Over the years, I’ve often been asked how the MTC chooses its meeting locations. Although I can’t speak to how those decisions are made today, I can lift the curtain on how they were made in the recent past, including the choice of Savannah, Georgia, for the MTC’s fall meetings this November.
The MTC must hold an annual meeting of the Commission each summer, in July or very close to it. That meeting follows a set agenda and is customarily held in a compact or sovereignty member state. One day of the annual meeting week is devoted to a seminar. The spring and fall committee meetings operate differently: apart from a nonpublic training day for state government attorneys at the beginning of the week, the schedule consists entirely of meetings. The MTC’s standing committees conduct their business throughout the week – Audit, Nexus, Uniformity, and Strategic Planning – culminating with the Executive Committee on the last day. Unlike a conference, the committee meetings have no registration fee and are open to everyone except when confidential taxpayer information is discussed, as occurs during most of the Audit Committee meeting and a good portion of the Nexus Committee meeting. These meetings provide a valuable opportunity to interact with senior state tax staff.
The spring and fall meetings also differ because there is no special effort to hold them in a compact or sovereignty state. So how are the locations selected? A state’s desire to host MTC meetings receives serious consideration if a suitable venue can be found. MTC officers, committee leaders, and senior staff also suggest potential locations that get considered. Recent meeting sites matter as well because an organization with national participation needs to rotate its meetings among regions. Ultimately, the executive director makes the decision with the help of the MTC’s wonderful events staff.
That brings us back to this year’s fall meetings, November 9–12, in “historic and hip” Savannah. With its historic charm, striking architecture, scenic public squares, acclaimed food, and vibrant cultural scene, Savannah offers a destination unlike anywhere else in the South.* The MTC has never before held a meeting there. And if the meeting topics or the concentration of senior state tax staff and thought leaders aren’t enough to draw you, Savannah itself just might be. Registration is now open over on the MTC website.
*Visit Savannah, the largest business unit of the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, made no contribution to this week’s Matson’s Musings.