May 1-2, 2025
JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa
The 2025 Regional Conference and General Assembly will celebrate SCAG’s 60th anniversary with panels featuring regional leaders from government, business, advocacy, and academia discussing the pressing topics of Southern California’s future.
Register online for the 2025 Regional Conference and General Assembly to network with regional leaders from the public and private sectors, sharing best practices and lessons learned while working toward common goals.
FROM SMART CITIES TO A SMART REGION: ADVANCING MOBILITY STRATEGIES AND TECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONS
Sponsored by WSP USA, Inc.
Innovative mobility solutions like real-time data analytics, connected infrastructure, and digital platforms help cities enhance services for constituents. How can implementation of these initiatives achieve shared goals such as reduced traffic congestion, improved air quality through decreased vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions, and enhanced accessibility for all residents? This panel will showcase successful initiatives that demonstrate how mobility and technology can collectively contribute to a more sustainable, efficient, and equitable future for the region.
STRONG FOUNDATIONS: HOUSING SOLUTIONS IN THE WAKE OF DISASTER
Sponsored by National Core
Southern California already faced a housing crisis before the devastation caused by the recent L.A. County fires, which exacerbated the issue. Although the fires primarily burned in L.A. County, the impacts on the housing market are felt throughout the region. This panel will explore success stories, innovative strategies, and critical concerns to help those working in the housing space nimbly respond to ongoing housing availability and affordability constraints in a changing market. Panelists will also discuss best practices, emerging opportunities, and complex realities of community development from a range of perspectives, with practical takeaways for building stronger, more sustainable housing solutions that respond to the urgent circumstances facing the region.
2:15 p.m.
STUDENT SHOWCASE
Sponsored by Sares Regis Group
3:15 p.m.
BREAK AND NETWORKING
3:45 p.m.
BREAKOUT SESSIONS II
FOSTERING A HEALTHY LOCAL ECONOMY FOR ALL
Sponsored by Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco
Southern California is at a turning point. Southern California’s population growth is expected to slow in the decades ahead and local cities and agencies must rethink economic growth and resilience. Meanwhile, climate change and other crises are presenting more immediate disruptions that demand action. How can cities stay financially strong while preparing for an uncertain future? This panel will dive into the fiscal impacts for jurisdictions of both immediate disasters and long-term shifts. Hear firsthand insights from communities that have navigated various disruptions and explore ideas for strengthening economic resilience.
SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR RESILIENT GROWTH
Sponsored by I-REN
As Southern California faces increasing climate hazards like wildfires, ensuring that the region’s infrastructure can support sustainability and housing affordability is more critical than ever. This panel will explore how investments in resilient backbone infrastructure, such as utilities, green infrastructure, and electrification, can enable sustainable growth while reducing vulnerabilities to natural and man-made disasters. Experts from utilities, real estate development, and finance will discuss challenges and opportunities in creating infrastructure that mitigates climate impacts while expanding housing capacity and affordability.
3:45 p.m.
STUDENT SHOWCASE
Sponsored by Sares Regis Group
5:30 p.m.
EVENING RECEPTION
May 2 | Friday
8 a.m.
REGISTRATION
8:30 a.m.
BREAKFAST
9 a.m.
WELCOME
9:10 a.m.
STUDENT SHOWCASE AWARDS
9:30 a.m.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
10 a.m.
PLENARY PANEL SESSION
CREATING A REGIONAL LEGACY FOR THE 2028 SUMMER OLYMPICS AND PARALYMPICS
Sponsored by HNTB Corporation
In just three years, Los Angeles will host the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. As a complex and populous region hosting a mega-event, the LA28 Games represent a challenge and an opportunity for the region’s local economy and transportation system, which must facilitate travel for visitors and the region’s nearly 19 million residents while also continuing to service the demand for goods from the ports across the nation. The LA28 Games is a call to action to create lasting innovations for the region. This panel will explore how infrastructure, programs, policies, and culture change can create the actions to realize this vision
11:15 a.m.
CONFERENCE WRAP-UP
Event Information
Tickets
Registration
Early Bird
Online
Onsite
General Admission
$400
$550
$700
Friday Only
$200
$200
$200
SCAG Region Elected Official
Free
Free
Free
SCAG Region City Manager
Free
Free
Free
SCAG Region Student
$200
$200
$200
Deadline
March 31
April 30
May 2
Refund Policy
If an attendee for the 2025 Regional Conference & General Assembly cancels on or before April 14, the attendee will receive a full refund of registration fees.
If an attendee for the 2025 Regional Conference & General Assembly cancels after April 14, the attendee will not receive a refund of registration fees unless cancellation is due to an emergency.
If an attendee for the 2025 Regional Conference & General Assembly cancels after the start of the conference on May 1, no refund of registration fees will be issued.
Requests for refunds after the refund deadline must include an explanation for the reason and be submitted in writing. Upon receipt of a request to refund registration fees, SCAG will evaluate each circumstance and determine whether the request is granted. Please allow up to five (5) business days to process your refund request.
Location & Parking
Location
JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa
74-855 Country Club Dr.
Palm Desert, CA 92260
Parking
The event venue has ample parking. For overnight guests, self-parking is included in the resort fee. For attendees not staying overnight, mention SCAG to self-park for $15 per day. Valet parking is $45 per day and is not included as part of the resort fee.
Hotel Reservations
The general attendee conference room block at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa is now sold out.
After you register, you will receive a registration confirmation email with a link to book your room. You can also book your room from the registration confirmation page.
Regional Council members, policy committee members, General Assembly delegates, program speakers, and Sustainability Awards recipients are entitled to a respective complimentary stay at the hotel. Additional nights are at your own expense. Please register for the conference first and use the link to book a room provided in the confirmation email or on the confirmation page to access this offer.
Paying for a Room
By using the link to book a room in the confirmation email or on the confirmation page, you will be able to reserve your room and enter your credit card information. A credit card must be left on file to hold/reserve your reservation and to use for incidentals not covered by SCAG. Tax and daily resort fees are additional.
Reservation Deadline
The hotel room cutoff date is Monday, April 14, 2025. SCAG cannot guarantee any rooms past this date.
About Your Stay
For attendees staying at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa, check in begins at 4 p.m. and check out is at 11 a.m. Please note this is a smoke-free property.
Canceling Your Reservation
You may cancel your reservation for no charge before 11:59 p.m. local hotel time, three (3) days before arrival. If you cancel after this deadline, please note a one-night, plus tax fee will be assessed. If you have made a prepayment, the hotel will retain all or part of your prepayment. If not, the hotel will charge your credit card.
Modifying Your Reservation
After April 14, 2025, all reservation changes must be made by contacting the hotel directly at (760) 341-2211. Passkey, its reservation system and/or their agents act only in the capacity of agent for all customers in all matters pertaining to hotel reservations, and as such are not responsible for guaranteed hotel rooms, damages, expenses, inconveniences or damage to any person or property from any cause whatsoever.
Any change in the length or dates of a reservation may result in a rate change.
Attire
The conference calls for business casual attire. Please note the temperatures may be warm and plan accordingly.
Accommodations Request
SCAG, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), will accommodate persons who require a modification of accommodation to participate in this meeting. SCAG is also committed to helping people with limited proficiency in the English language access the agency’s essential public information and services. You can request such assistance by calling (213) 630-1410. We request at least 72 hours (three days) notice to provide reasonable accommodations and will make every effort to arrange for assistance as soon as possible.
Booth Passport Sweepstakes: Official Rules
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS SWEEPSTAKES
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING
These rules govern the Booth Passport Sweepstakes (“Sweepstakes”) being conducted by the Southern California Association of Governments (“SCAG”).
1. HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Individuals can participate in the Sweepstakes by following one of the methods below:
COMPLETING THE BOOTH PASSPORT.
Completion of the Booth Passport requires the following: Visiting all the exhibitor booths at the SCAG Regional Conference and General Assembly and filling out the official entry form by 5 p.m. on May 1, 2025.
Participants who complete the Booth Passport will be awarded five (5) entries into the Sweepstakes.
SUBMITTING AN ENTRY REQUEST.
Completion of the Booth Passport is not required to enter the Sweepstakes. To enter the Sweepstakes without completing the Booth Passport, contact Perla Lopez at specialevents@scag.ca.gov.
Participants who do not complete the Booth Passport and enter the Sweepstakes via this method will be awarded one (1) entry into the Sweepstakes.
2. ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS
The Sweepstakes is open to all persons who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry and who live or work in the SCAG region, which includes Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino and Imperial counties.
Employees of SCAG, members of SCAG’s Regional Council and Policy Councils, as well as the members of their immediate families (spouse, parent, sibling, or child), and those living in the same household of each (whether related or not), are ineligible to win.
Participants are required to provide truthful information. In order to claim the prize, SCAG may require the winners to provide a valid government-issued photo identification card along with their complete current mailing address, date of birth, and phone number. SCAG will disqualify any individuals who do not meet these eligibility requirements. The Sweepstakes Award winners must sign and return an affidavit of eligibility within fourteen (14) days of the date SCAG sends notification to the winner. If a potential winner cannot be contacted or fails to sign and return the required affidavit of eligibility within fourteen (14) days of SCAG sending the notification of winning, the potential winner forfeits the Sweepstakes Award, and a new winner may be selected. Substitute winner(s) will have fourteen (14) days to claim the Sweepstakes Award. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein. Participants may win only one sweepstakes sponsored by SCAG during any six-month period.
3. BOOTH PASSPORT SWEEPSTAKES AWARD
A total of three (3) prizes will be awarded at the end of the Sweepstakes on May 1, 2025.
The Sweepstakes Award winner will be notified on or about one (1) hour after the end of the Sweepstakes period.
Participants are eligible to win only one time during the Sweepstakes Period. Winners will be selected by random drawing among all eligible entries received by 5 p.m. on May 1, 2025. The random drawings will be conducted by staff at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa.
The Sweepstakes Awards may be picked up at the SCAG Regional Conference and General Assembly OR will be mailed to the individual winner at the home or business address provided OR may be picked up at the SCAG office at 900 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 1700, Los Angeles, CA 90017, during regular business hours. If the winner opts to pick up the Sweepstakes Award at SCAG’s office, the winner is responsible for transportation and all associated costs (including, but not limited to any parking fees) required to redeem the prize.
General Conditions.The Sweepstakes Award is expressly limited to the item listed above, and there is no substitution, transfer, or cash equivalent, except that SCAG may, at its sole discretion, substitute an award of comparable value. The winner will be solely responsible for all taxes and all other fees and expenses associated with the receipt and use of the Sweepstakes Award. SCAG is not responsible for prize utility, quality, or otherwise.
If, for any reason, this Sweepstakes cannot be executed as planned, including, but not limited to, as a result of infection by computer virus, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, incomplete or unintelligible entries, or any other causes beyond the control of SCAG that corrupt or affect the security, administration, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the Sweepstakes, or if the Sweepstakes is compromised or becomes technically corrupted in any way, electronically or otherwise, SCAG reserves the right to cancel, terminate or modify the Sweepstakes. If, due to circumstances beyond the control of SCAG, any award-related event or travel is delayed, rescheduled, postponed, or canceled, SCAG reserves the right, but not the obligation, to cancel or modify the Sweepstakes and shall not be required to award a substitute award.
SCAG, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to disqualify any person tampering with the entry process or the operation of SCAG or its websites. Failure to comply with the rules of the Sweepstakes may result in a participant’s disqualification and/or forfeiture of any award. If SCAG makes a good faith determination that cheating or fraudulent activity has occurred in connection with the Sweepstakes, SCAG reserves the right to disqualify that participant from winning future promotions and to prosecute and seek damages to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Where a conflict exists between promotions, SCAG reserves the right to determine which promotion will apply. SCAG’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. SCAG is not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, invalid, unintelligible, or misdirected reviews and/or reviews which will be disqualified. All entries become the sole and exclusive property of SCAG and will not be acknowledged or returned.
For a copy of these Official Rules, send a self-addressed stamped envelope for receipt to “Booth Passport Sweepstakes Official Rules,” Attn: Perla Lopez, SCAG, 900 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 1700, Los Angeles, CA 90017. The Official Rules also shall be available during regular business hours at the SCAG office.
Publicity. Except where prohibited, participation in the Sweepstakes constitutes winner’s consent to SCAG and its agents’ use of winner’s name, likeness, photograph, voice, opinions and/or hometown and state for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration.
By use of any SCAG website or SCAG services, programs, and surveys, you agree to SCAG’s data collection practices contained in the SCAG Privacy Policy for Collection, Management, and Storage of Personal Information located at scag.ca.gov/privacy-policy.
The Sweepstakes is sponsored by SCAG, 900 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 1700, Los Angeles, CA 90017. Questions should be directed to Perla Lopez at specialevents@scag.ca.gov or (213) 236-1896. Please reference “Booth Passport Sweepstakes” in your email subject line.
Si desea obtener información en español, por favor comuníquese al specialevents@scag.ca.gov o (213) 236-1896.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), this document is available in alternate formats by contacting the SCAG Human Resources Director at humanresources@scag.ca.gov.
Code of Conduct
While SCAG encourages networking and enjoyment of the social atmosphere of the Regional Conference and General Assembly, this is a friendly reminder that SCAG maintains a zero-tolerance policy for all types of harassment. Sexual harassment or any form of discrimination based on gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, sexual preference, religion, or other protected classification is never acceptable. SCAG prides itself on supporting a positive environment and promoting the highest standards of professionalism. SCAG strives to ensure that all attendees enjoy a safe environment, and attendees are encouraged to report incidents of harassment or other misconduct to a member of SCAG’s Management team or event security immediately so it may be addressed. We appreciate your cooperation and support in ensuring a harassment-free zone and maintaining our professional standards.
Notice of Filming/Photography
By attending the Regional Conference and General Assembly, you enter an area where photography, audio, and video recording may occur. By entering the event premises, you consent to, authorize, and grant permission to SCAG (and its authorized representative’s permission) to record (by video, audio, or any other means), interview, or engage in photography. This consent includes the use of any or all of the materials, in any form and by any medium, as part of any future publications, brochures, or other materials used to promote SCAG. As an attendee, you consent and agree that such use by SCAG or its authorized representatives shall be without payment of fees, royalties, special credit, or other compensation of any kind. You also waive any right to inspect or approve any photo, video or audio recording taken by SCAG or its authorized representatives. You have been fully informed of your consent, waiver of liability, and release before entering the event.
Sponsorship Opportunities
SCAG’s Regional Conference and General Assembly sponsorships show your commitment to the region and create an unparalleled opportunity to network with elected officials, decision-makers, community leaders, and business stakeholders throughout Southern California. Download the 2025 Regional Conference and General Assembly Sponsorship Opportunities brochure for more information on sponsor benefits.
contact
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor or have questions regarding sponsorship opportunities, please contact:
