Happy Friday, ISS Members! This eBlast serves as a reminder and gentle push to register for the ISS Spring Conference to be held in Champaign-Urbana April 21-22 (just two weeks away!!). Today is the last day for early registration and I would be sad if you missed out on the savings. I would be even more sad for you to miss the conference, so get signed up! The conference co-chairs have been hard at work putting together sessions, organizing mobile workshops, and planning fun after hours events; all of which promise to make this a great learning and networking opportunity. And on that note, I want to thank our sponsors, Ancel Glink (Gold Level), MSA Professional Services (Gold Level), and Farnsworth Group (Bronze Level) for their generous support of this conference. Their contributions help bring the quality conferences you have come to expect. This year we have a bonus learning and networking opportunity with the 2nd Annual Planners Legislative Action Day (PLAD) in Springfield the Wednesday before the conference--which I also encourage you to attend. Ensuring good policy from the top is a priority of the APA-IL and one that I share. After a day of chatting with your state law makers I am sure you will be famished, so make the 1 hour 20 minute drive from Springfield to Champaign and enjoy cheap burgers and brews with fellow planners at a Happy Hour at Murphy's Pub in Campus Town. Then stay the night at the Hyatt Downtown and wake up refreshed and ready to spend your day with planners from around the state. On Thursday we will kick off the conference by learning all about new and exciting stormwater initiatives mixed with public engagement strategies; followed by an expert panel sharing their local economic development tactics. After lunch you will be presented with what promises to be FUN with ethics! Who would want to miss that? We will then embark into the great outdoors for a guided tour of downtown Champaign and end with a reception at Big Grove Tavern. (Right across the street from the Hotel and near a multitude of bars and restaurants for those not ready to call it a night!). Friday's sessions will all be MOBILE, so wear your comfortable walking shoes (and bring and umbrella, just in case). We will start the day with a bus tour of affordable housing styles, then head to the U of I campus for a break and presentations by the Student Planning Organization. Next we will walk around campus and check out the ever changing Green Street. We will then bus to lunch at Silvercreek in Downtown Urbana and follow that with a walking tour of Downtown Urbana. From there you can take the bus back to the hotel OR bicycle back with a group for a guided bike tour of the community (which of course will end at a local watering hole for some more networking). Thanks for clicking the button below and registering for the Conference. I look forward to seeing you all in a few weeks. As always, please feel free to contact me or your Regional Coordinator if you have any questions or ideas for learning and outreach opportunities through APA-ISS. Cheers! Stephanie Brown, AICP Section Director #APAISS Click here to reserve your hotel room at the Hyatt Downtown Champaign. P.S. I-L-L!
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