Join us for an exclusive offsite tour of the Shivwits Soccer Fields Project, a groundbreaking collaboration between the Utah Youth Soccer Association (UYSA) and the Schivwits Band of Paiutes. Explore the 19-acre complex, featuring four state-of-the-art soccer fields and learn how this initiative is enhancing local youth sports infrastructure and fostering community engagement. Discover the project’s impact on regional development and its role in promoting cultural understanding. The tour departs the Conference Center at 7:30 AM and returns at 10:00 AM – don’t miss this unique opportunity to witness a legacy in the making!
Great leaders inspire, empower, and build trust. This session covers eight key attributes to strengthen relationships, drive positive outcomes, and turn leadership challenges into opportunities. Participants will complete a self-assessment, identify areas for growth, and set goals.
This interactive session will discuss how intentional strategies to build culture within your organization will make positive impacts on your team members and ultimately the services you deliver to your community. The development of a healthy team does not happen without intention and this session will provide professionals with practical strategies to build or maintain their current team culture.
This session will explore ways to help emergency situations before they arrive. Prevention is the best tool to keep seniors safe in your facility. Come learn more about prevention and response when emergencies happen.
Knowing how to present to your community matters. Messages and visuals that ignite brains, create suspense, and draws your audience into your universe is what we all desire. In this session, learn how to engage audiences. Additionally, we’ll go over a few body language does and don’ts.
This presentation will provide the foundation and key considerations for new and retrofit LED sports lighting. It will focus on the field types most encountered in the municipal, K-12 and collegiate markets. We’ll walk through the steps of a retrofit project starting with understanding legacy HID systems and infrastructure. We’ll then discuss design strategies for new LED fixtures and controls. Lastly, the presentation will explore where the future of LED sports lighting is headed.
Discover how partnerships can unlock resources, expand outreach, and create transformative opportunities for young athletes with disabilities. This dynamic presentation will share inspiring success stories and innovative strategies for building adaptive sports programs that truly make a difference. You'll also explore best practices in adaptive youth sports, offering recreation professionals practical tools to launch or enhance inclusive initiatives in their communities. Whether you're an experienced professional or just beginning your journey in adaptive sports, this session will empower you to foster collaborations that champion inclusivity and impact young lives.
Come learn about different adaptive programs happening throughout the state. In this short presentation and Q&A style session discover things you can implement at your facility to serve ALL members of your community! We will also cover resources available to aide in starting and running adaptive aquatic programs!
Patron complaints can be seen as something negative, but they are actually an opportunity to get better and build loyalty. In this session will discuss the proper strategic ways to handle complaints with professionalism, empathy and efficiency.
Fresh out of trip ideas at your senior center? Ideas are exactly what we’d like to give you! This session covers essential tips and strategies for planning enjoyable for senior citizens. Specific ideas and details will be offered, allowing you to return home and plan a trip for your own center knowing some of the leg work is already done!
This course provides an overview of the city's budgeting process, including key principles, timelines, and stakeholder roles. Participants will also explore the Truth-in-Taxation process, focusing on how tax rates are determined, public transparency requirements, and their impact on city revenues.
This presentation will outline a comprehensive strategy for managing and replacing park amenities as part of a long-term asset replacement program. It will focus on the importance of maintaining sustainable, safe, and high-quality park facilities for public use. Key topics will include assessing the current condition of park amenities, prioritizing replacements based on usage and wear, budgeting for long-term maintenance, and planning for future needs. Attendees will gain insights into best practices for extending the lifespan of park assets, as well as strategies for securing funding and resources to ensure the continued enjoyment of park spaces for future generations.
Orem city transformed a shuttered elementary school and its adjacent grounds into an iconic community facility with a focus on programming, tournaments and active play. Come discuss the lessons we learned and how you can look at non-traditional spaces to expand your parks, facilities and programs.
Conversations can be hard. Knowing how to be in the conversation, hear what’s being said and have a successful outcome takes skill. A skill that can be taught. Good news, once you learn it, you’ve got it for life! Come join for an hour on a topic that changes everything – for the good!
We will discuss various techniques to train employees in preparation for youth sports programs. We will also present some ideas for staff incentives and retention.
Have you struggled to start and maintain a successful youth council? In this session you will hear from two seasoned youth council advisors who will share their experiences, resources and failures in having a successful youth council.
This session will focus mostly on turf aeration, going over how often, when to aerate, what type of aerators to use, and other pro tips. We will also briefly talk about the importance of proper soil prep for tree planting and how to correct soil compaction affecting mature trees.
Are you looking for a way to change up how you run swimming lessons? Come listen to how different facilities have adapted to changing times, needs and technology. Gather ideas of different lesson formats, organizations and styles of teaching!
Discover Andi Veenker’s proven method for hosting unforgettable fitness events that draw 200+ attendees and elevate your program. From High Fitness to Aqua Zumba, learn strategies to market, plan, and execute events that build community, boost participation, and keep people coming back for more!
This session explores the strategies and practices for fostering collaboration between senior centers and local recreation departments. It is designed for recreation professionals, and senior center coordinators who are looking to strengthen community engagement and improve services for older adults
Leading ethically requires living your core values. This session will help you identify core values, and explore how they shape your leadership and impact team culture. Through reflection and practical exercises, participants will gain insight into how values-driven leadership fosters trust, inspires teams, and aligns with organizational goals.
In a world where screentime has replaced traditional play, recreation helps youth escape screens and experience the real world. Discover how quality park design introduces healthy risk to help kids strengthen their mental and physical health, develop problem solving skills, build resilience and understand their own capabilities - all through play!
Does your organization have an unused or unappreciated amenity and you want to change that perception? Utah Lake is often viewed as the epitome of this problem; any local can list off multiple negative things they've heard about Utah Lake. Join me to discuss how to tackle this issue. We will discuss four methods, used together, that can bring new and positive attention to your amenity: Improvements, Usage, Collaboration and Education. By attending this session, you will learn how to: plan unique uses of amenities to increase use and draw attention, collaborate with partners and the public to achieve your goals and educate yourself and others in a way that improves opinions and perceptions. Come learn together how to tackle these challenges!
Ever wonder how a single professional connection can transform your approach to Parks and Recreation? In this interactive session, we’ll explore the power of impactful relationships—how they elevate projects, strengthen community ties, and foster citywide support.
The nitty gritty of creating successful programs. Learn how to create a Program Analysis for budgeting, create a Program Checklist, understand statewide data trends, and how to use these resources and your leadership skills to champion your programs.
In 2025 and 2026, Utahns will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. America250 Utah aims to partner with municipalities to create engaging opportunities to celebrate local events and everyday Americans.
Understanding how trees grow and function is essential for parks and recreation professionals tasked with maintaining healthy green spaces. This session will dive into the inner workings of trees, from nutrient transport and root systems to photosynthesis and growth cycles. Learn practical insights to help you care for these vital assets in your parks and ensure their longevity and impact on your community!
Proceeds support the URPA scholarship program! Pay for your auction items through AffiniPay: https://secure.affinipay.com/pages/utah-recreation-and-parks-association/payments?qr_used=true
Join this fast-paced Pecha Kucha (Get to the Point) session featuring multiple presenters who will each have 6 minutes and 40 seconds to highlight unique aquatic events and programs from around the state. Save your questions for the end as we follow up the presentations with a Q & A period.
Join this fast-paced Pecha Kucha (Get to the Point) session featuring multiple presenters who will each have 6 minutes and 40 seconds to highlight facility management topics from around the state. Save your questions for the end as we follow up the presentations with a Q & A period.
Join this fast-paced Pecha Kucha (Get to the Point) session featuring multiple presenters who will each have 6 minutes and 40 seconds to highlight unique senior programs and health and wellness programming ideas from around the state. Save your questions for the end as we follow up the presentations with a Q & A period.
Join this fast-paced Pecha Kucha (Get to the Point) session featuring multiple presenters who will each have 6 minutes and 40 seconds to highlight unique parks, playgrounds and facilities from around the state. Save your questions for the end as we follow up the presentations with a Q & A period.
Join this fast-paced Pecha Kucha (Get to the Point) session featuring multiple presenters who will each have 6 minutes and 40 seconds to highlight unique youth sports programs from around the state. Save your questions for the end as we follow up the presentations with a Q & A period.
Join this fast-paced Pecha Kucha (Get to the Point) session featuring multiple presenters who will each have 6 minutes and 40 seconds to highlight unique special events and city celebration programs from around the state. Save your questions for the end as we follow up the presentations with a Q & A period.
Join this fast-paced Pecha Kucha (Get to the Point) session featuring multiple presenters who will each have 6 minutes and 40 seconds to highlight different training opportunities to obtain CEU’s and other Field Maintenance training opportunities. Save your questions for the end as we follow up the presentations with a Q & A period.
