Celebrating 128 Years
September 16th - 18th, 2026
Open to Everyone. Membership not Required.
Register Today!
The Margate Lakefront Resort, Laconia, NH
Registration includes: Education,Networking Events, Meals (please choose meal plan during checkout), and Trade Show. Room reservations are NOT included.
Please contact The Margate Resort for room reservations. Let them know you are booking for the NEPA Conference for the best rates. (800) 627-4283
The Annual Fall Conference has been held by our organization for decades. It is a time for professionals from all outdoor industries to meet and grow through education and networking. Receive .6 CEUs at the NEPA Fall Conference and Trade Show. Sessions, networking events, and meet with Commercial Representatives from throughout New England in New Hampshire!
Throughout the show you will have the opportunity to attend the 2-Day Trade Show, Networking Events, and connect with professionals in your region.
Sign-up today! Printable registration form link and schedule are below!
NEW THIS YEAR - NRPA Playground Maintenance Course -
Add the Course during checkout or come for the day and attend the course. Day trippers for this program have lunch included, not the cruise.
The National Recreation and Park Association’s Playground Maintenance Course is a one-day (6.25 hour) educational course that provides participants with an understanding of basic playground hazards, applying safe maintenance practices on equipment, identifying surfacing types and proper maintenance procedures, and establishing proper record keeping practices. Participants receive a certificate upon completion of the Playground Maintenance Course.
This is a great opportunity for permanent/seasonal part-timers that service playgrounds during the busy summer months, and it is considered a good starter course for aspiring Certified Playground Saftey Inspectors ( CPSI) and now
This course has been approved for a total of .6 CEU which can be used for certifications such as CPRE, CPRP, & CPSI. 0.2 are in group A (Hazard ID, Risk Management) and 0.4 are in group B ( Surfacing, Playground Environment, Audit, Inspection & Maintenance).
2026 NEPA Fall Conference Schedule -
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
10:00am-12:00pm Registration
12:00pm-1:15pm Session 1: 75 min, .125 CEU’s
Title: Beyond the Playground: Designing Parks That Reflect Community, Access, and Purpose
Presenters: Steven L. Santos, Director of Recreation, Hudson MA & Colin Drury, Director of Business Development, Ben Shaffer Recreation
Session Description: Creating or renovating a playground involves far more than replacing equipment or selecting the latest play features. Successful projects begin with understanding the community, evaluating the site, and balancing public input with long-term needs and available resources.
This session explores how accessibility, parking, safety, topography, demographics, and community priorities should shape every playground project. Attendees will learn why community wants must be thoughtfully balanced with documented needs, funding opportunities, site constraints, and long-term maintenance considerations to create spaces that provide lasting value.
Through practical examples and proven planning strategies, participants will discover how to move beyond a "cut-and-paste" approach to playground design and instead develop inclusive, functional, and sustainable play environments that reflect the unique character of their community. Whether planning a new playground or renovating an existing one, this session will provide park professionals with a framework for making informed decisions that maximize public investment and create meaningful places for people of all ages and abilities.
1:30pm-2:45pm Session 2:75 min, .125 CEU’s
Title: Passing the Torch: A Succession Planning Framework for Parks and Recreation
Presenter: Michael McGovern, Senior Project Manager at Capital Strategic Solutions
Session Description: This presentation outlines a practical, phased approach to succession planning for parks and recreation organizations, ensuring continuity of leadership, institutional knowledge, and mission-driven momentum as key staff and board members transition over time. It covers identifying critical roles, assessing bench strength, building knowledge-transfer and mentorship processes, and establishing a clear timeline for leadership transitions - all designed to protect an organization's long-term capacity to steward parks, open spaces, and recreational programs for the communities it serves.
2:45pm-3:15pm Annual Meeting
3:15pm-4:00pm NEPA Vendor Hall
4:00pm-5:00pm NEPA Vendor Social
6:00pm-7:30pm Presidents Dinner/Award Ceremony (Professional Attire)
7:30pm-11:00pm NEPA Gold Sponsor Social
Thursday, September 17, 2026
8:00am-9:00am Breakfast (and Registration)
8:30am-3:00pm NRPA Playground Maintenance Course* - includes manual
(*Pre-registration Required – additional fee applied)
9:00am-10:15am Session 3: 75 min, .125 CEU’s
Title: Behind Every Great Park: The Purchasing Decisions That Make It Possible Presenter: Ryan Bunker, Associate Director of Government Accounts at Sourcewell Session Description: A mower breaks just before opening day. A storm damages a trail. A playground project is up against a grant deadline. And the budget still needs to stretch. Sound familiar? Behind every safe playground, maintained trail, game-ready athletic field, and welcoming public space are purchasing decisions that help make the work possible. Procurement can feel like a 30,000-foot policy conversation, but in parks, its impact is felt on the ground: whether crews have the equipment, materials, services, and support needed to keep public spaces safe, open, and ready for the community. This practical session brings procurement down to the park level. Whether you maintain grounds, operate equipment, oversee facilities, manage projects, or lead a department, you will gain a plain-language understanding of how agencies buy, the roles different stakeholders play, and where cooperative purchasing may fit. You’ll also learn how Sourcewell, a local government organization serving communities nationwide, competitively solicits and manages contracts for public agency use. By handling much of the upfront work, Sourcewell helps local teams spend less time navigating full solicitations and more time serving their communities. It’s government helping government in action. Learning Objectives: Attendees will be able to: Explain public procurement and cooperative purchasing in practical terms; Compare common purchasing methods & identify when cooperative contracts may be an appropriate option; and Identify & Apply objective criteria to evaluate the right purchasing path.
10:15am-11:15am VENDOR HALL
11:15am-12:30pm Session 4: 75 min, .125 CEU’s
Title: RecReady NH: Empowering Local Outdoor Recreation Planning Presenters: Janel Lawton, Director at NH Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry Development and Drew Pollak-Bruce, CPRP, Founder & Principal at CRO Planning & Design
Session Description: Communities across the country increasingly recognize outdoor recreation as a driver of economic vitality and quality of life, yet many lack the tools to turn data into action. This session introduces RecReady NH, a web-based guide offering 21 tools to empower municipalities, nonprofits, and residents to engage in the outdoor recreation planning process. With step-by-step tools for topics including asset mapping, inclusive engagement, economic impact analysis, and implementation, RecReady NH fosters shared decision making and cross sector collaboration to support vibrant, locally driven outdoor recreation and economic development initiatives. The tools in RecReady NH are designed to be accessible for both rural and urban, low and high-capacity communities.
12:30pm-1:45pm Lunch
2:00pm-3:15pm Session 5: 75 min, .100 CEU’s
Title: Interpretation and Accessibility Improvements at the Willey House State Historic Site, Crawford Notch State Park
Presenter: Elizabeth Peel, Program Specialist II at Bureau of Historic Sites, N.H. Department of Natural & Cultural Resources
Session Description: What do a giant, a hermit, a dentist, and a man named Frankenstein all have in common? They are some of the eclectic characters which make up the legends and myths of Crawford Notch. From the devastating 1826 landslide which resulted in the deaths of the Willey family to the rise of industrialization and implementation of the railroad, this small stretch of land has been the epicenter
of White Mountains tourism for centuries. Join Elizabeth Peel from the New Hampshire State Parks' Bureau of Historic Sites for an interpretive presentation, “One Disaster at a Time: The History of Crawford Notch,” followed by a discussion on the continuing interpretation and accessibility improvements at the Willey House State Historic Site.
4:00pm-6:00pm Lake Winnipesaukee Evening Boat Cruise – Heavy hors d’oeuvres/cash bar
6:00pm-8:00pm Explore Laconia! Dinner On-Your-Own
8:00-11:00pm Presidents Social
Friday, September 18, 2026
8:30am-9:30am Breakfast/Raffle Prize Drawing (must be present to win)
8:30am-10:15am Round Table Discussions - Followed by Golf (must Pre-register separately)