Northern New England Recreation & Parks Conference
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2019 Schedule at a Glance


MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2019

1:00p - 7:30p Pre-conference - Directors' Academy (Dinner Included)

The best opportunity to connect, grow, and find people with the answers to exactly what you are working on. We each run programs that are unique, but so much of what we do is reinvent the wheel when we don't need to. This is the best place on the planet to connect with folks doing the most similar job to and brainstorm together how each of us can get more done, make more impact, and do make things a little easier on ourselves. There will be great content, but more than that there will be great people. We will see you there.


TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2019

9:00a - 12:00p Pre-conference - Directors' Academy

11:00a - 5:00p Registration

12:00p - 1:00p Student Welcome Lunch
Students! Have lunch on us! The NNE conference committee invites all students to lunch! Make new connections! Learn about the conference and get your questions answered in a casual atmosphere with Recreational Professionals and some of our Exhibitors. This is free to any full time student registered for the conference. Make sure you check the student lunch box on the registration form.

1:00p - 2:15p Keynote
Scott Arizala: It's not what we do, it's how we do it!
Playing in the park, swimming in the pool, summer camp, and everything else we provide in the Recreation and Parks industry can be some of the most important experiences in the lives of children, families, and others in our greater communities. It is our leadership that help to foster those experiences. More than a collection of activities and green spaces, the power of the Recreation and Parks industry is a mix of what we do, how we do it, and who we do it with. Join Scott, for this fun, fast-paced, and inspirational look into how we as industry leaders can create and facilitate experiences that have a lasting positive impact on the people and communities we serve.

2:15p - 3:00p Visit with the Exhibitors

3:15p - 5:45p Institutes

John Eastman, Conway Recreation: Knockerball & Archery Tag
(please be sure to register separately for this off site activity)
We will bus everyone to play archery tag & knockerball at Knockerball North Conway. All participants in this offsite will also receive a promotional discount for your individual department.

Greg Frederick and Dennis Brolin: Athletic Field Construction, Protect Your Investment
When having a new field built educate yourself on the do’s and don’ts of construction. Don’t leave it up the installer. Understand the proper ways to build a field. Delegates will understand the entire process of field building. They will be able to successfully plan and help design what is best for their facility. Delegates will be able to demonstrate to their peers the importance of building field correctly the first time.

Steve McGuire: 25+ Takeaways that will make your programs better IMMEDIATELY!
This session will be a high energy, fun and engaging power session with Steve as he expands on all of his “Greatest Hits” and shares what great park and rec programs, as well as camps, do to make them amazing. Topics will include, but are not limited to… Customer Service, Apps, Program evaluation, Staff evaluation, programming ideas, communication, Staff training and everything else in between.

Jack Schott: Elevate Programming from Excellent to Unforgettable
Traditions at camp are important—but innovation is also crucial. The best camps maintain mission-driven practices and strive to improve by shedding stale customs. This session will give you tons of new ideas that you can implement this summer, plus essential methods for crafting new and inspiring program activities. From whale wrestling to make your own backpack, let us inspire your creativity with ideas and prompts that your staff can run this summer mostly using supplies you already have.

5:45p - 7:00p Exhibitor Social

7:00p - 8:00p Dinner

8:00p - 10:00p Entertainment

10:00p - 12:00a Networking & Drink Specials
 
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019

7:00a - 5:00p Registration
 
7:00a - 8:45a Breakfast
 
9:00a - 10:15a Session I

Polly Tobin Goddard, Sandbar Coaching and Consulting
Take the “Ack!” Out of Feedback: A Wholistic Approach
What if your feedback process at all levels became easier – maybe even enjoyable – for everyone involved? We will explore ways to focus interactions on growth and development to make it a more useful tool toward getting results and eliminate the temptation to avoid issues. Many people dislike or fear the feedback process so much that they avoid it as long as possible both as the giver and the receiver. Very few managers have been trained to manage the feedback process so that it becomes a positive interaction with employees rather than a negative one. All too often, because of these approaches, what started as a small problem is so large by the time they address it, it’s much more difficult to correct. This session focuses on preparing managers to address nugget-sized issues so they never grow into mountain-sized problems. 

Roz & Jed Training & Consulting
Activities in a Pinch
It starts to rain….or a specialist is absent…or your special event ends early…what do you do? Come learn some fun, easy, no-prop games that you can share with your staff and pull out of your back pocket when you are in a pinch.

Kerri Horne, Wellness Coordinator, HealthTrust
Volunteer Risk Management
Volunteers are used in many aspects of municipal recreation. Have you considered the risk that comes with those volunteers? Join us to discuss risk management for volunteers.

10:15a - 11:00a Visit with Exhibitors
 
11:15a - 12:30p Session II

Polly Tobin Goddard, Sandbar Coaching and Consulting
Leadership Journey Exploration: Develop Yourself, Develop Your Team
Leaders at all levels benefit from time to examine your current leadership style and presence to determine your direction and identify next steps. In this session we will actively explore the soft skills essential to advancing your leadership skills and how this will help you develop strong employees and teams. When daily functions leave little room to consider who you are as a leader (regardless of your title), it can be challenging to give it the attention it needs to grow. This session will help leaders reflect on their current leadership style and presence and identify ways to cultivate their skills while still remaining productive and engaged in their daily tasks. We will explore areas such as mindful leadership, self-awareness, and vulnerability.

Primex
Playground Safety & Inspections
Playground safety is a proactive program to help organizations identify and correct hazards present on playgrounds and therefore prevent injuries to students and staff. The program provides an overview of common playground injuries, so that staff understands the importance of appropriate surfacing material and safe play equipment. Emphasis is placed on providing appropriate supervision, and the importance of supervision is discussed.

Donna Kuethe, Moultonborough Recreation Director
Parks & Recreation: Who Are We?
Are we social service providers, government, a business? A little of each? How do we balance providing affordable services with the expectation of increasing revenue, and self-sufficiency?

12:30p - 1:30p Lunch
 
1:45p - 3:00p Session III

Chris Sullivan, Park Planner, City of Manchester, NH
The Fun of Park Planning
Parks planners are responsible for performing planning and landscape architectural work in the area of park planning. They must also research, analyze and interpret data related to park land use. Park planners may be involved in municipal, regional or national park planning.

Roz & Jed Buck, Roz & Jed Training and Consulting
We Get to Do This! Making a Difference for your Staff through Teamwork and Engagement
Research shows that employees join companies for jobs but leave companies because of bosses. As managers, keeping your employees motivated, engaged and working as an effective team is one of your most important responsibilities. This interactive session will focus on creating an atmosphere of positivity and enthusiasm at work. You will leave this session with new ways to inspire your staff and a collection of fun and impactful team building activities to share with the staff you supervise.

Aimee Gigandet, Recreation Director, Newmarket, NH
Improv(e) Your Public Speaking
Improv is to communication, as a Rec Processional is to working with children – it requires, listening, responding, focus, attention, and a whole lot of flexibility. In Recreation the ability to “roll with it” is an everyday thing. But for many of us, Public Speaking is feared more than death. That moment when we’re called unexpectedly to the podium at a community event or town council meeting and you have nothing prepared… so what do we do, that’s right, we improvise! Now whether we are comfortable during these situations or perhaps have had weeks to practice and prepare for a presentation, what matters is “how” we present. There is a there is a difference between just speaking the words out loud and speaking with a spark of confidence that engages people to listen. Just like in sports; there are skills to be taught.  A good public speaker often relies on basic improv skills that help nurture ones awareness of non-verbal communication, while developing concentration, mental agility, flexibility, confidence and empathy. This session is for you if you want to learn how to gain more confidence with public speaking, or you’re curious about improv, or you just want to spend an hour laughing with a fun group of Rec professionals.

Technology Innovation in Parks & Recreation
We will take a look at today's generation and explore their current trends and needs while addressing the overall goal of getting them outside enjoying your parks!
 
3:15p - 4:30p Session IV

LWCF - Past Present & Future: After All, "Perpetuity" is a Long Time!
If you have a LWCF project in your community, If you don't have a LWCF project in your town, If you don't know whether you do or don't….this session is for you. Come learn the basics of the LWCF program and you too can become an expert and maybe even learn some tricks to getting funding.

Create Raving Fans: Practical Tips to Deliver World-Class Customer Service
Making your customers raving fans can propel your business to new heights. This workshop will review the importance of super-serving customers and provide a series of practical actions and real-world examples that every staff member can easily use to consistently deliver world-class customer service.

Educate, Connect & Inspire
  • All three activities during the work shop will focus on the Discovery and Romance zones (stages) of development.
• The Revolution Academy is driven by three key pillars that guide’s our direction, philosophy, vision and defines our success: Educate, Connect and Inspire.
We will introduce, expand and share with the group why and how these three key words define what the Revolution Academy represents.
• Goals and objectives of all the activities is to create an environment that will encourage all participants to discover the magic of ball mastery while celebrating the romance of creativity, individuality, passion, vision.


5:00p NHRPA Meeting
 
5:30p - 6:30p Cocktail Hour
 
6:30p - 7:30p Dinner
 
7:30p - 9:30p Entertainment 

10:00p - 12:00a Networking & Drink Specials
 
THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019

8:00a - 9:00a Breakfast
 
9:00a - 10:15a Endnote
Bill Yeo, LLBean
Exploring the World by Foot, Cicycle and Skis
Bill Yeo will take you to some of the most remote regions on earth, from climbing Everest to mountain biking over 17,500’ in the Andes to skiing across Canada’s Baffin Island. Be prepared to be motivated to get out and explore more of this beautiful planet we call home.



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