GSMCON2024 in Palm Springs, CA! Super Early-Bird sale open

The 2024 Government Social Media Conference is heading to Palm Springs, California for our 9th annual event! This is a special hybrid event — happening April 16-18, 2024 — where public sector communicators can get together in person at the Westin Rancho Mirage Golf Resort & Spa or virtually from wherever you are. 

Save the most by registering during our special “Super Early-Bird” discount! Prices increase for all tickets after August 31, 2023. 

Save the date for Palm Springs! 

What: GSMCON2024, the largest social media conference for government agencies

When: Tuesday, April 16 through Thursday, April 18, 2024 (last day is half-day). Pre-conference workshops and our Welcome Reception happen Monday, April 15!

Host venue: Westin Rancho Mirage Golf Resort & Spa, 71333 Dinah Shore Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270. Reservations now available under our discounted room block of $229/night (+$10/night resort fee discounted from $37/night + 13.25% taxes and government fees). 

At a later date, we’ll have additional attendee accommodations available at the Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa as well. Sign up for our GSMCON newsletter to get the latest information.

In-person and virtual ticket registration: Now open! There are a range of ticket prices for in-person (Super Early-Bird special starting at $699) or virtual (starting at $359) and optional add-on upgrades available. 

Why Palm Springs?

• We’re excited to bring GSMCON to Palm Springs for the first time! Did you know that California cities have always sent the most GSMCON attendees, even though the conference has never been held there? We’re listening to our attendees by bringing the event to the Golden State for 2024, and we’ve heard Palm Springs as a requested location from past attendees.
  
• For every event, we consider the cost effectiveness for you and your agency. Hosting in Palm Springs at our top-rated venue, we can offer a significantly reduced room rate for the season and complimentary self-parking. For attendees flying in, Palm Springs International Airport offers nonstop services and connections to major hubs across the U.S.
  
• Another major factor we consider when selecting a location is your conference experience!  GSMCON is taking the whole Westin property over, making your experience the primary priority of the whole resort team. Our April 15 welcome reception at 7pm is open to all attendees and will be conveniently held on-site at the host hotel.
  
• The Westin and Omni are committed to green initiatives, where attendees can expect to see recycling, waste reduction and energy efficiencies throughout the resorts and conference space. These are non-smoking properties having only outdoor designated ‘smoking’ areas away from the meeting spaces and main public spaces. The conference venue is surrounded by walkable paths lined with trees, grass and outdoor activities such as golf and tennis.
  

What can 2024 attendees look forward to?

Our small but mighty team is always exploring ways to improve your attendee experience at GSMCON! This year, we’re already planning exciting attendee networking opportunities, user experience enhancements and much, much more behind the scenes.

• All attendee tickets now come with access to the new GSMCON app! Keep the schedule at your fingertips and use this app to connect with and message both in-person and virtual participants. In-person ticket holders can use the app to arrange meetups, group dining and other social activities while online participants can schedule virtual meetups with others to socialize or discuss topics further.
  
• Being the largest gathering of public sector social media professionals, it’s important to us to still keep a small conference feel when it comes to opportunities for you to directly connect with each other. Look forward to small table activities and easier ways to identify peers who work at similar agencies, created with both our in-person and virtual attendees in mind. Traveling alone? Tune in for details on how you can participate in a special networking activity to meet fellow socialgovs at the event.
  
• After-hours is a great time to gather your new acquaintances for activities on your own. Our host venue has a variety of on-site dining, pickleball and tennis courts, golf tee time reservations, pools and a fitness studio for attendees to enjoy.
  
• Expect an even more packed schedule, complete with more advanced sessions and labeling for beginner and intermediate sessions at GSMCON2024! We’re also introducing different types of session lengths and formats, and in-person attendee days will start earlier at 8am PT each day of the official conference to pack even more learning.
  
• New for 2024, we’re moving our Golden Post Awards program over lunch to fit even more sessions into the program! On Wednesday, April 17, 2024, the Golden Post Awards will celebrate the important work government social media professionals accomplish — walk away with pro tips, visuals of winning entries and more.
  

Ticket types & upgrades

GSMCON2024 will offer virtual tickets again to make the conference accessible to government communicators from wherever you are. While we can’t say enough about our in-person experience, we know there are socialgovs across the country — and across the world — who prefer participating online. 

In-person & virtual tickets

All of our in-person attendees can expect 2.5-days with perks like meeting people face-to-face at the welcome reception, learning more about government-related products in the expo area and connecting with speakers and other attendees. Enjoy 3 continental breakfasts and 2 lunches, included in your ticket price and on-demand access to available session recordings starting 10 days after the event for 3 months. All of this is included in our base level General Admission Ticket (starting at $699 during the Super Early-Bird sale)!

In-person add-ons

Pre-Conference Workshops Add-On, +$100/each
Only for in-person attendees.
Participate in 2-hour deep dives on Monday, April 15, 2024. More details will be announced in the coming weeks on topics and speakers. If you purchase your ticket now, you’ll still have the opportunity to add them later. 

Extended On-Demand Add-On, +$49
Available to in-person attendees and online participants.

• Extend your access to on-demand recordings to 6 months!
• Gives you 3 additional months post-conference to rewatch your favorite moments & catch sessions you missed.
• Perfect for busy socialgovs who want enough time to fit it all in!

Action Planning Add-On (Post-Event Virtual Panels), +$99
Available to in-person attendees and online participants.

• Get access to 3 special virtual sessions in May 2024 (live dates TBA - will also be recorded) to help you get even more out of GSMCON, including —
• Live Q&A w/Top-Rated 2024 Speakers (1-hour session) - Meet with GSMCON2024's highly-rated speakers for an extended question and answer session! We're sitting down with these speakers for a guided conversation on even more social media advice & best practices. Speakers will be announced after the conference.
• GSMCON Inspiration Panel (1-hour session) - Share how you took inspiration from GSMCON and turned it into social media success stories! We're hearing from GSMCON pros & attendees in this interactive meeting on what you were inspired to accomplish after the event. 
• Unblocking Roadblocks Panel (1-hour session) - Overcome common limiting beliefs and real-world obstacles with this idea-packed session with GSMCON pros. Let's talk about what's keeping you from doing your best work and how to propel you & your social media program forward.

VIP Add-On, +$519
Only for in-person ticket holders.
This package includes everything at GSMCON2024! We heard an overwhelmingly positive response from 2023 VIP attendees, the first year we offered this experience. For 2024, VIPs get:

• All pre-conference Workshops
• Pre-Welcome Reception cocktail hour
• VIP dinner & evening networking activity
• Action Planning Add-On
• Extended On-Demand Add-On
• Event t-shirt
• VIP charging station access
• Badge upgrade

Virtual Tickets

Online participants will be able to watch most keynote, general and breakout sessions in real-time, meaning you’ll be right there with speakers and other attendees as sessions are happening. You’ll connect with other virtual attendees via our event platform and you can participate in live speaker Q&As. Virtual networking activities will ensure you get to be a part of the fun, too! Post event, you’ll get on-demand access to most session recordings 10 days after the event for 3 months.

Virtual Tickets start at $359 for a limited time during the Super Early-Bird sale!

Virtual add-ons  

Extended On-Demand Add-On, +$49
Available to in-person attendees and online participants.

• Extend your access to on-demand recordings to 6 months!
• Gives you 3 additional months post-conference to rewatch your favorite moments & catch sessions you missed.
• Perfect for busy socialgovs who want enough time to fit it all in!

Action Planning Add-On (Post-Event Virtual Panels), +$99
Available to in-person attendees and online participants.

• Get access to 3 special virtual sessions in May 2024 (live dates TBA - will also be recorded) to help you get even more out of GSMCON, including —
• Live Q&A w/Top-Rated 2024 Speakers (1-hour session) - Meet with GSMCON2024's highly-rated speakers for an extended question and answer session! We're sitting down with these speakers for a guided conversation on even more social media advice & best practices. Speakers will be announced after the conference.
• GSMCON Inspiration Panel (1-hour session) - Share how you took inspiration from GSMCON and turned it into social media success stories! We're hearing from GSMCON pros & attendees in this interactive meeting on what you were inspired to accomplish after the event. 
• Unblocking Roadblocks Panel (1-hour session) - Overcome common limiting beliefs and real-world obstacles with this idea-packed session with GSMCON pros. Let's talk about what's keeping you from doing your best work and how to propel you & your social media program forward.

Schedule & speakers 

Information on GSMCON2024's tentative schedule will be available soon! Visit our website for the latest updates.

Speakers and sessions will be announced after we run our Call for Speakers this Fall. At past GSMCONs, we’ve had speakers from major social media networks and from industry leaders and experts on topics that are most relevant to government social media professionals — everything from crafting the perfect social media policy, legal, accessibility, time management, one-person shops, platform specifics and much more. Take a look at 2023’s lineup!

If you’re interested in speaking at GSMCON2024, start thinking about your topic now! Subscribe to our newsletter to get updates on when the Call for Speakers opens. 

Save the most by registering now

Super early-bird registration for in-person tickets ends August 31, 2023! Prices will increase on Friday, September 1, 2023. Register now for the largest social media conference specifically for government agencies.

GSMCON was created for socialgovs just like you! Everyone from agency leadership and social media coordinators to occasional contributors are encouraged to attend. You’ll walk away with the best answers on how, why and when to use social media successfully, all while protecting both your agency and your community.

It’s not only the best learning you’ll gain in this niche field — you’ll become part of the GSMCON camaraderie that lasts long after our few days together. Genuinely connect with your support system of peers — either virtually or in person — at the Welcome Reception, during sessions, keynotes, at the expo area and even during after hours. Celebrate wins, discuss challenges together and get to know the people who know your position best — your socialgov community. 

We can’t wait to see you there!

Best communicate with the public you serve and get connected with fellow socialgovs by registering for the 2024 Government Social Media Conference happening in Palm Springs, California! Join our free network for bi-weekly Government Social Media Chats or professional association for member-only webinars. Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest updates on training, events and more.

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.