The NRPA Annual Conference is a huge event. Each year, thousands of members and guests spend up to a week immersing themselves in the latest park and rec gear, education sessions, workshops, networking events and more. For first-time attendees, navigating all the options can be daunting. 

To help, we’ve assembled tips from three NRPA members who know their way around the exhibit hall floor. Before heading to St. Louis Oct. 5-8, consider the following advice from Dirk Richwine, superintendent of recreation for the city of Henderson, Nevada; Jay Tryon, CPRP, director of parks and recreation for the town of Indian Trail, North Carolina; and Rod Tarullo, director of the city of Golden, Colorado Parks and Recreation Department. Learn more about the NRPA Annual Conference. 

Dirk Richwine

Congratulations on attending your first NRPA Annual Conference. There is a lot going on during Conference week — attending the education sessions, the exhibit hall, general sessions and social activities all can make for a very busy week. 

To make the most of your Conference experience, the best thing to do is to make a plan of what you want to do there before you go. Parks & Recreation magazine publishes a great pre-Conference issue that will help you organize your schedule. You can check what educational sessions you want to attend, including the session on attending your first Conference. 

Do the same for the exhibit hall. Make sure that you visit the exhibitors that you have a special interest in, but also take time to walk the entire hall and visit as many vendors as possible. Make sure you have room in your suitcase for all the things you will bring back from the exhibit hall.

Don’t forget to attend the different Conference socials. They are a great way to meet fellow professionals and network. 

To learn about what’s going on in the area, sign up for one of the many interesting off-site tours showcasing impressive parks and facilities.

If you want stay active, take advantage of the early-morning exercise classes, or the 5K Fun Run.

The NRPA Annual Conference is one of the best places to meet members like yourself and build your professional network. Participate in the different network organizations, especially the Young Professional Network. Attend their functions such as “Take a Student/Young Professional to Lunch” and the YP Social. Get involved and stay connected. 

Finally, when you get to the Conference make sure you get one of the free pocket guides that have all the schedules and information you need. There will be many volunteers around the Conference to help with any questions you might have.

Conference week is busy. Take time, learn a lot, meet many new friends and see why what we do is so important. Most of all, you’ll have a great time!

Jay Tryon

The NRPA Conference is quickly approaching and it is time to register and start planning. Not every profession is lucky enough to have a week-long conference where thousands of people gather to share this passion we all have to improve our communities. During this time there will be hundreds of educational sessions, off-site institutes, networking events, an exhibit hall that looks like Disney World for park and recreation lovers and countless opportunities to learn and share ideas from the best of the best. For many, this may be the first time attending an NRPA Conference, and for those I would like to give you three pieces of advice. 

Attend a wide variety of educational sessions. This is a great opportunity to get new ideas for your day-to-day operations and learn unique ways to improve your department. I urge you to go outside the box and attend sessions that help your overall knowledge of the field. If your job is primarily in the athletic department, attend a session on park maintenance or risk management. You never know when you or your department staff may need help in an area and you will always have this knowledge to reflect on. I also recommend spending a few minutes meeting the people you sit next to in the session and introducing yourself to the speaker. You never know what else you have in common with others in the room and it may (and probably will) lead to long-term connections.

Find a mentor and participate in network opportunities. An excellent option is the “Take a Student/Young Professional to Lunch” program. This is an opportunity that was created to let students and young professionals have an opportunity to arrange a lunch with a distinguished professional. The goal is to give people an opportunity to get paired with someone who has knowledge in a mutual topic and help each professional grow. 

Network, network, network. It is one thing that everyone says to do but many people don’t know how or are scared. Well, I am here to tell you a secret: at Conference it is as easy as saying hello and asking someone where they are from. We are a very special industry in that we share everything and love to borrow programs and ideas from as many departments as possible. I can assure you that people want to talk to you and people want to learn about what you’re doing and where you are from. These are the same people who you may reach back out to in eight months and ask for the details of a splash pad you discussed or a maintenance management program you want to implement. Therefore, have fun, learn as much as possible and talk to as many professionals as you can and you will surely never forget your first Conference.  

Rod Tarullo

It has been my privilege and opportunity to attend many NRPA Conferences. I have found them to be beneficial to my professional development and to my local agency. Here are a few ideas of how to get the most from your first Conference:

Pre-planning: Take the time to become familiar with all the awesome information about the Conference available on the NRPA website. The Preliminary Program can be quite helpful to assist you in creating your own personal schedule for the week. This should include mapping out educational sessions you don’t want to miss along with networking and social events. 

Check out the Pre-Conference Workshops and Off-Site Institutes: These are super opportunities to stretch your Conference experience. The Off-Site Institutes have additional expense but are a great way to see facilities and programs that are good examples of the local host area. I have found that these are excellent situations to begin meeting people from all over the country who share common interests. You will be surprised how these early connections continue through the whole Conference. It you are looking for CEUs, these workshops and institutes are an enjoyable, worthwhile way to make significant progress toward your goals.

Utilize the NRPA Mobile App: NRPA puts everything you need for Conference navigation and information (including your pre-planned schedule) right on your phone or tablet. You will want to refer to this information multiple times a day. This is so much easier than hauling around hard-copy paper materials.

Be Early: Any and every event or session is less stressful and more enjoyable if you arrive early. You will find better seats, shorter lines and easier access when you show up on the early side. 

Take it all in: Don’t blow off any event because you are tired. You can rest when you get back to work! 

 

— Samantha Bartram, Executive Editor of Parks & Recreation magazine