Charlotte, NC--  More than 500 park and recreation professionals from all over North Carolina will be in Charlotte November 8-11, 2008 for the NCRPA Annual Conference, most of which takes place at the Charlotte Convention Center, 501 South College Street. Most business of the conference will be Monday and Tuesday (November 10-11), with various activities during the weekend before around Charlotte and at the main convention hotel, Charlotte Center City Hilton, 222 East 3rd Street. 

NCRPA--the North Carolina Recreation and Park Association-- represents city, county, and state park and recreation staff all over the state. The annual conference is a chance for these professionals to learn about and discuss the latest techniques, facilities and equipment in their field. The conference is hosted this year by park and recreation departments in Mecklenburg, Union, Gaston, and Cabarrus Iredell, Lincoln, Rowan, and Stanly Counties which comprise NCRPA’s Region 7.

Among activities which may especially interest media are:

• A large exhibit of park equipment, products, service providers, and vendors.  See the latest in playgrounds, turf management (synthetic and natural), vehicles and recreation equipment, in a large exhibit Monday, November 10, 4:30pm-7pm and Tuesday, November 11, 8am-11am in the Convention Center’s Exhibit Hall C 1.
• A discussion of the importance of recreation, fitness, youth athletics, childhood obesity, team sports, character education, etc. in a special presentation by former Carolina Panthers star Mike Rucker,  at a luncheon for the general membership on Monday, November 10, 11:15am in the Hilton’s Mecklenburg-Charlotte Room.

At various times, groups of conference attendees will also tour Ray’s Splash Planet, US National Whitewater Center, greenways, TimeWarner Arena, Latta Plantation Nature Preserve (on Segways), Mecklenburg’s water front parks and dog parks. Many of these are in the forefront of recreational facilities in North Carolina and are of special interest to other park and recreation departments. Greg Jackson, Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation’s Director of Park Operations, is this year’s NCRPA Annual Conference Chair.