More than two hundred parks and recreation professionals from across the state will be in town next week for the 2016 Mississippi Recreation and Parks Association Conference.
The City of Biloxi Parks and Recreation Department will host the three day conference taking place at the Golden Nugget beginning Monday.
“The theme for this year’s conference is Ignite with MRPA,” Parks and Recreation Director Cheryl Bell said. “We want to ignite people’s thoughts and get them excited about parks, recreation, and the environmental efforts that advance the quality of life for Biloxians as well as all Mississippians.”
As the hosting city, Bell and her staff have assisted with setting up a diverse program that includes an expo with more than two dozen vendors, educational sessions and workshops, a welcome social at Jones Park in Gulfport, a golf tournament at Gulf Hills in Ocean Springs, and a cookout at the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum in Biloxi.
“I wanted to involve as many coast aspects as possible,” Bell said. “Also, we not only have presentations by members of the Biloxi Parks and Recreation Department but members of the Biloxi Police Department and Main Street as well as other coast organizations giving exciting presentations to the conference attendees.”
This is the second time since 2005 that the conference has been held in Biloxi. The district two area, which includes the gulf coast region, was chosen as the 2016 conference site by the association for its enjoyable atmosphere and ample meeting space.
Said Bell: “This conference will be filled with energetic networking activities, inspirational education sessions and an inside look at the latest products for the field.”
