If this year’s NRPA Congress in Charlotte, North Carolina, could be summed up in one word, it would probably be “energy.” When you gather approximately 7,000 professionals who have dedicated their lives to the cause of parks and recreation, you’re going to find a lot of excitement and enthusiasm for this field, and that energy was palpable in Charlotte. From the uplifting Opening General Session to the entertaining Vegas-inspired Closing Party, attendees stayed busy during their week in Charlotte and brought home a lot of great ideas from their trip.
Although the conference officially kicked off on Tuesday, October 14, hundreds of attendees came early for Off-Site Institutes and Pre-Congress Workshops, such as the tour of the U.S. National Whitewater Center and the popular Agency Accreditation and CAPRA Visitor Training Workshop on Monday. Tuesday started bright and early with the Opening General Session featuring NRPA leadership as well as social equity activists Dr. Maya Rockeymoore and Robert García. Attendees then flooded the show floor to meet with hundreds of exhibitors sharing their latest innovations from the industry, and the afternoon continued with dozens of education sessions providing insights and information to keep park and recreation professionals current and relevant in their work. Tuesday afternoon wrapped up with a popular Tailgate Party on the show floor, new for this year’s conference, which featured plenty of great Carolina food, fun music sponsored by Neptune Radio, drinks served in red Solo Cups sponsored by PerfectMIND, tailgate games, lots of beach balls to toss around and a meet-and-greet with NASCAR legend Bobby Labonte. Finally, attendees moved into the NASCAR Hall of Fame for the Opening Party sponsored by GameTime, which featured more food and drinks as well as ample networking opportunities with fellow park and recreation professionals.
Wednesday also offered tons of education sessions and show floor time throughout the day, and the two formerly separate parts of the conference united this year with the popular Glass Room Sessions, Learning Labs and Learning Playground. Throughout the conference, attendees navigated the different offerings using the 2014 NRPA Congress smartphone app as well as the new Pocket Guide, both of which were developed to improve the green nature of the conference and enjoyed high approval ratings by surveyed members. After a full day of learning about new ideas and products, attendees could choose between celebrating their colleagues’ achievements at the Best of the Best Ceremony, cheering on their favorite college team at the Park and Recreation Student Quiz Bowl or relaxing for a double feature at the conference’s Movie Night sponsored by Swank Motion Pictures.
Many attendees started Thursday morning at the energizing 5K Fun Run/Walk at Little Sugar Creek Greenway, and the day continued with the last 100 education sessions of the conference. That morning, several busloads of conference goers also took a trip to the dedication ceremony at Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Park, site of the 2014 NRPA Parks Build Community initiative. After a final full day of inspiration and education, the conference wrapped up with a Vegas-themed Closing Reception, designed to get everyone excited for next year’s 50th-anniversary conference in the Entertainment Capital of the World.
After a very full week, attendees went home tired but brimming with new ideas and connections made with others in the field. NRPA looks forward to welcoming all of its members and partners back next year for its golden anniversary. If you felt the energy at this year’s conference, just wait for 2015!
Danielle Taylor is the Executive Editor of Parks & Recreation Magazine.