Midwest Conference 2013

Midwest Conference Keynote Focused on “Repositioning Parks & Recreation”  

April 11, 2013 —The 2013 Parks & Recreation Midwest Conference in Deadwood S.D., will feature Dr. John Crompton, distinguished professor of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences at Texas A&M University and well-known researcher and author, as the keynote and presenting speaker. This learning experience was made possible through the 2012-2013 State Association Speaker Scholarship program from Landscape Structures and its local playground consultant, Dakota Fence.

Dr. Crompton’s keynote will discuss repositioning parks and recreation. Throughout the past 40 years, the park and recreation field has passed through six different eras: product orientation, emphasis on sales, focus on user benefits, a shift to community benefits, identifying community priorities with which to align, and activation of those priorities. Although this evolution has been sequential, there are agencies at all of these stages, and the field’s future lies in aligning with community priorities and engaging in activities that contribute to alleviating them.