Neighborhood leaders, supporters and residents who want to learn more about the value of strong neighborhoods are invited to The Neighborhood Conference, being held Saturday, March 24, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Marriott, 501 E. Hill Ave.

Admission is free, but everyone planning to attend – residents, speakers, exhibitors, volunteers, public officials and sponsors – should register in order for event organizers to plan accordingly. Registration will include a name tag, conference materials and a free boxed lunch.

Online registration is open through noon March 20 at KnoxvilleTN.gov/conference, where you’ll find workshop descriptions and additional details along with the link to the Eventbrite registration page. Those without access to the Internet may call Hannah Freeman at 865-215-3456 to register by phone.

This large annual event, which has drawn up to 700 attendees in recent years, is designed specifically for neighborhood organizations and Knoxville residents who are interested in ways to improve and maintain the quality of life in their city residential neighborhoods.

“We encourage neighborhood groups to bring as many members as possible to absorb as much information as they can,” says Neighborhood Coordinator David Massey. “They will return to their neighborhoods full of information and ideas to share.”

Benefits of the conference include meeting residents of other Knoxville neighborhoods, City Council representatives, staff members in both City government and some Knox County agencies, as well as service providers and non-profit organizations. Even residents who don’t yet belong to a neighborhood group will find plenty to do, much to learn, and many interesting people to meet. A map of neighborhoods and associated groups is available at http://www.kgis.org/maps/neighborhoods.html.

Doors at the 2018 Neighborhood Conference open at 8 a.m. for check in, with time to register for door prizes and visit the 80-plus information booths representing a variety of governmental agencies and area nonprofit organizations.

The general session begins at 9 a.m. with a welcome from Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero followed by conference announcements, morning workshops, and

lunch, during which Knoxville poet and spoken word artist Black Atticus will perform. Mayor Rogero will present the Diana Conn Good Neighbor of the Year Award as well as Neighborhood Achievement Awards.

Workshops in the morning break-out session will cover three major topic areas:

• Recode Knoxville, the update of Knoxville’s zoning code;

• Neighborhood improvement and community-building projects you can implement; and

• How individuals and community groups can make a positive impact on the opioid epidemic and gun violence crises.

To donate a door prize, contact Johnathan Blevins at 865-215-2113 or [email protected].

Returning sponsors include Waste Connections of Tennessee, Home Federal Bank, Cannon & Cannon Inc., Coldwell Banker Wallace and Wallace Realtors, Vaughn & Melton Consulting Engineers, Dover Development, Knoxville Area Association of Realtors and TIS Insurance Services. Event sponsorships are still available. To learn more, contact David Massey at 865-215-3232 or [email protected].