Greensboro Selected As Host City For Next City’s National 2020 Vanguard Conference

From the City of Greensboro:

December 17, 2019

Greensboro Selected As Host City For Next City’s National 2020 Vanguard Conference

After a competitive process, Greensboro was chosen by Next City to host its National Vanguard Conference in May 2020. Next City is an organization with daily online coverage, reaching more than 2.5 million readers through its website whose mission is to inspire social, economic and environmental change in cities through journalism. The Next City Vanguard conference is an experiential urban leadership gathering of rising urban leaders working to improve cities across sectors, including urban planning, community development, entrepreneurship, government, transportation, sustainability, design, art and media.

The conference will be run in a collaborative effort with Action Greensboro serving as the official host partnering with the City of Greensboro, Downtown Greensboro Inc. (DGI) and the Greensboro Convention and Visitors Bureau, who will be serve as sponsors of the conference. Next City will also work closely with a Greensboro Host Committee consisting of members of the community.

“Action Greensboro is excited to host the 2020 Next City Vanguard Conference in our progressive, welcoming Southern city,” said Cecelia Thompson, the executive director of Action Greensboro. “We cannot wait to show off what we’ve done to help our city and our diverse residents thrive and build strong connections with our peers from cities across the country. We look forward to working with the Next City staff to leverage our community’s unique assets. As a 2013 Vanguard, I know first-hand, the impact the Vanguard Conference makes on the individual participant and host city.”

“Everyone at Next City is impressed by Greensboro’s host committee and anticipated outcomes, and we believe strongly that the conference will become the most impactful to date. Greensboro’s leaders have fostered an environment for collaboration that I hope will become a model to all. Greensboro’s unparalleled network of universities, thriving arts, culture, and technology sectors, and commitment to economic, environmental and social change make it the perfect place for our diverse group of leaders to learn in this exciting and historic city,” said Lucas Grindley, executive director of Next City. "This is a unique opportunity for Greensboro to show off our urban development projects to the audience of a leading media organization, share innovations with the country’s smartest emerging leaders, and to get ideas from rising young thinkers. Past conferences each include 40 leaders selected by a competitive application process, 10 plus Vanguard alumni, Next City board members and staff. They represent an interdisciplinary array of professions, backgrounds and regions. The program is competitive; in 2018, Next City received more than 600 applications and selected 40 people whose bright ideas for cities, experience in the field, and ambition for the future all show great promise.

“We are eager to spotlight Greensboro’s growing energy and vibrancy to a national audience,” said DGI President and CEO Zack Matheny. “As an organization who is focused on stimulating investment and activity in the center city, DGI is thrilled that Greensboro is the choice to host this annual leadership gathering of rising urban leaders.”

The Vanguard Conference includes three days of presentations, workshops, neighborhood tours to collectively learn and think about how to tackle challenges faced by our City. This immersive conference includes site visits, panel discussions, and meetings with community leaders, all to get a street-level view of what’s happening in Greensboro. These experiences culminate in the event’s centerpiece, the Big Idea Challenge. It is an opportunity for the Vanguard participants to leave a meaningful mark on the host City by creative solutions in a final presentation.

“For years, Greensboro leaders have traveled to learn what our peer cities are doing. Now we get the chance to showcase the best of Greensboro – from our diverse community collaborations to our creative and entrepreneurial hubs – to the emerging urban leaders from around the country and the world,” said Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan. “It will be a great opportunity to show off our City.”

Applications for the 2020 Greensboro Vanguard Conference will be open to national and international candidates. To find out more about Next City and the National Vanguard Conference, visit their website.

This press release was produced by the City of Greensboro. The views expressed here are the author’s own.