Are you as excited as we are for all the new features happening at the 2024 NIRSA Annual Conference & Campus Rec and Wellness Expo‽ Check out a few of this year’s program highlights that you won’t want to miss! And be sure to register by March 6 to take advantage of the best rates.
Preconference experiences
Start your conference off right, by taking a deep dive into critical topics in the profession or by joining your NIRSA colleagues on a stunning facility tour, a local hike, or other unique experience. There’s something for everyone this year: We have a whopping nine preconference workshops, and four preconference activities on offer! Many are expected to reach capacity, so be sure to book your spot early for experiences like:
- The popular “Women Leading Women” preconference workshop is returning this year as “Advancing and Empowering Women to Lead”
- The NIRSA Foundation Golf Tournament returns to the conference lineup this year; it will be hosted at the beautiful Papago Golf Course
Educational sessions
The sessions overview is now accessible on the NIRSA 2024 conference website! Start scoping out what sessions interest you most, so that you can make plans accordingly once dates and times are assigned.
You can also view the schedule by day to get a good feel for the flow of key events and time blocks. Make sure you check out the “New Attendee Session,” if this is your first NIRSA Annual Conference, where you’ll learn how to tailor your conference experience to meet your needs and make the most of the networking opportunities available.
NIRSA will be offering Continuing Education (CE) Credits that can be applied towards the CSAEd core certification or CSAEd-Campus Recreation specialty certification requirements. Eligible sessions will be identified in the conference program and awarded credits will be verified through completed session feedback surveys, which will be delivered through the conference app.
Dedicated student track and director’s track
This year brings the addition of a dedicated student track and a dedicated director’s track. We’ve identified intentional pathways geared to two important member demographics: students and directors. Students and directors can lean into an intentionally meaningful and outcome-driven conference experience.
Campus Rec and Wellness Expo
As always, there will be a lot of movement happening in the 2024 Campus Rec and Wellness Expo. To name a just a few things attendees can look forward to this year, we’re bringing back free breakfast and connections, kicking off a new pickleball tournament, and anticipating some thrilling demonstrations from a few of our exhibitors.
There’s not enough space to write about all the returning favorite and exciting new features that you’ll find at this years’ conference. But be sure to check out the NIRSA 2024 website to learn about the mainstage speakers, socials and activities, the Take a Student to Lunch program, and more.
Still on the fence? Here are just a few testimonials from last year’s conference attendees:
“This was my first NIRSA Annual Conference and I was so impressed by the amount of support I received from fellow professionals. The ideas that were presented could all be immediately implemented on my campus.” — Cierra Abbott, Assistant Director of Campus Recreation- Recreational Sports at Western Colorado University
“The 2023 NIRSA Annual Conference was nothing short of amazing! I reconnected with many people and, most importantly, connected with new individuals and learned so much!” — Kathleen Langley, Assistant Director of Fitness & Wellness at Western Kentucky University
“The NIRSA Annual Conference is still THE conference for collegiate recreation and wellness professionals! The opportunities to network, learn, and share ideas with students as well as new and experienced professionals make NIRSA unique among higher education professional associations.” — Eric Nickel, Director of University Recreation at James Madison University
“I found immeasurable value in convening with colleagues from different institutions to learn more about and celebrate our shared commitment to student development and wellbeing. This is a must-attend event for anyone in the rec and wellness field.” — Eric Paredes, Associate Director, Strategy & Business Ops at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
- For more information about the 2024 NIRSA Annual Conference & Campus Rec and Wellness Expo, contact NIRSA Events Coordinator Taylor Barnett.
Taylor Barnett is currently the Events Coordinator at NIRSA Headquarters; you can reach her at taylor.barnett@nirsa.org.
