{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"MISAC Connect Audio","title":"From the Floor: MISAC’s First-Time Conference Attendees","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2522,"description":"This episode of MISAC Connect Audio takes you inside the 2026 MISAC Annual Conference in Monterey for something a little different.\nArmed with a pair of microphones, we walked through the First-Time Conference Attendee gathering and handed the mic to MISAC members from agencies across California.\nWhat follows is intentionally raw and largely unedited — conversations happening around the room, background noise, raffle announcements, laughter, interruptions, and plenty of people who weren't expecting to suddenly find themselves on a podcast.\nThe goal is simple: make you feel like you were there.\nYou'll hear from first-time conference attendees about what brought them to MISAC and what they're hoping to get from their first Annual Conference — including making new connections, finding peers facing similar challenges, learning from other public agencies, exploring new technology, meeting industry partners, and attending sessions on topics ranging from AI and cybersecurity to GIS, governance, purchasing, infrastructure, and more.\nAnd because this is MISAC, a few longtime members and familiar faces take the microphone as well, sharing why they continue to come back and how the relationships built through MISAC can become such an important part of a career in public-sector technology.\nWith roughly 70 first-time attendees at this year's conference, this gathering offered a great snapshot of the next group of members beginning to plug into the broader MISAC community.\nNo studio. No formal interview setup. No heavy editing.\nJust conversations from the room as the 2026 MISAC Annual Conference gets underway.\nWelcome to Monterey — and welcome to MISAC.\n\nVisit our MISAC Connect forum for more discussions and community engagement.\nFollow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for updates and announcements.","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/IAyx5-MX9BbFeqZTXIUX2yaam3DXmd8_X569y52AYQ4/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8zOWMz/YWUwYzgwYmUxMThj/OWE3OGU1YTE3MjQ4/Nzc4MC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}