Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals (formerly NARRP) P.O. Box 221 Marienville, PA 16239 P: 814-927-8212 F: 814-927-6659 Brenda@RecPro.org
. 2013 National Outdoor Recreation Conference and The IUFRO Conference on Forests for People
Park Place Hotel ♦ Traverse City, Michigan ♦ May 19-23, 2013
An exciting and unique joint forum.....
These two educational programs will be seamlessly blended, while still retaining the individual identity of the two host organizations. The conference will offer several plenary sessions and field workshops, along with separate concurrent sessions tailored to the themes of each conference. One registration and one fee will cover both sessions. Participants will have more opportunities to make a presentation and a wider variety of learning experiences.
“The conference was one of the best I have been to over the past 30 years. The variety of speakers and topics were amazing and energizing. I only regret that I have not been attending for the past few years.”
Steve Sherwood Director of Recreation, Heritage and Wilderness Resources, USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region
Final Program now Available - click here to download
Conference registration is open - click here to register
Conference Hosts
Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals (formerly NARRP) - www.RecPro.org
International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) - www.iufro.org
The National Outdoor Recreation Conference
The Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals is proud to be sponsoring the 2013 National Outdoor Recreation Conference. The theme of the conference is “A Bridge to Prosperity” that will highlight and showcase best practices and case studies on how the outdoor recreation profession (planning, management, research and policy) is a bridge, connector and catalyst for prosperity through tourism, jobs, health and wellness, education, environmental stewardship, and sustainable communities.The 2013 National Outdoor Recreation Conference reflects the 32 year evolution of the National Association of Recreation Resource Planners into the Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals (SORP). It is an exciting time for our profession and our new society. The inaugural SORP conference will:
Provide comprehensive and integrated learning sessions on outdoor recreation planning, management, research and policy.
Add a strong applied research component to complement its long-standing planning, management and policy sessions.
Kick-off the event with the National Outdoor Recreation Outlook Forum plenary session with distinguished guests who will share their insightful look into the future. Hosted by Michigan State University’s Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies.
Broaden its format to better utilize poster sessions and exhibitors to share best practices and new knowledge.
Lower the registration fee while providing an exceptional international program, field workshops, informal time to exchange ideas, quality breaks and luncheon, and special awards banquet at the Northwestern Michigan College’s Hagerty Center on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Showcase Michigan and its strong support for tourism and progressive outdoor recreation programs, highlighting special features such as Traverse City, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and Mackinac Island State Park.
The IUFRO Conference on Forests for People
The aim of this conference by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) is to build a systematic body of knowledge about “forests for people” and its various facets, including possible future trends and challenges. This conference aims to integrate knowledge from various disciplines inside and outside of forestry such as tourism, recreation, education, urban planning and many others.
The main themes of Forests for People are:
Livelihoods — issues of agro-forestry, food security, fuels, poverty alleviation, and human dislocation;
Health, Recreation and Tourism — issues of human health, recreation and nature-based tourism;
Urban and Rural Landscapes — issues of ecosystem services, economic benefit and development, spaces and places for living, urban forestry
Culture and Education — issues of perceptions of forests, spiritual character, education, historical tradition and practice, communication and governance.
Visa, MasterCard, Discover are accepted. Checks accepted from US addresses only. International Wire Transfers are available if you do not have a Visa or MasterCard. If paying by check or wire transfer, please register online and indicate on the payment page that you are paying by check.
Is someone else registering you? Download a paper form so they know your preferences.
Looking for help to justify attending the conference?
We realize budgets are tight and travel restrictions abound and so we’d like to help you make a strong case for attending the 2013 conference. Customize our sample justification letter to take the first step toward joining other outdoor recreation professionals at our 2013 conference in Traverse City. Click here to download the letter.
Registration Fees
Early Bird Rates: Register through May 1 $385 - Member, Full Conference (SORP and IUFRO members) $485 - Non-member, Full Conference $250 - Student, Full Conference $150 - One-day Registration
Registration after May 1 $485 - Member, Full Conference (SORP and IUFRO members) $585 - Non-member, Full Conference $250 - Student, Full Conference $150 - One-day Registration
What's included in your Full Conference registration?
All educational sessions Monday through Thursday
Monday opening reception
Tuesday banquet
Wednesday field workshop with lunch
Thursday awards luncheon
Venue
The conference sessions will be held in the Park Place Hotel and the Northwestern Michigan College's Hagerty Center. These two facilities are separated by a pleasant 10-minute walk. A bus shuttle will also be available and bicycles may be rented for your stay in Traverse City. Most of the Forests for People sessions will take place in the Hagerty Center and most of the National Outdoor Recreation sessions will be held in the Park Place Hotel.
The Park Place Hotel is the contracted and primary venue for the conference activities. Other lodging opportunities are available. Two are adjacent to the Hagerty Center.
Call (231) 946-5000 for reservations (online reservations not available)
You can also complete this form and email or mail it to the hotel to make a reservation.
Conference room rate: $77 plus 11% tax, valid from May 19 to May 25.
Mention "SORP" to get the conference room rate.
Attendees staying at the Park Place Hotel can get complimentary transportation to and from the Traverse City airport.
Make your reservation before April 19, 2013 to get the conference rate.
Alternate hotels for lodging Holiday Inn West Bay Traverse City - Adjacent to the Hagerty Center and a 10 minute walking distance from the Park Place Hotel. No conference room rate at this hotel. Guests staying at the Holiday Inn can get complimentary transportation to and from the Traverse City airport. www.tcwestbay.com or 1-800-888-8020
Bayshore Resort - Adjacent to the Hagerty Center and a 15 minute walking distance from the Park Place Hotel. No conference room rate at this hotel. Guests staying at the Bayshore Resort can get complimentary transportation to and from the Traverse City airport. www.bayshore-resort.com or 1-800-634-4401
Northwestern Michigan College Campus Housing - 1.6 miles from the Park Place Hotel and 1 mile from the Hagerty Center. $35/night for a double room in dorm style lodging. Complimentary bikes available. https://www.nmc.edu/student-services/housing/summer-housing/index.html or Lisa Eiden at
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.
Grand Traverse Resort - 8 miles from the Park Place Hotel and Hagerty Center (Requires a car or bicycle via the Traverse Area Recreational Trails). No conference room rate at this hotel. www.grandtraverseresort.com or 1-800-236-1577
Air Transportation
American and United Airlines are pleased to offer discounts of 2% to 10% off published fares to the Cherry Capital Airport at Traverse City (TVC).
American Airlines
Discount valid from 5/16/2013 to 5/26/2013.
Book online at www.aa.com/group and enter this code 1553DD in the Promotion Code box when prompted.
United Airlines
Discount valid from 5/16/2013 to 5/23/2013.
Book online at www.united.com and enter your Offer Code ZP8C148465 in the Offer Code box when searching for your flights.
If booking through a travel professional or United Meetings at 800-426-1122, please give them the following information: Agreement Code 148465 and Z Code ZP8C.
Ground Transportation
Shuttle transportation to and from the Traverse City Airport is complimentary for all guests staying at the Park Place Hotel, Holiday Inn West Bay and the Bayshore Resort. Simply call your hotel once you have collected your baggage.
The Park Place Hotel, Holiday Inn West Bay and the Bayshore Resort are located within easy walking distance of many downtown restaurants, cultural attractions, retail shops and Grand Traverse Bay.
Become a Sponsor or Exhibitor
We invite you to connect with our national network of outdoor recreation career professionals. There are a number of personal and effective ways to partner with SORP, to market your products and services, and to help to advance our outdoor recreation industry. Click here to learn more.
Student Conference Scholarships
Motivated and accomplished students enrolled full-time in an outdoor recreation management, planning, or closely-related degree program are encouraged to apply. The application deadline is February 15, 2013.
Up to at eight student scholarships will be awarded for the 2013 National Outdoor Recreation Conference. A scholarship valued at $785 will be awarded to cover lodging, conference registration, and one-year student membership to SORP. Included in this total is a $250 check to be used as needed for travel expenses. Scholarship awardees will receive their scholarship award upon arrival at the conference and will be expected to volunteer and assist with various tasks. Please note that all scholarship recipients are expected to attend the full four-day conference.
Please consider being a student scholarship sponsor! Visit www.recpro.org and click on the “SORP Sponsorship and Exhibitor Opportunities” on the left side of the homepage. Any contribution amount is appreciated. Your donation will help cultivate a young mind preparing to enter the recreation resource planning profession. They are the future! Don’t forget - SORP is a 501(c)(3) organization, making your contribution tax-deductible.
The Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals (SORP) is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 organization formed in 1983. It is the Nation’s premier professional association supporting outdoor recreation professionals in planning, research, management, policy and administration. It is dedicated to the proposition that the welfare of the Nation’s citizens and visitors, communities, environment, and economy will be enhanced through opportunities for the public to experience and enjoy the Nation’s outdoors.
For the past 30 years, the Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals (formerly the National Association of Recreation Resource Planners) has sponsored an annual national conference for the outdoor recreation resource profession. Most recently, the conference has been held in Baton Rouge, Breckenridge, Portland OR, Pittsburgh, Austin, Missoula, and Nashville.
The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) is "the" global network for forest science cooperation. It unites more than 15,000 scientists in almost 700 Member Organizations in over 110 countries, and is a member of International Council for Science (ICSU). Our Stakeholders are research organizations, universities and individual scientists, NGOs, decision making authorities, forest land-owners and other people who depend on forests.
Our mission is to promote global cooperation in forest-related research and to enhance the understanding of the ecological, economic and social aspects of forests and trees; as well as to disseminate scientific knowledge to stakeholders and decision-makers and to contribute to forest policy and on-the-ground forest management. IUFRO attains its objectives by networking activities including the generation, exchange and dissemination of scientific knowledge, the provision of access to relevant information, and the assistance to scientists and institutions to strengthen their research capacities.
IUFRO is open to all individuals and organizations dedicated to forest and forest products research and related disciplines. It is a non-profit, non-governmental and non-discriminatory organization with a long tradition dating back to 1892.
