In April, NRPA announced the cancelation of their conference, but they followed up that decision with the announcement of the NRPA Annual Conference: A Virtual Experience in July. The now online variation will begin in late October as a replacement for the previously in-person event. The news came out from the association that the conference is now open for registration. Furthermore, a schedule has been organized for the three days it is set to take place for, "The conference... will be held Oct. 27-29 and feature more than 60 education sessions, a virtual exhibit hall and plenty of networking opportunities."

 

Glenn Harris, president of Race Forward, will be the deliverer of the keynote address. "Harris... will kick-off the conference during the Opening General Session on Tuesday, October 27. Harris has more than 25 years of experience working on race and social justice issues with community groups, foundations, and government agencies to build a more just and democratic society."

Kristine Stratton, president and CEO of NRPA, made a statement elaborating on the direction of the associations 2020 conference. She emphasized that the delivery will be relevant and timely to industry professionals and the impact they have toward building up and improving communities amidst the pandemic. She continued by describing the steps they are taking to ensure the conference has discussions on current social issues. She explained, "we are thrilled to bring top experts in race equity and social justice issues to this year's conference, as the field of parks and recreation looks to create more fair and just access to the essential infrastructure and services we provide."

Attendees are given the ability to experience the online sessions live and watch each session's video recordings. Furthermore, networking opportunities will be available, as well.