Using Your Influence: Justifying Your Trip to Conference

June 22, 2023, Feature, by NRPA Staff

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Each year, NRPA provides its greatest learning and networking opportunity in the form of the NRPA Annual Conference — the nation’s largest convening of park and recreation professionals. However, we know that budgets can be tight, and it can be helpful to have information to justify the value of attending the NRPA Annual Conference. Here are a few key talking points to use when presenting your justification for attending to leadership.

Connect With Subject Matter Experts

The 2023 NRPA Annual Conference will boast hundreds of speakers who are subject matter experts within the field, as well as thousands of attendees. These individuals not only bring coveted information, but also years of experience and a deep passion for parks and recreation. By attending the conference, you will acquire new ideas and methods that can be implemented at your agency, and you’ll have the opportunity to make connections with people who can serve as sounding boards, mentors and more. By connecting with professionals across the country, you better position your agency to learn, grow, adapt and innovate.

Experience Comprehensive Education

With more than 200 sessions, you can find a learning opportunity on nearly any topic, from NRPA’s Three Pillars of Health and Wellness, Equity, and Conservation to advocacy, career development, customer service, marketing, operations, programming, revenue development and more. Whether you are a park and recreation director, a young professional, a student or a park and recreation advocate, there are myriad learning opportunities designed to boost your knowledge and leave you feeling inspired.

Additionally, education sessions provide the opportunity to earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs). By calculating the number of CEUs you stand to earn, you can quantify the value of the numerous learning opportunities for your leadership.

Battling Budgets

For many, the primary barrier to attending the NRPA Annual Conference is budget limitations. However, here are ways you can make your trip to the conference more affordable:

  • Act on early-bird registration. NRPA members automatically receive a discount on registration. By registering by the early-bird deadline — August 25 — you will save hundreds of dollars.
  • Take advantage of Premier Member perks. NRPA Premier Member agencies that purchase four full-package in-person registrations receive two virtual registration passes for free.
  • Become a conference volunteer. Attendees who volunteer to help with education sessions and conference events are eligible for a discount on registration. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, click here.

Share Your Ideas

The learning opportunities available at the NRPA Annual Conference not only benefit you, but also benefit your agency overall. When discussing your attendance at the event, offer to provide a post-conference presentation to your team, town council or others. Plan to highlight what you learned and tie your training to your organization’s mission, challenges, goals and strategic plans.

The well-being of our communities depends on professionals like you to continue to learn and innovate in order to lead us into a healthy, equitable and resilient future. The 2023 NRPA Annual Conference can help. For more information about the 2023 NRPA Annual Conference in Dallas, click here.