The GMA 2018 Annual Convention themed, “The Character of Cities,” will take place at the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center from June 22-26. Saturday’s opening session will feature awardwinning journalist, professional speaker and author Celeste Headlee. Headlee is the author of “We Need To Talk—How to Have Conversations That Matter.” After four years as the Executive Producer of “On Second Thought” at Georgia Public Radio, Headlee is back as a guest host with National Public Radio (NPR) in Washington. In her 19-year career with NPR, she has anchored shows including “Tell Me More,” “Talk of the Nation,” “All Things Considered” and “Weekend Edition.” She also served as co-host of the national morning news show, “The Takeaway,” from PRI and WNYC, and anchored presidential coverage in 2012 for PBS World Channel.

As an NPR host and journalist, Headlee has interviewed hundreds of people from all walks of life. Through her work, she has learned the true power of conversation and its ability to both bridge gaps and deepen wounds. In a time when conversations are often minimized to a few words in a text message and lack of meaningful communication and conversation abounds, Headlee sheds a light on the lost and essential art of conversation. Her TEDx Talk, which shares 10 ways to have a better conversation, was listed as one of the most watched TED Talks in 2016 by CNBC and named the No. 1 must-watch TED Talk by Glassdoor with 12.5 million total views to date.

“We are really looking forward to hosting Celeste Headlee as she highlights civility, kindness and inclusion through the power of conversation,” said GMA Executive Director Larry Hanson. “It’s important for leaders to have meaningful conversations regardless of opposing opinions or beliefs, and she is going to shed light on how to hold these necessary conversations.”

It’s not too late to register for GMA’s Annual Convention, June 22-26. While most training courses are full, sessions, speakers and networking opportunities are still available with creative ideas for attendees to take home and try in their cities.

If you are receiving a training certificate during the Annual Convention, please note that the training ceremony will be held on Sunday, June 24 at 4 p.m.

Again this year, the exhibit hall will feature an expanded reception following the opening session on Saturday from 5-6:30 p.m.

GMA will also continue its green meeting initiatives by providing recycle bins for attendees throughout the Trade Center and posting handouts and session notes on the GMA website. Though bottled water will not be provided by GMA, water dispensers are available throughout the building. GMA encourages attendees to bring their own reusable water bottle.