September 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 59

2014 Congress: Living to Learn
By Samantha Bartram

ducation is a cornerstone of NRPA Congress. Each year, we strive to
provide our members and guests with cutting-edge, informative sessions
that inspire and help advance our members' careers. This year, we've
packed hundreds of educational sessions, lectures, Off-Site Institutes, Pre-Congress Workshops and interactive learning opportunities into the three-day affair,
slated for October 14-16 in Charlotte, North Carolina. There are also a number
of new educational initiatives this year, like our fun and less-formal Learning
Lab/Learning Playground and Glass Room Sessions, designed to get our members up and active, both mentally and physically. Here, we highlight a handful
of opportunities to learn and connect with other professionals in our industry.

EDUCATION SESSIONS
When Good Animals
Go Bad - What to Do?
Almost every park manager, natural resource specialist, homeowner
or business has experienced conflicts
with nuisance wildlife. This presentation will pass along some pointers and
tips on how to address some of the
more common nuisance wildlife problems you may encounter. Attendees
will get sound advice on what to do
or where to turn for help the next time
you find a bat flying around in your
nature center or a beaver cutting down
those prized 15-year-old magnolias.
Presenters: Jon Heisterberg, U.S.
Dept. of Agriculture, APHIS Wildlife Services; Scott McNeely, McNeely Pest Control Inc.
Time and date: 8:45-10 a.m.
Wednesday, October 15

LEARNING LAB/LEARNING
PLAYGROUND SESSIONS
Whirlwind Games for BIG
Kids and LITTLE Kids Alike!
Are you ever stuck with the task of
brainstorming a game, ice breaker,
team-building initiative or simple

Parks & Recreation

activity idea? This interactive presentation and workshop will introduce
participants to a whole host of activities appropriate for widely varied
groups.
Presenter: Dr. Paul S. Wright, Lindenwood University
Time and date: Playground Session, 1-2:15 p.m. Tuesday, October
14; Learning Lab appearance 10:15-
10:45 a.m. Wednesday, October 15

SPEED SESSIONS
Camera Tricks for Cellphones

Award-winning photographer John
R. Johnson takes a closer look at the
lowly cellphone and how you can
produce quality images from this " everybody's got one " camera. This was
NRPA's most highly rated and highly attended session of 2013, reprised
here for 2014! You can also catch
Johnson in Learning Lab 1, held
1:30-2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, and
during the Brand+Aid Marketing Institute, where he is a featured speaker.
Presenter: John Johnson, J2 Golf
Marketing/GolfPhotos.com
Session Info: 11:30 a.m.-12 noon
Wednesday, October 15

GLASS ROOM SESSIONS
The Glass Room Sessions are intended to attract directors and upper-level professionals who want to discuss
cutting-edge issues and topics with
their peers and learn how others are
dealing with similar challenges they
are facing. The six Glass Room Ses-

Brand+Aid Marketing Institute
Are you ready to take your brand to the next level? Effectively engaging the customers
we serve is crucial to the success and future of individual agencies and our industry as
a whole; however, methods of marketing are evolving faster than most agencies can
manage. The Brand+Aid Marketing Institute will give attendees the knowledge needed to expand an agency's branding and marketing in a progressive and purposeful
manner. Experts from both the public and private sectors will share how to develop
strategies that work, increase citizen advocacy, develop highly targeted advertising
campaigns and more effectively utilize both print and digital advertising media.
Presenters: Ryan Hegreness, Gary Packan, Dennis Yu, Alex Houg, Eric Jontra, Julie
Vogl and others
Time and date: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, October 13
Other details: Pre-registration for this module is required, but Congress registration
is not necessary to attend. Lunch will be provided and participants can earn .6 CEUs.

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September 2014 - Parks & Recreation

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