National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA)
Policies and Terms of Registration

All NRPA Policies and Terms of Registration are adopted in consideration of and, in the best interest of conference attendees, NRPA and the conference host facilities.

Statement of Liability

NRPA and Sponsors of the 2008 Congress & Exposition claim no liability for the acts of any suppliers at or for this meeting, or for the safety of any attendee while in transit to or from this event.  NRPA and Sponsors of this function shall not be liable for any delays or failure in performance or interruptions of services resulting directly or indirectly from any cause or circumstance beyond the reasonable control of the organization including but not limited to, acts of God, acts of public enemy, war, accidents, fires, electrical failures, strikes, labor disputes, postal delays, explosions, governmental order or regulations.

NRPA and Sponsors reserve the right to cancel this function without penalty. Attendees who purchase non-refundable airline tickets do so at their own risk. The total amount of any liability of NRPA and/or Sponsors will be limited to a refund of the attendance fee.

Recognizing the nature of receptions and the potential for alcohol abuse at conferences, all NRPA sponsored events will offer non-alcoholic drinks. No alcohol will be served to anyone under the age of 21. Conference participants are responsible for their own well being and neither NRPA and/or sponsors will be held accountable for any events or occurrences resulting from excessive drinking, recklessness or negligence on the part of any conference participant.

NRPA and attendees of this function, under the terms of registration, agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless each other, to include officers, employees and agents from and against any and all liabilities, loss, claims, expense, actions, or causes of action, arising out of or resulting from any act taken or committed by the attendees or organizers of this function or any third party except for the willful misconduct or gross negligence of the other party.

Environmental Stewardship

Take the Environmental Stewardship Challenge and Register ONLINE! All registrations submitted online will be discounted $25. Americans make countless choices every day that impact our environment. By being an active environmental steward you can reduce those impacts and make a difference in the kind of world we live in today and pass on to future generations. As the national voice for the field of Recreation and Parks across the United States, NRPA has an important role to play in promoting environmental stewardship- through our interactions with individuals, communities, businesses and other organizations - and through the active support and commitment of our members.

Attendees are asked to present a Photo ID at registration in order to collect your registration materials. You may only collect your individual registration packet. This procedure is in place to protect your registration materials from getting lost and to allow NRPA to monitor accurate attendance. Registration materials will not be provided without a photo ID. Furthermore, you agree not to allow any other individual to participate in your place either at the conference, during the registration process, or any other conference-related activity including acceptance of these terms of registration.

Students

Students must be full time (12 hours undergraduate, 8 hours graduate). All students must provide an original letter on the institution's letterhead signed by any qualified representative from your university program. All student registrations that fail to submit an original letter will be charged the Full Package registration fee.

Refunds

Cancellations must be in writing. No telephone cancellations will be accepted. Written cancellations must be received by 5 p.m. eastern standard time on September 19, 2008. All cancellations or substitutions are subject to a $55 fee. No refunds will be issued on requests postmarked after September 19, 2008.

Payment Method

Registrants not providing NRPA with a method of payment will be considered an incomplete registration and will not be able to attend NRPA conferences until payment has been made. NRPA accepts Checks, Purchase Orders, VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express as forms of payment.

Purchase Orders

Registration form(s) or a copy of the online confirmation must accompany all purchase orders. Registrant will need to provide NRPA with a valid Purchase Order number in order to process registration. NRPA has the right to contact the company issuing the purchase order to confirm its validity.

Photographs/Videos

Any photos or videos taken during NRPA-sanctioned events may be used by NRPA for promotional use (i.e. brochures, association publications, web-based mediums – blogs, websites, e-newsletters). Participants are reminded of this condition of registration and we appreciate your consent of use. No cameras are permitted in the exhibit hall without express written permission from NRPA.

Smoking

For the comfort and health of all attendees, smoking is not permitted at any NRPA sponsored functions. This includes general sessions, concurrent sessions, workshops, luncheons, receptions, and in the exhibit hall. Attendees should adhere to any signage preventing or authorizing smoking in certain locations.

Children and Infants

Due to the nature of the NRPA conference, children under the age of 18 are not permitted access to NRPA education sessions, meals, or social events (Welcome Party, Closing Party, etc). Additionally, no one under the age of 21 will be served alcohol at NRPA events and attendees may be asked to produce identification to confirm your age. Children may visit the exhibit hall during exhibit hall hours only, but must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The parent or guardian must also sign a release of liability form before the child/children are allowed to enter the exhibit hall. Anyone 18 years old and above will need to purchase an exhibit hall only pass in order to enter the exhibit hall. Parents traveling with small infants, including mothers who are breast feeding, are ultimately responsible for making all necessary arrangements for the care and well being of children or infants. Please plan ahead so that you are able to fully participate in an NRPA conference or educational program. Children and infants will not be permitted into educational sessions.  This is to protect the interests of all attendees, the quality of our sessions and learning environments, and the overall value returned by our programs to participants. To obtain advance information on local support services, we recommend you contact your hotel’s front desk or concierge and inquire directly for assistance and information.  Many hotels offer day care or babysitting services that may be scheduled in advance.

Badges

Conference attendees are reminded that it is important to wear your badge at all times. This allows you uncomplicated access to all conference events. However, please remember to remove your badge when you are outside of the NRPA events.

Conference Etiquette

To make the conference experience an enjoyable event for all attendees, we ask that you please keep the following in mind:

As a courtesy to our speakers, please refrain from the use of pagers or cell phones during presentations. And, please keep in mind that participants of this conference are in attendance to learn. Therefore, in consideration of all attendees we ask that you please take any conversations that are unrelated to the program outside session rooms.

In order to accommodate environmental sensitivities of some of your peers, if at all possible, please do not wear scented products while attending the conference, especially the sessions. Please also consider that moderation and restraint in the use of perfume, cologne or scented products in sessions and events greatly enhances the ability of individuals who suffer from chemical sensitivities such as MCS, to fully participate in this valuable educational forum.

Conference Accessibility

As a national organization serving an industry that embraces accessibility and full participation in all of our programs, NRPA is dedicated to providing access and reasonable accommodations to people of all abilities that meet ADA guidelines.   All NRPA-sanctioned events are accessible.  NRPA staffwill assist attendees of our programs with any accessibility accommodations to ensure a full experience for all.  In order to plan effectively, NRPA respectfully asks that individuals needing special accommodations provide our staff with advance notice and pertinent information on your registration form.  You may also indicate your desire for a member of the NRPA staff to contact you directly to discuss your individual needs.  NRPA will continue to make every effort to accommodate requests we receive on site. 

To easily locate accessibility services, look for this symbol  throughout the conference, on our web site and in attendee materials.