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.

YearLocation
2022Charlotte, North Carolina
2021St. Louis, Missouri
2020New Orleans, Louisiana (canceled due to COVID-19)
2019Seattle, Washington
2018Kansas City, Missouri
2017Orlando, Florida
2016Minneapolis, Minnesota (1st year as the Public Works Expo)
2015Phoenix, Arizona
2014Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2013Chicago, Illinois
2012Anaheim, California
2011Denver, Colorado
2010Boston, Massachusetts
2009Columbus, Ohio
2008New Orleans, Louisiana
2007San Antonio, Texas
2006Kansas City, Missouri
2005Minneapolis, Minnesota
2004Atlanta, Georgia
2003San Diego, California
2002Kansas City, Missouri
2001Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2000Louisville, Kentucky
1999Denver, 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.

YearDatesLocation
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 – 16Toronto, 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