The expo show floor at this year’s Congress and Exposition event was as big as ever, with 379 exhibitors and 84,300 square feet of booth space filled with everything from custom-designed multi-story playgrounds to innovative artificial turf products. On Tuesday, October 8, and Wednesday, October 9, attendees were free to explore the show floor and see some of the latest offerings from companies supporting the field of parks and recreation. Some of the largest booths belonged to PlayCore and its many brands, Greenfields Outdoor Fitness, Landscape Structures Inc., Little Tikes Commercial, Playworld Systems Inc., Superior International Industries Inc., Century Industries and Qitele Group Co. Ltd.
In addition to the hundreds of exhibitors, NRPA’s different departments offered fun and information for members in attendance. A Membership Roundup area celebrated this year’s Texas location by offering members the opportunity to ride a mechanical bull, rope a calf, and get duded up in cowboy hats and bandanas. This area also featured several booths with companies that have teamed up with NRPA to provide useful benefits to the association’s members. Next door, the Partnerships booth featured healthy cooking demos, collected agency information for participation in the 10 Million Kids initiative and provided an introduction to many of NRPA’s partners. The Parks Build Community booth offered information and images associated with this year’s Shady Lane Park project and past Parks Build Community sites. And the Parks & Recreation Magazine booth offered copies of several back issues and a chance to discuss editorial and advertising opportunities with NRPA’s flagship publication.
Finally, as members explored the different booths and met with representatives from the many companies on the show floor, NRPA asked them to rate the booths and vote on the one they thought offered the most creative and exciting display. After the votes were counted, Cre8Play’s innovative shipping-crate design for a custom playground won out. We look forward to seeing what next year’s show floor will bring!
Danielle Taylor is the Senior Editor of Parks & Recreation Magazine.