Lowell Catlett, keynote speaker
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NRPA Congress 2012, to be held in Anaheim, Calif., at the Anaheim Convention Center from October 16 to 18 offers powerful training topics, such as innovative business practices, how to navigate politics in local government and how to create programs and services that serve your community.
Attendees will have access to more than 200 educational opportunities, more than 300 suppliers on the trade show floor and innovative networking events.
The opening reception will take place at the “Happiest Place on Earth – Disneyland Park. Those who attend the reception will have two hours to enjoy the entire park, followed by private reception complete with hors d’ oeuvres, desserts, drinks and entertainment.
The opening general session sets the tone for the 2012 Congress and Exposition, and this year’s session is sure to inspire in many ways. The keynote speaker is Dr. Lowell Catlett, a renowned economist and the Dean of the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at New Mexico State University. He is known for his exciting, thought-provoking and highly entertaining presentations.
During his address he will touch on the current state of the economy and the implications of technology and environmental trends on the parks and recreation future. Unfortunately, actor and environmentalist Adrian Grenier isn’t able to appear due to film commitments that require him to be overseas.
“During the general session, the much anticipated 2012 Gold Medal awards will be announced, including a new category for armed forces recreation communities, and we’ll be announcing some very exciting initiatives around conservation and the environment that aim to advance the park and recreation field,” said Lauren Hoffmann, senior public relations and communications manager for the National Recreation and Park Association.
The NRPA Congress and Exposition provides hundreds of education and learning opportunities through interest areas specifically tailored to help you get over any challenges you may face within the parks and recreation field.
You can maximize your experience by accessing the session presentations and handout materials before, during, and after Congress. In an effort to go green, printed handouts will not be provided during the education sessions, but you will have online access to the materials in NRPA’s online library. (www.nrpa.org/congress2012/education)
You can also attend several pre-conference workshops. For example, “Awesome Apps and Cool Tools” will introduce you to dozens of free tools, applications and programs guaranteed to help you improve everything from graphic designs and presentations to productivity and marketing. At the helm of this workshop will be Jodi Rudick with Advisors Marketing Group.
“Benchmarking: A Powerful Tool for Decision-Making” will give you the opportunity to learn how to use comparative information from citizen surveys and agency-to-agency surveys in short- and long-range decision-making. Review examples from benchmarking of services in over 100 different service areas, including case statements from agencies on how they used benchmarking information to build board and community support, build consensus, and develop performance measurements. The workshop will be conducted by Ron Vine with Leisure Vision.
The NRPA Career Center will be open during exhibit hall hours. Students looking for a career in the park and rec industry, young professionals wanting to further their careers, seasoned professionals looking for a new challenge and park and rec agencies recruiting new staff or interns will all find great resources in the career center. Employment openings will be posted, and it also provides development counseling and private student/professional interviews.
After Congress, don’t miss a single session. Hear about every topic that peaks your interest even if you don’t attend them all in Anaheim. The full session content (PowerPoint synchronized with the audio recordings), will be available after Congress in the 2012 Congress Resource Center in NRPA Connect (included with all full, education, student, and retired registration packages). NRPA is proud to make access to Congress session materials easier and greener.
For information about registration, call 888.385.8010, or email nrpa@wyndhamjade.com. |
