In today’s professional landscape, true leadership extends far beyond positional authority—it is built on a foundation of trust, integrity, and strong interpersonal connections. Join internationally recognized speaker, relationship coach, and author Dr. Janice Fortman for an insightful session that explores the intersection of leadership dynamics and ethical communication.

Drawing from over 20 years of experience and deep psychological insights, "Dr. Jan" will share practical strategies to help you transform your professional relationships. Attendees will learn how to nurture empathy, foster deep understanding, and cultivate an environment of mutual respect. Whether you are looking to inspire a team or strengthen stakeholder partnerships, this session will equip you with the essential tools to lead with authentic influence and uphold the highest ethical standards.

In this energizing presentation, comedian and TEDx speaker Rory Gardiner shows leaders and teams how to transform everyday stress into sustainable performance and become more comfortable in the uncomfortable while navigating constant change. Blending real-world corporate experience with award-winning comedy and music, Gardiner delivers practical strategies to stay resilient, adaptable under pressure, and embrace uncertainty with confidence. Through humor, storytelling, and actionable insights, this session helps teams bridge generational divides, strengthen collaboration, and build a culture that is more agile, engaged, and ready for whatever comes next.

Join us for two sessions dedicated to elevating the standard of government meetings through the lenses of inclusion and emotional intelligence. You’ll learn how to design neuro-inclusive environments with strategist Nelia Nunes and master conflict navigation with Dr. Jaketra Bryant to transform workplace stress into collaborative success. Elevate your expertise and earn 3 CEUs!

Session Descriptions

Session 1 | Neurodiversity: Making Meeting Content Useful for All

Inclusive design isn't just a buzzword - it's a necessity. Learn how to curate content and environments that resonate with neurodivergent attendees, ensuring your message and meaning is welcome by every brain in the room. With over 25 years of experience in the events industry, Nelia Nunes is the founder of Blue Plaza Events. She works at the intersection of event strategy and inclusion, helping organizations think more intentionally about the environments they create. As the parent of a young adult with a disability, she brings lived experience to conversations about accessibility — moving beyond compliance to design experiences that truly support neurodivergent and disabled attendees. Nelia also speaks nationally on resilience and leadership, including her keynote When Life Happens: Turning the Mess Into a Map, which explores how challenges can shape more purposeful work. In addition to her industry work, she serves as an Independent Facilitator within California’s Self-Determination Program, supporting families navigating disability systems.

Session 2 | Emotional Intelligence and Conflict Navigation in Government Teams

Dr. Jaketra Bryant, licensed professional counselor and leadership trainer helps government professionals master the balance between logic and emotion in high-pressure environments. Drawing on years of experience building resilient teams, she shares evidence-based tools to strengthen communication, trust, and composure. Through interactive dialogue, participants learn how emotional intelligence can transform conflict into collaboration and turn stress into strategic problem-solving. This session equips leaders to remain calm, compassionate, and effective no matter the challenge.

Step inside the real world of cybercriminals and discover how government agencies become targets. In this eye-opening, fast-paced session, cybersecurity expert Jeremiah Baker reveals the exact tactics hackers use to break into systems, manipulate employees, and exploit everyday vulnerabilities. Through real attack stories and clear, actionable insights, Jeremiah shows government meeting professionals how to strengthen digital safety, spot red flags, and protect their teams—without fear tactics or technical jargon. Perfect for anyone responsible for safeguarding information, people, or public trust.

In this session, discover the details of event insurance, why or why you don't need it, what it covers and how it may reduce your event liability and provides protection or you and your attendees. Topics covered include climate events, labor disputes, and terrorism coverage.

Learn how to stay emotionally grounded, mentally flexible, and professionally effective during ongoing change.

The SGMP micro-credentialing program is designed to help SGMP members develop specific expertise across core competencies for government meeting planners. Members can demonstrate this expertise by completing five (5) hours of professional development in any core competency. Hours can be earned online or in-person at chapter or national events. The Finance & Contract Management Microcredential will enhance your skills as a meeting planner in the domain of finance & contract management, and demonstrate your expertise across three levels: Fundamentals, Advanced, and Expert. The fundamentals level will cover tips for effective budget preparation and management, including understanding regulations, guidelines for purchasing, and budget adjustment strategy. 

Getting Started

Each core competency begins with the CORE course. This course is available on-demand 24/7 on the SGMP Learning Platform at https://learn.sgmp.org. Courses vary from 30-60 minutes each and cover the must-know topics for each core competency.

Additional Hours

Once you have completed the CORE course, you must complete an additional four (4) hours of professional development. To ensure that all students have been exposed to comprehensive education on each topic, relevant both nationally and locally, hours must be earned as follows:

• Two (2) hours must be completed at the local chapter level. These hours may be earned in any format (virtual or in-person). If you do not have a local chapter, you may select any chapter relevant to your work and complete your required hours through that chapter.
• Two (2) hours may be earned via SGMP National, at your local chapter, or via another chapter. These hours may be completed in any format including education.sgmp.org (on-demand), virtual synchronous education (e.g., webinars), or at in-person events such as the National Education Conference.

Certificate

Once you have completed the required hours to earn your micro-certification, you will receive an electronic certificate demonstrating your expertise. Certificates will be issued with the name of the competency and the level of the certificate, e.g., “Protocol: Fundamentals.”  

*You must pass the CORE course and earn 4 additional domain hours, at least 2 of which must be earned at your local chapter.

The SGMP National Education Conference (NEC) is an annual event featuring over 20 hours of professional development sessions, exciting keynote speakers, an industry tradeshow, networking opportunities, a fundraising silent auction, and more!  The 2026 NEC will be held in Williamsburg, Virginia at the Williamsburg Lodge on June 9-11, 2026. Use our online learning portal to claim your credits for individual sessions at the NEC.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are no longer a "future issue" for government meetings—they are already changing how attendees, staff, and even agency fleets arrive at events. Yet, most government planners and suppliers lack clear, non-technical guidance on what "EV-ready" actually means when writing RFPs, selecting venues, or communicating with attendees.

This webinar translates EV adoption into practical steps for government meeting professionals. Participants will explore common EV charging scenarios at hotels, conference centers, and training sites. You will learn straightforward questions to ask venues and CVBs, and see examples of how charging can be framed as a matter of duty of care, sustainability, and attendee experience rather than just a technical detail.

Learning Outcomes

After this session, participants will be able to:

1. Describe how rising EV adoption, government sustainability goals, and fleet initiatives are beginning to influence venue selection, parking plans, and attendee experience for government meetings.
2. Apply a simple set of RFP and site-visit questions to evaluate a venue’s actual EV-readiness, including charging capacity, access protocols, pricing, safety, and communication.
3. Develop talking points to use with venues and internal decision-makers that navigate mixed signals, framing EV charging as a "duty of care" and logistical safety requirement, ensuring operational readiness regardless of the current political climate surrounding EVs.

Join SGMP for a panel discussion on the current state and future of the government market.  Brett Sterenson of Hotel Lobbyists, Mike Rice of Liberty Lodging Company, and Chris McLaughlin of Choice Hotels International will offer a balanced perspective on current trends and future expectations in the government meetings market. Hear from boots-on-the-ground industry leaders!