conference speaker information

Conference Overview

The APRA Annual Conference is the only annual meeting of the parks and recreation community in the state of Arizona, is held annually and brings together parks, recreation, conservation, and open space professionals, students and those with business interests. The conference is the premier opportunity in the state for this passionate community to come together to communicate and experience an inspirational and educational conference.

The conference includes various educational sessions covering a broad range of issues on a local, state and national level. We will host prominent speakers, a state-of-the-art related exhibit hall, informative and interactive workshops, socials, tournaments and much more.

Attendees

Attendees include parks, recreation and open space professionals, volunteers, board and commission members, government officials, managers, administrators, trails and park users, company/industry representatives, athletic directors, and anyone interested in our profession. Our conference draws 500+ attendees, 70+ booths in the exhibit hall, and nearly 70 volunteers. Know your audience!

APRA TEAMS

APRA has created TEAM(S) that best supports our member's unique job functions and personal interests. With active participation at its core, TEAMS can generate exciting new opportunities for engagement, professional development and industry collaboration. The purpose of our new TEAM format is to facilitate organized discussions of like professionals in the specific field of expertise.  

This year, APRA will select presenters who can speak to one or more of these TEAMS and will be set up on the schedule as a track. For a list of the fourteen APRA TEAMS and their purpose, click here


Speaker | Presenter Information

Conference sessions are meant to provide information for industry professionals, not to make a sales pitch for services or products. Attendees will be dissatisfied if they sense a presenter is providing promotional material for their own benefit.  

Conference attendees are often seeking CEU’s for certification purposes. APRA encourages all sessions to qualify for CEU’s. Continuing Education Units qualified speakers will be asked to provide their credentials, experience speaking on the subject, an outline of the presentation and method of ascertaining that attendees met the session learning outcomes. To comply with CEU standards, all speakers are required to submit these details with their session proposal form.

Who Should Consider Submitting Proposals? 

  • Park and recreation professionals, educators and students
  • Park and recreation vendors, contractors and related groups*
  • Speakers and educators aligned with APRA's mission 
  • Planners, landscape architects, public health administrators, city and county managers
  • Presenters should have experience speaking at state, regional or national conferences; schools; or seminars

Proposal Review


All education session proposals are reviewed by the Conference Program Committee. Sessions are assessed using the following criteria:


Originality: At the Annual Conference it is essential that we continue to present unique and exciting programs that reflect our dynamic community.

Relevance: APRA seeks sessions that are of great interest to prospective attendees and clearly benefit the professional needs of the designated audience.

Overall Quality: APRA is dedicated to ensuring that the learning programs at its Annual Conference meet the highest standards of excellence.

Submission Selections: The deadline to submit speaker submissions is March 1, 2024. After closing, the APRA program committee will review and rate all submissions. You can expect to hear back from the Chair in late April.


On-Site Education Sessions Room Set and Equipment

APRA will provide each room with a projector, screen and speakers. Presenters are required to bring their own laptop and required cords to connect to the projector and speakers if needed for video presentations and clickers. Please ensure you have the proper cords/adapter to connect your laptop to the provided AV equipment, there will not be any available on-site

We will set the rooms in a manner that will allow us to seat the maximum number of attendees, while providing a comfortable seating arrangement for participants. Rooms are set for all courses in that space for the day, so please do not plan on rearranging your room as it will affect other courses in the room that day. Each room will have a head table for your materials.

Wi-Fi Connections- the hotel charges a PER CONNECTION fee to APRA. In the speaker form you will be asked if a Wi-Fi connection is required. APRA will cover the $50 per connection fee, but we ask that you only request a connection if you require it for the presentation.  

Be sure to check in at the Speaker Registration desk a minimum of 30 minutes prior to your scheduled session time. 

Requirements

Presenters are required to submit the form complete with all information requested before proposal will be accepted.  Please ensure you have the proper cords/adapter to connect your laptop to the projector, there will not be any available on-site

Please read our PROPOSAL TIPS page 

Speaker | Presenter Registration

Each presenter is required to make all travel arrangements including hotel, flights and transportation. These fees must be included in the speaker compensation, APRA will do reimbursements of any sort. 

Lunch and conference attendance are not included as part of the speaker agreement. If you wish to attend sessions, eat lunch, participate in social activities or other conference related events, these items must be purchased in advance using the conference registration links before the closing date.

Conference presenters are eligible to receive a discount for a one-day education registration package, only available on the day of the session you are presenting. A special code can be obtained directly from the Education Chair. This registration is available for the speaker | presenter only and cannot be transferred. Registration is required before the registration deadline, on-site registrations will be available.

      Honorarium | Travel Reimbursement Policies

      APRA has a small budget to pay for speaker honorariums. If the presenter requires an honorarium, be sure to include that in your proposal, this fee should cover any costs you wish to have covered, including travel; APRA does not process reimbursements of any kind. The decision to approve a speaker will be made based on proposal quality, session needs and budget.

      Hotel Accommodations and Travel

      All travel arrangements are the responsibility of the speaker. APRA has secured a block of rooms at a special negotiated price for attendees, vendors, and speakers. To receive the discounted room rates, use the direct link to book located on the APRA website conference page. 

      Deadline to Submit 

      March 1, 2024

      (Submissions are now closed)

      *Commercial / Promotional Presentations

         Your presentation may NOT sell, raffle, or otherwise promote a product, service, or organization in which you have a financial interest.


      SUBMIT SESSION PROPOSAL 



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