Despite declining recreation budgets, a number of public agencies have been able to keep parks, campgrounds, and recreation areas open and well-maintained using public-private partnerships for park operations.   At this conference, you will learn how these partnerships work and you will meet and network with leaders in both public agencies and private companies who have experience with these partnerships.

Topics covered will include

Much of the material in this conference has been presented in private sessions with state park agencies in states including California, Arizona, and Utah and with elected officials in states including Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey.  

• History of recreation PPP's, including current examples you may contact or visit
• Case studies from the US Forest Service, the world's largest user of recreation PPP's
• Advantages of recreation PPP's, and pitfalls to be avoided
• Typical division of responsibilities between the public and private partners in these contracts
• Best practice contract structure and contracting process
• Supporting legislation and relationships between agencies

In addition to these presentations, attendees will have a unique chance to meet and network with many senior managers of both public agencies and private companies with decades of experience in recreation PPP's.  This conference will take place as part of the national conference for the US Forest Service PPP program.  The US Forest Service has thirty years of expeeriences managing recreation PPP's.  We will have a joint reception from 5:30-7:00 at the end of the day on November 2.

Speakers will include

• Warren Meyer, who is proprietor of ParkPrivatization.com, the leading online journal of Recreation PPP news and issues.  Mr. Meyer is also president of the National Forest Recreation Association, the trade group of private park operators in the US Forest Service, and he is CEO of Recreation Resource Management, one of the largest private park management companies in the country.  He also writes at Forbes.com.
   
• Len Gilroy, who is the Director of Government Reform at Reason Foundation, a nonprofit think tank advancing free minds and free markets. Gilroy, a certified urban planner (AICP), researches privatization, government reform, transportation, infrastructure, and urban policy issues. Gilroy is the editor of the world's most respected newsletter on privatization, Privatization Watch, and is the editor of the widely-read Annual Privatization Report, which examines trends and chronicles the experiences of local, state, and federal governments in bringing competition to public services (more here)
   
• US Forest Service Practictioners.  The exact speakers list is still to be finalized, but will include several presentations from the agency that has over 30 years working with recreation PPP's.

 Location

The conference will be held at the Hilton Scottsdale in conjunction with the annual conference of the National Forest Recreation Association.

We have a special hotel rate of $106 per night which you may reserve at this link.

Registration includes attendance at a joint receptions with the NFRA Wednesday evening after the sessions. 

Press / Media

Accredited representatives of the press are welcome at the event and may recieve free press credentials by calling 602-569-2333.