Baltimore Sends Staff to Smart City Expo
Vendors selling data and smart-city services to municipal government can track which officials are presenting Baltimore's priorities abroad.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Remote Work
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Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott canceled his planned trip to the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona, November 3-5, and will not travel to Spain. City Administrator Faith P. Leach and Chief Data Officer Dartanion Swift-Williams are attending the expo instead, with the Board of Estimates set to approve $6,250 for their travel, lodging and meals.
Why it matters
The mayor's office said Scott chose to stay in Baltimore to support fellow Democrats on Election Day, and gave no other reason for the change. Baltimore is one of three American cities with exhibits at the expo, so the city's municipal technology and data work is being presented to a global audience through staff rather than its top elected official.
The city's approved travel outlay is $6,250 for two officials, while the separate $8,120 Geneva residency for Deputy Mayor Letitia Dzirasa is covered by the World Health Organization rather than city funds. The expo itself reports 26,000 attendees and mayors from 1,000 cities, figures presented by the event organizers.
The players
Brandon Scott
Mayor of Baltimore, the city's chief executive overseeing municipal operations and budget.
Faith P. Leach
Baltimore City Administrator, the city's senior appointed official responsible for day-to-day municipal administration.
Dartanion Swift-Williams
Baltimore Chief Data Officer, leading the city's use of data to guide municipal services and operations.
Smart City Expo World Congress
Global trade event connecting city governments and technology vendors on urban infrastructure, services and data systems.
World Health Organization
United Nations agency that sets international public health standards and funds the Geneva residency for Baltimore's deputy mayor.
The details
Leach is listed on a panel titled 'The Livable City: Inclusion First, Prosperity Follows,' and Swift-Williams is scheduled to speak on 'Baltimore's Vision for Turning Data into Better Lives.' Officials say Leach will engage with global leaders on improving city services in the mayor's place. Separately, Deputy Mayor Letitia Dzirasa requested a two-week residency at WHO headquarters in Geneva, where she is expected to review best practices for noncommunicable disease prevention with WHO experts.
Timeline
November 3-5, 2026: Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona, which the mayor will not attend
November 3, 2026: Mayor's press office announces Scott will not travel
November 4, 2026: Board of Estimates is set to approve the $6,250 travel funds
Saturday, November 7, 2026: Leach and Swift-Williams are scheduled to return to the U.S.
November 7-21, 2026: Dzirasa's two-week WHO residency in Geneva
Market Landscape
Municipal smart-city programs are increasingly shown at global trade events where cities compare data systems and service models with peers. Baltimore's presence as one of only three American exhibitors places its data and service work in that comparative setting.
Operators who sell into municipal government should note that city data and smart-service initiatives are being promoted through global procurement-facing events, which can shape vendor interest and contract timing. Businesses working with the city may watch whether Baltimore's data priorities expand in coming budget cycles.
The takeaway
Vendors pursuing municipal technology work should track which cities are exhibiting and which officials are presenting, since those signals often precede procurement priorities. Watch the Board of Estimates' approval of the travel funds as a routine indicator of how the city is directing its outreach budget.
Further reading
For broader context on how city governments are organizing data and staff for distributed work, see Remote Work coverage on Main Street.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Baltimore Brew.
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