Photo: Emma Friedman/ WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Thomas Menino Convention and Exhibition Center was flooded on Thursday with State Leaders from over 351 Massachusetts Cities and Towns.
Officials from all over the State were in attendance to kick off the three-day event, learning from each other by doing workshops together. The event is held by the Massachusetts Municipal Association, and Executive Director Adam Chapdelaine believes this event is beneficial all around.
“This is Connect 351, and it’s our annual event, where we bring together mayors, town managers, city councilors, select board members, town finance committee members, and really other people across local government,” said Chapdelaine. “And putting together a conference like this helps people come and learn, learn from one another, learn from the workshops we put on.”
From educational workshops, public speakers, and even trade shows, Connect 351 gives Mass. leaders a chance to work together when they usually might not.
“They're all operating critical services that people in the Commonwealth rely on, and they want to be efficient, they want to be effective, they want to be innovative,” said Chapdelaine. “And I think it’s beneficial, ultimately, to the residents of the Commonwealth.”
On the agenda this year is a new event, where State leaders get put in the literal hot seat in a ‘Hot Ones’ style question segment, eating hot wings as people ask questions.
“It seemed like the heat was turned up on them literally and figuratively, but it seemed like it also created a little more comfort and candor in the questions they were being asked and what they were able to share with attendees,” said Chapdelaine.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Emma Friedman (@EmmaFriedmanWBZ) reports.