July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 48

CONFERENCE
2023
ANNUAL
Using Your Influence: Justifying
Your Trip to Conference
E
The learning
opportunities
available at the
NRPA Annual
Conference not
only benefit
you, but also
benefit your
agency overall.
ach 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.
48 Parks & Recreation | JULY 2 0 2 3
| PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
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,
visit conference.nrpa.org/
Volunteer.
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 postconference
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 commudepends
on professionals
nities
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, visit
conference.nrpa.org.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CAUGHT IN THE MOMENT PHOTOGRAPHY
http://conference.nrpa.org/Volunteer http://conference.nrpa.org/Volunteer http://conference.nrpa.org
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation

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