The APWA PWX 2025 Conference was held in August at McCormick Place in Chicago. This expo is the APWA’s premier annual event offering learning opportunities, professional networking, and a large exhibition floor showcasing related projects and services for public works professionals. PWX brings together professionals from all aspects of public works and provides a first-class multimodal learning experience.
Civiltech was thrilled that this year’s national conference was in Chicago, and our staff took full advantage of all the conference had to offer, from diverse seminars and workshops to robust networking opportunities. Our staff also provided extensive volunteer services. Civiltech’s Kristin K., Mike F., Jake S., Jake R., Stephanie K., Stan L., Amanuel C., Justin G., and Armando S. were all on site providing volunteer support. 
Civiltech participants shared their individual experiences:
Jack N. – I attended the Get Acquainted Party at Navy Pier on Sunday and volunteered as a session monitor during afternoon sessions on Monday. It was great seeing some familiar faces as well as meeting people from across the country that came to town for the conference. The sessions I attended covered a wide range of public works topics, from urban deer population management in Michigan to Virtual Reality and 3D modeling of a pump station down in Austin, TX.
Justin G. – I volunteered as a session monitor during the afternoon sessions on Tuesday. Topics covered in sessions I monitored included I-35 improvements in Austin, Texas; Roadside Memorial Programs; and a roundtable on emergency management from a Public Works perspective.
Stephanie K. – This year was my first year attending the PWX conference. I volunteered at two lectures: “Intentional Communication for Public Works Leaders” and “Making and Keeping Parks and Trails Enjoyable and Accessible for All.” The highlight of my experience, however, was exploring the exhibits. I had the opportunity to listen to several of the sales representatives discuss their products. I learned about a porous pavement made from recycled tires which is used for bike trails and parking lots. I also learned about a mobile app that measures existing sidewalk slopes and a machine that uses AI to detect and fill cracks in existing pavement. 
Jake S. – I also attended the Get Acquainted Party at Navy Pier and volunteered as a monitor for three afternoon sessions on Monday. I monitored the sessions for urban deer management, practical applications of AI and UAVs, and changing sewer maintenance from response-driven to scheduled work. It was interesting to see how the City of Cedar Rapids in Iowa’s Public Works Department keeps track of sewer maintenance and how they are now using GIS to develop a plan and monitor their progress.
I was also able to spend some time walking through the exhibition hall to see some of the booths and the innovations. It was nice to get a chance to interact with other people in the industry at both the conference and the party, and it seemed like everyone there was having a good time!
Armando S.– My experience volunteering at PWX included as a session monitor during the Monday afternoon sessions. The most interesting of the sessions I attended was ‘Disaster is striking today! What should you have done yesterday?’ which covered how public works can respond to natural disasters and explore innovative approaches to preventing the collapse of telecommunications, remotely managing utilities, and maintaining critical transportation and evacuation corridors using emerging sensing technologies.
Stan L.– I volunteered and assisted in attendee count and troubleshooting AV issues. The two sessions I worked were “Houston’s Pavement Management System” and “Flexibility in Municipal Tree Care program”. Both sessions were well attended and very informative.
Kristin K. – did a volunteer shift each day from Saturday through Wednesday. I saw one if not more individuals from almost all of my clients’ agencies, so that was exciting! Including vendors, there were 7,000 registrants.
- Saturday – I volunteered at the welcome desk at the Marriott. Lots of breaking it to people how far the walk was to the Lakeside Center. I helped people get to their bus for very important activities like the brewery tour.
- Sunday – I attended the First Timers meeting and an ADA class. Listened to Dr. Bertice Berry speak about People Purpose Presence, and she was incredibly moving. I volunteered as a session monitor for “Leadership Lessons from Sitcoms: The Office and Parks and Recreation” and “Visualizing Envision Integration from Project Concept to Completion”. I also attended the Get Acquainted Party at Navy Pier which was on a perfect weather night for everyone to enjoy an iconic Chicago evening.
- Monday – I was a session monitor for “Coralville’s Stream Mitigation Bank: Funding Greenway Parks and Forestry”, “When Things Don’t’ Go as Planned – Lessons from a Sewer Replacement”, and “Changing Sewer Maintenance from Response Drive to Scheduled Work.”
- Tuesday – I went to “Reimagining the Impossible” with speaker Keelan Leyser. He used AI and magic to discuss purpose and think about what’s next. I also attended “Women Empowered: Building Stronger Communities Through Public Works!” I worked the Chicago Metro Chapter hospitality desk in the afternoon, which was great for networking, giving away all the extra snacks, helping people find fun things to do around town, and enforcing a line policy for people waiting to get Challenge Coins.
- Wednesday – I attended the closing session “The Power of Presence: Why Showing Up is the Game Changer” with Dr. Jody Carrington. She was hilarious and amazing. We’re all lonelier than ever is what the research says, and in public works it’s your job to show up which makes you think about it a little differently. Then, I worked the “Technical Learning Tour: Old Post Office Redevelopment.” It is a beautiful huge space, and the rooftop green space is incredible. We even got to go into the CMAP offices, which have the former postmaster general offices, including original materials.
Mike F. – On Monday afternoon I sat in on three sessions for my volunteer shift. The first two were “Climbing the Ladder” Part 1 & 2 and were related to what is involved with being a Public Works Director. It was interesting to hear firsthand experiences on everything ranging from required credentials, political forces, social media, and the general public with a focus on soft skills that can be difficult to learn on the job. The third session was the same Virtual Reality session that Jack N. described above.
Civiltech says, “thank you” to APWA for a great conference.