a program that best helps you learn the latest, need-to-know info and are crafting creative ways so you can still meet, get together and build your community.

Registration will open in early December with more details coming soon.

Transferee info
If you transferred your GSMCON2020 ticket or Virtual Pass to 2021, we have some options for you to choose from. Please check your email for more information, and if you didn’t receive an update, reach out to us at [email protected] and we can get it to you.

Additional Questions
Please read through GSMCON2021 FAQs to help answer any other questions you might have. Don’t see your question? Please reach out to us at [email protected] and we’d be happy to help. 

Best communicate with the public you serve by becoming a part of the free Government Social Media network — only available to full/part-time employees of government or educational institutions. Get access to socialgov-specific resources, like the COVID-19 SocialGov Hub group, and other organized content. Virtually collaborate with each other, share advice, get input, tips & more by joining the Government Social Media network today. 

We support the largest network of government social media professionals in the U.S. by guiding government agencies through complex social media issues. Government Social Media helps you successfully communicate with the public you serve, protect your agency and keep public trust while finding your support community. 

Interested in submitting a blog for your socialgov community? Just reach out to Sarah with your topic idea!