Become a WRPA Speaker for the 2025 Annual Conference
Thank you for your interest in becoming a speaker for the Washington Recreation & Park Association 2025 Annual Conference happening May 13-16, 2025 at Three Rivers Convention Center | Kennewick, WA.
Please note: You have to log in first to submit your proposals.
Submission window closed.
If your session is selected, detailed information will be requested to ensure that WRPA can approve your session for Continuing Education Units (CEUs).
Questions regarding your submission should be directed to the WRPA Office.
The goal of WRPA is to fulfill the educational needs of our diverse audience by providing a selection of relevant topics addressed by top-notch presenters. WRPA event attendees represent a broad spectrum of professionals from entry-level employees to executive-level Administrators.
WRPA members represent a wide variety of professional disciplines including, but not limited to: recreation programming, park maintenance, park planning, golf course management, administration, marketing/public relations, facility management, aquatics, athletics, youth/teen services, special events, capital project management, and public land management.
WRPA members come from a variety of communities and programs, so their perspectives and challenges vary greatly. The audience also reflects a range of experience levels, from longtime WRPA members to people who are just starting to investigate the park and recreation profession.
Session proposals that are relevant to a cross-section of members are more likely to be selected.
Selection Criteria
WRPA seeks to fulfill the educational needs of our diverse audience by creating a balanced program that is comprehensive and reflects a multitude of perspectives. We will select sessions based on the following criteria:
The overall quality of the proposal, including the completeness of the application
Focused and well-defined topic
Relevance to the park and recreation profession
Practical application of the material
Presentation skill(s) and experience of the proposed speaker(s)
Applicability to a statewide audience
Commercial/Promotional Presentations
Presenters/speakers may NOT sell, raffle, or otherwise promote a product, service, or organization in which they have a financial interest.
Speaker Agreement
If your proposed education session is selected, the lead presenter will be required to sign a Speaker Agreement that may include the following general information.
Getting Started
Before starting your proposal, we suggest you review the list of content below that is requested in our speaker application form.
Thank you for your interest in becoming a speaker for the Washington Recreation & Park Association. The information requested in the following Session Proposal form is necessary to ensure the Conference Education Committee (CEC) has the information needed to review and evaluate your proposal. If your session is selected, detailed information is also needed to ensure that WRPA can approve your session for Continuing Education Units (CEUs). WRPA offers trainings year-round and your session proposal may be considered for a variety of training programs.
Speaker Proposal Form Outline
We recommend collecting all of the following information in preparation for submitting your proposal.
Proposals are ONLY for the 2025 Annual Conference & Trade Show from May 13-16, 2025 in Kennewick, WA. Speaker requests for proposals for other WRPA events will be released as the various events are planned. If you are interested in applying to be a Keynote speaker, please apply through the 2025 WRPA Keynote Proposal form instead. Professional speakers, this conference has a very limited speaker budget and the selection committee prioritizes no-cost session proposals. We are not accepting any proposals over $1,500.
Name of the Conference Education Committee (CEC) member you have been working with (if applicable)
How Sessions are Scored
The Conference Education Committee is made up of approximately 20 volunteer WRPA members who work to recruit, solicit, evaluate, and select sessions for the Annual Conference. These members use a scoring rubric system to support consistent evaluation of all proposals. The scoring rubric consists of six areas:
Quality of Submission
Learning Objectives
Originality & Relevance
Speaker Qualifications
Inclusivity & Diversity
These areas are defined here(pending link from committee).
Session Information
This information will be used by the selection committee during the proposal review process, and will also be used in promotional materials, such as flyers, brochures, programs, etc. Please be clear and concise. Please also be creative! (Please limit to 300 words).
Session Title (Please limit your session title to 10 words or less)
Session Description (300 words maximum)
EXAMPLE: A shortage of funding and diminishing subsidies is the reality that many agencies are facing, yet the demand for parks and recreation services continues to climb. Sustaining programs and operations is a balancing act, but it's also an opportunity to engage a new business philosophy...entrepreneurialism! The speaker will share his experience working for two of the largest counties and transforming a subsidized operation into a successful entrepreneurial operation. Learn the keys to partnering with retailers, vendors and major corporations while still preserving the integrity of your parks system.
Learning Objectives: Learning outcomes or objectives are statements that specify what learners will know or be able to do as a result of attending the session. Outcomes are usually expressed as knowledge, skills, or attitudes. They help to:
Focus on learner's behavior that is to be changed
Serve as guidelines for content, instruction, and evaluation
Identify specifically what should be learned
Convey to learners exactly what is to be accomplished
Since the learner's performance should be observable and measurable, the verb chosen for each outcome statement should be an action verb which results in overt behavior that can be observed and measured. Sample action verbs are: compile, create, plan, revise, analyze, design, select, utilize, apply, demonstrate, prepare, use, compute, discuss, explain, predict, assess, compare, rate, and critique.
EXAMPLE: The participant will be able to identify and understand various entrepreneurial strategies available to public sector agencies
Session Type
An educational session (1.25 hours, 40-100 audience members)
Has this session been previously presented at a WRPA training?
Presenter Details
You can have up to three presenters total and all of the following information must be provided for each.
Presenter Name (optional)
Job Title
Company
Email
Phone Number
Presenter Bio (100 words maximum)
Optional Demographic Information
Presenters speaking experience includes:
Professional Speaker/Trainer
Does your presentation require multiple presenters?
Equity Level: Select the level of knowledge your audience should have around Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging to be full participants in your session.
Beginner: These sessions are for individuals who have little knowledge or are just beginning to learn about diversity, equity, inclusion, and cross-culture issues whether personally or professionally. They will introduce and stress fundamental concepts and approaches, offering participants time to work for understanding in a supportive environment.
Intermediate: These sessions are for individuals who have a working knowledge of diversity, equity, inclusion, and cross-cultural issues, and have begun exploring the concepts of privilege and anti-racism. These sessions stress the interconnection between fundamental concepts and new knowledge, techniques, methodologies, and skills. Individuals who are looking to explore what to do and how to apply their new knowledge and skills are the target audience for intermediate workshops.
Session Basics
Session Time Preference (Conference Education sessions will occur Wednesday, May 14 and Thursday, May 15, 2025 at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick, WA, please select the day and time of day that you prefer to present during.)
Wednesday Morning
Wednesday Afternoon
Thursday Morning
Thursday Afternoon
Does not matter
We are seeking in-person presentations, however we may be able to offer a limited number of hybrid presenters:
I can attend and present in person
I can ONLY present virtually (We may be able to offer a limited number of hybrid presenters)
I can present in either format
Do you give WRPA permission to record your session?
Yes
No
Option to provide additional information for consideration by the selection committee.
Conference Room Set-up Requirements
Rooms are typically set up theater or classroom style for 40 to 100 people, depending on room size. Rooms are set standard with a screen and projector, a podium with one wired microphone, and an HDMI connection for laptops. Please tell us more about what you may need for your session to run smoothly.
Every effort will be made to accommodate speaker requests, but may be limited due to budget or availability of equipment. Speakers are required to bring their own PC compatible laptops and projector remotes as they will not be provided.
Room Needs
Lectern
Microphone (wireless mics available for keynote only)
Internet Access
Audio patch to play computer audio
Other
None of the above
Laptop Policy Agreement- Speakers are required to bring their own compatible laptop or tablet etc. with an HDMI port and projector remotes as they will not be provided.
Commercial/Promotional Presentations Policy - Presenters/speakers may NOT sell, raffle or otherwise promote a product, service or organization in which they have a financial interest.
Honorariums & Travel Reimbursements:
WRPA works with a small budget to pay for speaker honorariums.
Please Note: Any proposal with a speaker who requires an honorarium will be reviewed separately from the other proposals and be held to different selection criteria based on budgetary and programmatic needs. If fees are not requested via this proposal form, it is assumed they will not be required or requested at a later date.
Please note, WRPA has the right to modify content, including session descriptions for marketing purposes.
Speaker Agreement
If your proposed education session is selected, the lead presenter will be required to sign a Speaker Agreement that includes the following general information:
I understand the following:
WRPA has the right to modify content, including session titles and session descriptions, for marketing purposes.
I may use the handout materials, presentation, visual aids and any other material prepared by me for the above mentioned presentation in any manner I desire, including publication.
Papers and illustrations will not be returned to me by WRPA.
In consideration of my acceptance to speak, I hereby grant to WRPA the right to:
Record, copy, and transcribe my presentation, including oral, written, and visual materials and to compile my presentation with other presentations as part of the event educational materials.
Redistribute my presentation and handout materials in any form or format including paper and electronic formats to any audience.
Take still photographs during my presentation that may be used for WRPA publicity or publications in any form or format including paper and electronic formats.
This release applies only to my presentation and materials and in no way limits my own use of my own materials. Any copyright of my presentation and materials shall continue to be my property or that of any other party. My presentation will not infringe any copyright or include any material that is libelous, scandalous, or an invasion of privacy.
The goal of WRPA is to fulfill the educational needs of our diverse audience by providing a selection of relevant topics addressed by top-notch presenters. WRPA event attendees represent a broad spectrum of professionals from entry-level employees to executive-level Administrators.
WRPA seeks to fulfill the educational needs of our diverse audience by creating a balanced program that is comprehensive and reflects a multitude of perspectives. We will select sessions based on the following criteria: