Each year APWA holds two major conferences: the Public Works Expo (PWX), formerly known as the International Public Works Congress & Exposition, and the North American Snow Conference. Each offers multiple sessions on a variety of the hottest topics in public works, as well as the opportunity to meet with numerous exhibitors to “kick the tires” and discuss cutting-edge technology. History of the conferences and lists of host cities are available below.
Public Works Expo History
From the first annual meeting of American Society of Municipal Improvements (the first direct predecessor of APWA) in Buffalo, New York, in 1894 to the equipment shows and technical programs at the annual meetings of the 1960s, through many years as the International Public Works Congress & Exposition, and on to the present day Public Works Expo, this APWA event has provided opportunities for face-to-face learning and networking covering the wide variety of public works-related topics.
| Year | Location |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 2021 | St. Louis, Missouri |
| 2020 | New Orleans, Louisiana (canceled due to COVID-19) |
| 2019 | Seattle, Washington |
| 2018 | Kansas City, Missouri |
| 2017 | Orlando, Florida |
| 2016 | Minneapolis, Minnesota (1st year as the Public Works Expo) |
| 2015 | Phoenix, Arizona |
| 2014 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| 2013 | Chicago, Illinois |
| 2012 | Anaheim, California |
| 2011 | Denver, Colorado |
| 2010 | Boston, Massachusetts |
| 2009 | Columbus, Ohio |
| 2008 | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| 2007 | San Antonio, Texas |
| 2006 | Kansas City, Missouri |
| 2005 | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| 2004 | Atlanta, Georgia |
| 2003 | San Diego, California |
| 2002 | Kansas City, Missouri |
| 2001 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| 2000 | Louisville, Kentucky |
| 1999 | Denver, Colorado |
| 1998 | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| 1997 | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| 1996 | Washington, DC |
| 1995 | Dallas, Texas |
| 1994 | Chicago, Illinois |
| 1993 | Phoenix, Arizona |
| 1992 | Boston, Massachusetts |
| 1991 | San Francisco, California |
| 1990 | St. Louis, Missouri |
| 1989 | Orlando, Florida |
| 1988 | Toronto, Ontario |
| 1987 | Chicago, Illinois |
| 1986 | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| 1985 | Los Angeles, California |
| 1984 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| 1983 | Detroit, Michigan |
| 1982 | Houston, Texas |
| 1981 | Atlanta, Georgia |
| 1980 | Kansas City, Missouri |
| 1979 | Portland, Oregon |
| 1978 | Boston, Massachusetts |
| 1977 | Chicago, Illinois |
| 1976 | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| 1975 | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| 1974 | Toronto, Ontario |
| 1973 | Denver, Colorado |
| 1972 | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| 1971 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| 1970 | Dallas, Texas |
| 1969 | Cleveland, Ohio |
| 1968 | Miami Beach, Florida |
| 1967 | Boston, Massachusetts |
| 1966 | Chicago, Illinois |
| 1965 | Los Angeles, California |
| 1964 | Atlantic City, New Jersey |
| 1963 | Detroit, Michigan |
| 1962 | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| 1961 | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| 1960 | New York, New York |
| 1959 | Seattle, Washington |
| 1958 | Kansas City, Missouri |
| 1957 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| 1956 | Fort Worth, Texas |
| 1955 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| 1954 | Atlantic City, New Jersey |
| 1953 | Detroit, Michigan |
| 1952 | Los Angeles, California |
| 1951 | Detroit, Michigan |
| 1950 | New York, New York |
| 1949 | Kansas City, Missouri |
| 1948 | Boston, Massachusetts |
| 1947 | Jacksonville, Florida |
| 1946 | Fort Worth, Texas |
| 1945 | Chicago, Illinois |
| 1944 | St. Paul, Minnesota |
| 1943 | Chicago, Illinois |
| 1942 | Cleveland, Ohio |
| 1941 | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| 1940 | Detroit, Michigan |
| 1939 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| 1938 | New York, New York |
| 1937 | Atlanta, Georgia |
| 1936 | Toronto, Ontario |
| 1935 | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| 1934 | Rochester, New York |
| 1933 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| 1932 | Detroit, Michigan & Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| 1931 | New York, New York |
| 1930 | Richmond, Virginia & Louisville, Kentucky |
| 1929 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania & Jacksonville, Florida |
| 1928 | Detroit, Michigan & Toronto, Ontario |
| 1927 | Dallas, Texas & St. Louis, Missouri |
| 1926 | Washington, DC & Chicago, Illinois |
| 1925 | Des Moines, Iowa & Chicago, Illinois |
| 1924 | Boston, Massachusetts |
| 1923 | Atlanta, Georgia & Chicago, Illinois |
| 1922 | Cleveland, Ohio & Chicago, Illinois |
| 1921 | Baltimore, Maryland & Chicago, Illinois |
| 1920 | St. Louis, Missouri & Chicago, Illinois |
| 1919 | New Orleans, Louisiana & Chicago, Illinois |
| 1918 | Buffalo, New York |
| 1917 | *no convention |
| 1916 | Newark, New Jersey |
| 1915 | Dayton, Ohio |
| 1914 | Boston, Massachusetts |
| 1913 | Wilmington, Delaware |
| 1912 | Dallas, Texas |
| 1911 | Grand Rapids, Michigan |
| 1910 | Erie, Pennsylvania |
| 1909 | Little Rock, Arkansas |
| 1908 | Atlantic City, New Jersey |
| 1907 | Detroit, Michigan |
| 1906 | Birmingham, Alabama |
| 1905 | Montreal, Quebec |
| 1904 | St. Louis, Missouri |
| 1903 | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| 1902 | Rochester, New York |
| 1901 | Niagara Falls, New York |
| 1900 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| 1899 | Toronto, Ontario |
| 1898 | Washington, DC |
| 1897 | Nashville, Tennessee |
| 1896 | Chicago, Illinois |
| 1895 | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| 1894 | Buffalo, New York |
North American Snow Conference History
The first Snow Conference in 1961 was initiated because of an extremely bad snow storm that nearly closed down New York City. It was an informal meeting with a few speakers from that regional area, including Baltimore and Washington, DC. General Fred Clarke from Washington, DC, got involved and recommended a research project to APWA on the study of urban snow removal problems. The second and third annual conferences were called the “Northeastern Conference on Urban Snow Removal.” The title “Snow Conference” was inaugurated at the fourth annual conference in 1964. It became the “North American Snow Conference” the next year in 1965.
| Year | Dates | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | April 16 – 19 | Omaha, NE |
| 2022 | April 10 – 13 | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 2021 | April 11 – 14 | Grand Rapids, MI – Virtual April 20-22 due to COVID-19 |
| 2020 | April 19 – 22 | Cleveland, OH – Canceled due to COVID-19 |
| 2019 | May 19 – 22 | Salt Lake City, UT |
| 2018 | May 6 – 9 | Indianapolis, IN |
| 2017 | April 23 – 26 | Des Moines, IA |
| 2016 | May 22 – 25 | Hartford, CT |
| 2015 | April 12 – 15 | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 2014 | May 4 – 7 | Cincinnati, OH |
| 2013 | April 7 – 10 | Charlotte, NC |
| 2012 | April 29 – May 2 | Milwaukee, WI |
| 2011 | April 10 – 13 | Spokane, WA |
| 2010 | April 18 – 21 | Omaha, NE |
| 2009 | April 26 – 29 | Des Moines, IA |
| 2008 | April 13 – 16 | Louisville, KY |
| 2007 | April 22 – 25 | Saint Paul, MN |
| 2006 | April 30 – May 3 | Peoria, IL |
| 2005 | April 17 – 20 | Kansas City, MO |
| 2004 | April 25 – 28 | Lexington, KY |
| 2003 | April 27 – 30 | Quebec City, QC |
| 2002 | April 14 – 16 | Columbus, OH |
| 2001 | April 8 – 11 | Indianapolis, IN |
| 2000 | April 9 – 12 | Traverse City, MI |
| 1999 | April 18 – 21 | Duluth, MN |
| 1998 | April 19 – 22 | Edmonton, AB |
| 1997 | April 27 – 30 | Kansas City, MO |
| 1996 | April 14 – 17 | Salt Lake City, UT |
| 1995 | April 9 – 12 | Buffalo, NY |
| 1994 | April 17 – 20 | Milwaukee, WI |
| 1993 | April 18 – 21 | Cleveland, OH |
| 1992 | April 12 – 15 | Saint Paul, MN |
| 1991 | April 14 – 17 | Montreal, QC |
| 1990 | April 8 – 11 | Omaha, NE |
| 1989 | April 9 – 12 | Hartford, CT |
| 1988 | April 10 – 13 | Des Moines, IA |
| 1987 | April 7 – 10 | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 1986 | April 13 – 16 | Rochester, NY |
| 1985 | April 15 – 17 | Madison, WI |
| 1984 | May 15 – 17 | Edmonton, AB |
| 1983 | April 10 – 13 | Hartford, CT |
| 1982 | April 19 – 21 | Kalamazoo, MI |
| 1981 | April 13 – 15 | Baltimore, MD |
| 1980 | April 14 – 16 | Toronto, ON |
| 1979 | April 9 – 11 | Bloomington, MN |
| 1978 | April 17 – 19 | Cincinnati, OH |
| 1977 | April 20 – 22 | Rochester, NY |
| 1976 | April 26 – 28 | New York, NY |
| 1975 | April 21 – 23 | Milwaukee, WI |
| 1974 | April 17 – 19 | Winnipeg, MB |
| 1973 | April 16 – 18 | New York, NY |
| 1972 | April 26 – 28 | Detroit, MI |
| 1971 | April 14 – 16 | Chicago, IL |
| 1970 | April 5 – 7 | Boston, MA |
| 1969 | April 9 – 11 | Bethlehem, PA |
| 1968 | April 3 – 5 | Cincinnati, OH |
| 1967 | April 12 – 14 | Milwaukee, WI |
| 1966 | April 17 – 19 | Montreal, QC |
| 1965 | April 21 – 23 | Buffalo, NY |
| 1964 | April ?? – ?? | Philadelphia, PA |
| 1963 | April 17 – 19 | Boston, MA |
| 1962 | April 3 – 4 | Washington, DC |
| 1961 | March 23 – 24 | New York, NY |
Sustainability in Public Works Conference History
The Sustainability in Public Works conference ran from 2009-2013. It became a part of PWX in 2014. The conference explored the latest and most innovative tools, practices, and case studies in public works. It gave attendees access to the resources and experts they needed to take sustainability to the next level in their communities.
Past Dates and Sites
- June 25-27, 2012 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- June 7-29, 2011 | Portland, Oregon
- June 8-10, 2010 | Minneapolis, Minnesota
- 2009 | Phoenix, Arizona
