Moving from Best Practice to Next Practice

Speaker: Neelay Bhatt

Is your agency prepared for what’s next? Transform your organization by motivating learning to identify and proactively prepare, and even create trends. Learn how to better understand your community’s needs through inclusion, innovation, and information. Refuse to settle for status quo, learn from failure and become curious. Neelay Bhatt is one of the most prolific and knowledgeable thought leaders in parks and recreation today.

Leader as Coach: Getting Great Results When You Aren't Around

Speaker: Dean Heffta

High-performance teams require people closest to the problems to make fast and effective decisions. Developing this capability requires a shift from traditional “command & control” management styles to that of a “coaching leader.” This session introduces the fundamentals of coaching to help every person, regardless of their position, apply new skills to grow their influence and effectiveness in a team setting

Creating a Customer Care Plan

Speaker: Jodi Rudick

Is the customer always right? Not exactly, but it is 10 times more expensive to bring in a brand-new customer than it is to keep one you already have! Using the Make and Take Customer Retention Plan, you will learn ready-to-use tactics and templates to increase customer value, participation, and profits. By exploring “old-school” and high-tech tools – you’ll learn how to transform casual (even disgruntled) customers into raving fans and a powerful secret sales force.

Proactive vs. Reactive Problem-Solving: Making the Most of Change 

Speaker: Lydie Gutfeld

Dealing with transition and change can be difficult. Figuring out how to focus on the transition while understanding the fear of change can create a unity amongst your team. Supervisors, managers, and department heads have been faced with the difficulty of maintaining staff levels and defining new roles with constant change and transition. Work through key steps based on the bestselling book, Managing Transitions you’ll develop step for a successful journey and a better understanding how to lead your team through the next big transition!

Intersectionality: Exploring the Impact of Overlapping Identities and Experiences

Speaker: Tracey Crawford

What exactly is intersectionality and how does
it impact your self-perception and how you
relate to others? Learn how your
intersectionality affects who you are and how
you are valued in society today. The concept of
Intersectionality was originally coined by Dr.
Kimberlé Crenshaw to show how multiple
forms of diversity segments can be
compounded and create barriers for, especially
marginalized groups of people.

Recruitment and Retention: Today and Tomorrow's Challenge

Speaker: Chris Nunes

In the post pandemic world recruitment and
retention for all employees (seasonal, part time
and full time) has become a huge challenge for
parks and recreation professionals. This
session will explore several methods in which
to find applicants, develop a streamline
approach to interviewing and establishing a
culture to retain high quality employees.

Professionalism and Why It Matters

Speaker: Lori Hoffner

New and emerging leaders quickly learn that
when you have the reputation as a true
professional, you will always be in demand. As
a valued and respected professional in your
industry, you will not only be popular with
others, but you will also develop a high sense
of purpose and self-worth. Achieving and
maintaining that kind of professionalism takes
intentional effort and dedication. In this
session, we’ll discuss the steps you can take
using successful staff communication, strong
organizational skills and mindful leadership.
You will also learn the powerful role that
emotional intelligence has for professionals
creating an environment of inclusion,
cooperation, and a sense of purpose for
others.

Social Media Trends for 2023 

Speaker: Aamir Munshi

Internationally acclaimed marketing strategist
Aamir Munshi joins us again to bring us the
latest from the world of social media. While it
might feel more challenging than ever to stay
on top of ideas, trends and platforms, Aamir
will help us navigate and prioritize the latest
tips and tricks to make your social media
strategy more effective. Using real examples of
best practices and could use some
improvement case histories, we’ll focus on
applications critical to today’s marketing and
communication success. You’ll learn how to
better leverage your current media and explore
others that may be right for you and your
agency. Whether you are directly responsible
for marketing your programs, services and
facilities or influence these decisions, you’ll gain
insight, ideas, and see real-time examples to
enhance your outreach.

Generational Strengths and a New Kind of Diversity  

Speaker: Marie Knight

No one could have imagined that there would
be a time when four and even five generations
would be sharing the same workplace.
Further, parks and recreation agencies have
the challenge of serving a public that literally
consists of both newborns and centenarians.
This unique diversity and perspective offers
challenges, as well as excellent opportunities. You’ll learn how to better communicate, motivate, and collaborate across generational divides by building bridges rather than walls. Based on the work of Tim Elmore’s book, “A New Kind of Diversity,” this session will focus on
generational distinctions and similarities.

Researching What Matters

Speaker: Teresa Penbrooke

How can you measure the outcomes and
benefits of what you do? Learn how to take
advantage of tools and research to add value
and credibility to your agency’s perception and
brand. From economic impacts to service
assessments, this webinar shares tools and
techniques to gather data, you need to better
tell your story.

The Stewardship Approach

Speaker: André Pichly

Often there is a chasm or even opposition
between parks AND recreation goals, roles,
and responsibilities. However, effectively
managing and maintaining your agency’s
parks, facilities, spaces, and places is
everyone’s job. Learn how to train recreation
staff, volunteers and even customers to
become part of the facilities team. Creating a
sense of ownership and stewardship is a
cultural shift that can save your agency time,
money, and resources in the new year.