In order to take in everything and experience the NRPA 50th anniversary celebration, you will definitely need to schedule plenty of time on the show floor. The 2015 NRPA exhibit hall has something for everyone, from the exciting exhibitor displays, the EXPOdition exhibit hall scavenger hunt, gift card and cash giveaways, and interactive geographic information system (GIS) demonstrations, to evening networking receptions with food and drinks, and a meet and pet with our friend Lassie, the rough collie from the similarly named, popular TV show.
On Tuesday, September 15, following the Opening General Session, the exhibit hall will open at 10:30 a.m. in Shoreline A&B, located on the 2nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Convention Center. The exhibit hall will remain open until 4:30 p.m. Tuesday and reopen for the Exhibit Hall Reception from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. On Wednesday, the exhibit hall will be open from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Networking Fun
During the Tuesday evening Exhibit Hall Reception, we invite you to network and enjoy some fun activities on the show floor, including an illusion by the magician Greg Devereaux, along with food and drinks. Burke Playgrounds (413) will start the evening with a cool-looking giveaway for the first 1,000 delegates, so be sure to get there on time. Two lucky attendees will walk away with $500 in our cash drawings sponsored by Toro (1147), and Lassie will demonstrate a disaster supplies relay race. We will also have many other interesting activities, drawings and giveaways provided by the other exhibiting companies.
Other events not to be missed are the EXPOdition exhibit hall scavenger hunt sponsored by Burke Playgrounds (413) — very cool prizes to be had at the raffle drawing Wednesday afternoon — $100-$200 American Express gift card drawings every hour on the hour, Human Bowling, Bubble Racing, an inflatable golf driving range by SNAG Golf (prizes to be won), the bike and skateboard pump ramp sponsored by American Ramp and, let’s not forget, the Leisure Park sponsored by our local host agencies.
Engaging, Hands-on Activities
The entire exhibit hall will be filled with engaging, hands-on activities as well as interactive educational opportunities at most every corner of the show floor. More than 400 exhibitors will be there, showcasing the latest and greatest equipment, products and services for you to check out and get great ideas from to take back to your respective agencies. Back by popular demand, The Learning Playground (1275), adjacent to the Member Celebration area at the back center of the hall, will be host to our six most interactive educational sessions (253) that are guaranteed to get you up and out of your seat — make sure to try the Spatial GAMES at warp speed — Wednesday from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. We are also bringing back our GIS Interactive Virtual Park display so you can learn about cutting-edge mapping technologies from experts in the field. In addition to the regularly scheduled sessions in Learning Lab Engage (2051) and the Glass Room Sessions (712).
Meet the NRPA Team
Come meet the NRPA team in the Member Celebration area (1471). We’ll have a number of fun activities for you: Get your tweet on about all the fun and excitement at the conference on our giant Twitter wall, take a chance and see what might blow your way in the Party Vault, spin the Celebration Wheel for instant prizes and a chance to be entered into our grand finale drawing, play games at our affinity partner booths, roll the dice for a chance to win a free 2016 NRPA Conference full registration package, check out Devereaux Rising, our strolling, close-up magician, Guess the Stress to win an IPAD Mini, or just relax in the Member Celebration lounge and enjoy all the excitement! While you’re there, we can also show you how to maximize your member benefits and how our affinity partnerships can further enhance your membership value. And, don’t leave the area without picking up your commemorative 50th anniversary NRPA lapel pin. We look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas!
Ted Mattingly is NRPA’s Director of Facilities and Administrative Services.