Where is GSMCON2023? Early-bird registration open!

The 2023 Government Social Media Conference is heading to Reno-Tahoe, Nevada, for our 8th annual GSMCON! Reno was ranked #1 out of the locations in our attendee survey, so we’re planning a special hybrid event where public sector communicators can meet together in person at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, NV or virtually from wherever you are. 

Save the date for Reno-Tahoe! 

What: GSMCON2023, the largest social media conference in the U.S. for government agencies

When: Tuesday, May 2 - Thursday, May 4, 2023 (half day). Pre-conference workshops and our welcome reception happen Monday, May 1!

Venue: Grand Sierra Resort, 2500 E 2nd Street, Reno, NV 89595

We will have a room block available at the host venue Grand Sierra Resort at the government per diem rate of $102 (+$2/night tourism fee+13% tax). Check back in the coming weeks to reserve your rooms online under our room block for the best rate!

Special activities: Get some of the nearby Lake Tahoe experience, too! We’ll have complimentary shuttles to take you to Lake Tahoe on Tuesday night during our Restaurant Romp, or you can enjoy some of the thrilling experiences at our top-rated resort (learn more in the next section).

In-person and virtual ticket registration: Now open! There are a range of ticket prices for in-person (starting at $719) or virtual (starting at $349) including early-bird specials and All Access upgrades. Subscribe to our newsletter or check back on the GSMCON website for more registration information.

Why Reno-Tahoe, Nevada?

We’re excited to bring GSMCON back to the Biggest Little City! Long-time GSMCON fans met in Reno in 2015 & 2016 at a different venue, and bringing the conference to the area for 2023 was based on:

• Reno was rated #1 out of several potential locations when surveying past conference attendees! As we explored other options (including locations on the east coast and in the south), we surveyed past attendees, where the majority ranked Reno as the most preferred location and the city most would be likely to attend.
  
  
• Cost effectiveness for you & your agency: Hosting in Reno at our top-rated venue, we can offer hotel rooms at $100 less than other locations that responded to our RFP, options for free shuttles from the airport (only 6 minutes away!) and free parking at the venue for our attendees driving in.
  
  
• Your conference experience: The conference area is in a separate wing of the GSR from the entertainment and activities. Spacious breakout rooms allow us to give you ‘classroom seating,’ meaning you’ll have space to take notes with a table in front of you versus a typical conference setup with only a line of chairs. Our GSMCON welcome reception will be held in Lex Nightclub — conveniently located at the venue as well.   
  
  
• Fun-filled Resort: The GSR is the most fun-filled resort in the area, with numerous restaurants (everything from a Charlie Palmer Steakhouse to a California Pizza Kitchen to a buffet and everything in between) and activities such as bowling, swimming, golf driving range, axe throwing, arcade, gaming, escape room, laser tag, cinema and more. Reno itself has undergone major revitalizations in the past several years, and we encourage you to explore Reno’s Midtown District for farm-to-table restaurants, live music and boutique shops or take our Tuesday night complimentary shuttle to Lake Tahoe! There’s much going on in and around the Biggest Little City, and we’re going to ensure GSMCON attendees have endless things to do.
  
  

Hybrid event, ticket types & upgrades

GSMCON2023 will also offer virtual tickets again to make the conference accessible to the most government communicators possible. While our preference is that you join us in person, we know that some of you need to participate online. If you haven’t heard it from others yet — our virtual attendees had an unexpectedly awesome time last year!  

In-Person Tickets

Our in-person attendees can expect to attend our 2.5-day event 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.
• Spend after hours exploring the Reno-Tahoe area with fellow attendees. You can take our complimentary shuttle to Lake Tahoe Tuesday night, join our yearly Restaurant Romp (with locations in Reno and Tahoe), explore the Midtown/Downtown areas or stay close at our host venue with a bowling alley, escape room and more.
• You’ll get on-demand access to most session recordings 10 days after the event for 90 days. 

In-Person Add-Ons

All Access Add-On: Only available to in-person attendees, you can purchase an All Access Add-On (+$100) to join three special sessions that are completely hands-on and immersive. While the sessions won’t be announced until after our Call for Speakers, some examples include What Would You Do scenarios, Live Reviews and PowerTalks. (Note: These sessions are not livestreamed or recorded and are exclusively available in-person). 

VIP Add-On: New for 2023 and only available to in-person attendees who want the most exclusive experience, you can upgrade to a VIP Add-On (+$400) to get access to all workshops, All Access sessions, bonus swag, VIP-only charging stations and a special in-town networking excursion (to be announced soon!). 

In-person attendees can also purchase add-on, pre-conference workshops ($100 each) happening on Monday, May 1— more details will be announced in the coming weeks on topics and speakers.

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 90 days.  

Schedule & speakers

You can find more information on 2023’s tentative schedule on our website! 

Speakers and sessions will be announced after we run our Call for Speakers this Fall. At past GSMCONs, we’ve had speakers from all 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.

If you’re interested in speaking at GSMCON2023, 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!

Early-bird registration runs through Monday, November 13, 2022! After that, prices increase for both in-person and virtual tickets. 

As the largest social media conference in the U.S. specifically for government agencies, you’ll walk away with the best answers on how, why and when to use social media successfully, all while protecting not only your agency, but also your community.

It’s not only the information you’ll gain — 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 by becoming a part of the free Government Social Media network — only available to full/part-time employees of government or educational institutions. 

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.