Oct 10 and Nov 4-6

Where the people building tomorrow’s government go to learn, connect, and recharge.

Every year, FWD50’s global community of public servants, technologists, and civic innovators gather to tackle one vital question: How do we use technology to make society better for all?

“An invaluable experience that significantly reshaped my perspective on Digital Transformation.”

“There are very few safe places for those in the public service to talk honestly about the problems we face. FWD50 is that place.”

“An incredible opportunity to dive into the future of technology, government, and beyond.”

“This conference should be mandatory for all in government.”

“This was my first time attending the conference and I truly enjoyed all 3 days. Congratulations on an amazing conference.... I'm hooked!”

“It was a fantastic opportunity to be in with the 'in crowd' in digital government. A chance to reinvigorate the work we do on a daily basis.”

“A melting pot of innovative ideas and forward-thinking individuals.”

“It's pretty cool to be here at FWD50. It's the most un-government government conference I've got to attend this year, which is amazing.”

“Once again, FWD50 sets a new standard.”

“This was one of the best-run conferences I have ever attended or spoken at.”

“It’s my first year attending FWD50. I am kicking myself for not attending in the past.”

“Every single session that I attended was mind blowing.”

“I attended FWD50 virtually for 3 days and wish it didn’t end.”

“The FWD50 conference was a blessing, it re-energized me and made me realize we do make a difference working in IT.”

“Every time I attend FWD50 they raise the bar and the benchmark for conferences.”

“I highly recommend it to anyone in public service, digital services, or IT! It’s invigorating to be surrounded, even virtually, by passionate, techy public servants.”

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ABOUT US

FWD50 at a glance

Thousands of participants with over 60 countries represented.

Year-round book clubs, interviews, and content.

Three days of talks, workshops, and case studies.

New executive cohort exclusively for digital leaders.

Live from Ottawa, streaming around the world.

Latest updates

We interview authors, public servants, and digital innovators, and publish thought-provoking essays on our core themes. Here are our most recent posts; you can also check out past updates as well.

Using AI to bring content to everyone

Nov 1, 2024

The four quadrants of Resiliency

Sep 19, 2024

Accountability and recourse: The challenges of building fair systems

Sep 12, 2024

Our stance on Generative AI

Aug 26, 2024

Our speakers

We’ve welcomed hundreds of the world’s leading digital government experts to our stage. You can check out all our past faculty on our speaker page.

The Honourable / L’honorable Anita Anand

President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Transport, Represents the riding of Oakville, Government of Canada

Dominic Rochon

Deputy Minister, Chief Information Officer of Canada, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS)

Minister Liisa-Ly Pakosta

Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs , Republic of Estonia, Ministry of Justice

Sultan Al Jasmi

Customer Insight & Analytics Director - Customer Experience Sector, Department of Government Enablement, Abu Dhabi

Natalie Evans Harris

State Chief Data Officer, State of Maryland

Daniel Davies

Author, The Unaccountability Machine

See 2024 Speakers

Something for everyone

Technologists

Government runs on information, and it’s your job to keep it running smoothly while upgrading old systems and incorporating new approaches.

FWD50 has the kind of workshops, case studies, and expert voices to help you shape the platforms on which tomorrow’s governments will run.

Industry

Modern society is a partnership between the public and private sector. To keep up with rapid, pervasive change, governments need the help of disruptors in industry.

Whether you want to attend, speak, or help support the event, FWD50 is the best way to connect with your public service counterparts and chart the course of digital government together.

Government executives

Digital-first services are better for citizens, cheaper to maintain, and more cost-efficient. But building and leading teams remains a challenge.

Through bestselling authors, peer-led learning, and our new Executive Cohort, FWD50 gives leaders the tools they need to rethink government in a digital age.

Academics

Each year, our conference links academic theory with practical deployment. We bridge research on procurement, cultural change, technology ethics, and other vital topics with the day-to-day challenges of service delivery, compliance, and budgets.

Civic tech

In the liminal space between public service and private enterprise lives, a thriving “third sector” of civic technologists. This “digital peace corps” gives innovators a chance to contribute to society, challenging norms and accelerating tech adoption.

Each year, we partner with leading civic tech organizations around the world on stage takeovers, research, and vibrant discussions.

Policymakers

Gone are the days of “fire-and-forget” lawmaking that has no regard for the implementation of legislation. Today, policy and implementation go hand-in-hand, with digital possibilities informing outdated laws.

Navigating this new, iterative world means connecting policymakers with those responsible for building and operating the resulting services, which is a core element of the FWD50 curriculum.

Sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter to get the latest updates straight to your inbox.

Our partners

We couldn't run FWD50 without our collaborators in civic tech and consultancies around the world, as well as dozens of industry partners who see FWD50 as the best way to connect with their public service counterparts and chart a path towards better digital government together. We'll be announcing our 2024 supporters, and many more collaborators, in the coming months.