2024 PRPS Programming Summit

Registration Deadline: November 4!

Fees: $100/Member; $125/Non-member
Fee includes full day of education, lunch and .5 CEUs!

Please note, you must bring a photo ID to enter the building due to PSECU Security Protocol. 

Location: PSECU Headquarters 
                   1500 Elmerton Ave.
                   Harrisburg, PA17110

Join us for the PRPS Programming Summit, where we will explore transformative strategies for community engagement and program development from nationally recognized speaker Chris Nunes. Chris will share his experiences, tips, and tricks for impactful program design, maximizing potential, and masterful event management.

This event is perfect for program managers and directors, activity staff, event managers, directors of parks and recreation, and anyone who is interested in elevating their programming.

Agenda
9:00 am        Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes
Parks and Recreation agencies that do not adapt are in for challenging times including the loss of participation, revenue and value to a community. The more rapid the pace of change, the more dire the consequences of sticking to old processes, procedures and programs.  Key strategies rooted in innovation and creativity need to be used to ensure changes are made.  The goal of this session is for the professional to develop strategies on how to facilitate change through innovation.
10:15 amCreating Relevant and Meaningful Programs 
Creating recreation programming that is relevant and meaningful is an art and science. There are proven techniques that are used to design, stage, evaluate, and manage recreation programs. This blended with the programmer’s experience and knowledge of the community can make programs truly come alive.  The goal of this session is to help organize and assess the development of a comprehensive community recreation program model including identifying core services, strengths and weaknesses.  Assess core services through matrices of benefits, directed, self-directed, age group and skill level. 
11:30 amLunch (provided by PRPS)
12:30 pmCreating Relevant and Meaningful Programs (continued)
2:00 pm Special Events: The Dos, The Don’ts, and the Maybes 
Special events have a positive and negative impact on our community, but the positives can be maximized while the negative attributes can be minimized. The goal of this session is for attendees to develop approaches to manage 3rd-party and in-house events. 
3:15 pm         Wrap-Up and Depart

Presenter Bio:
Chris Nunes, CPRE is the Director of Parks and Recreation for The Woodlands Township in The Woodlands, Texas. In that position, a $50+ million operational budget and is accountable for the management of 151 parks, 14 swimming pools, 220 miles of pathways, 200 miles of streetscape, a park/ride system, a circulator trolley system, and covenant administration. While in The Woodlands, he has implemented cost recovery strategies, developed business/operational plans for major and minor facilities, and has increased programming.

He speaks around the country (over 480+ times) on topics including business plans, contracting, creative programming, marketing, external funding, communication, leadership and succession planning. In 2012, Chris was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Parks and Recreation Administrators and in 2015 he received the National Distinguished Professional Award from NRPA and in 2016-2017 he was the President of the American Academy of Parks and Recreation Administrators and in 2019 The Woodlands Township was recognized by NRPA by winning the Gold Medal Grand Plaque Award for excellence in parks and recreation management. 

Chris also serves on the GreenPlay Red National Operating Board. Chris holds a bachelor’s degree in Recreation Management and a master’s degree in Sports Management from Springfield College in Massachusetts and a Doctorate in Parks and Recreation Administration from the University of New Mexico.

Cancellation and Refund Policy
PRPS will refund your registration, less a $25 processing fee, if your cancellation is received in writing at least 10 business days prior to the event. No refunds/credits will be given for cancellations occurring less than 10 business days prior to an event. Substitute attendees are welcomed in lieu of cancellations; please contact the PRPS office to arrange this.

To register:
1: Sign in or create a new account. 
2: Select registration option
3: Add session selections to your itinerary under "Program"
4: Proceed to checkout to complete transaction