I just returned from a rewarding experience at the 2025 National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) Conference in sunny Orlando, Florida. The Esri team of parks and recreation GIS subject matter experts stayed busy at our booth, showcasing how GIS supports the full spectrum of parks and recreation missions. We highlighted the latest technology trends and distributed complimentary Parks and Recreation Market Reports.
Esri NRPA Conference Staff, left to right:
Tyler Kriminger, Renee Opatz, Shannon Valdizon, Sunny Fleming, Chase Fisher, Sergio Gutierrez, Adam Carnow, Francis Kelly
When we talk GIS with conference attendees, we focus on two things: real-world success stories from their peers and live demonstrations of our 30+ Parks and Recreation ArcGIS Solutions. Here are a few standout examples that resonated with attendees:
Peer Success Stories That Inspired
- Climate Resilience – To Protect Trees, Atlanta Nonprofit Maps and Measures Benefits
- Planning & Design – Washington State Maps Recreation Inventory
- Smart Operations – Revitalizing Des Moines’s Trail System with GIS Technology
- Education & Outreach – Escondido: Running a Smarter City with Hub Technology
- Community Health & Wellbeing – TN Dept. of Environment & Conservation: Finding a Pathway to Federal Funding
- Equity – Los Angeles County Maps Equitable Access to Nature, Remediates Degraded Lands
ArcGIS Solutions That Deliver
Our ArcGIS Solutions are included with ArcGIS and offer a fast, sustainable way to expand GIS use across your organization. The most popular solutions we demonstrated at NRPA were:
Market Reports: A Must-Have Resource
Many booth visitors requested customized market reports for their communities. These two-page reports, created using ArcGIS Business Analyst, include detailed demographics and analytics to help understand local parks and recreation needs.
👉 Request your complimentary custom Parks and Recreation Market Report. Be sure to include your ZIP code or jurisdiction of interest.
New Data Insights with Placer.ai
Another hot topic was our partnership with Placer.ai, which provides visitation data for parks and recreation. When combined with Esri’s mapping and demographic tools, organizations gain powerful insights into:
- When visitors arrive
- How long they stay
- Where they come from
- Who they are
You can learn more in this StoryMap about Elkins, WV.
A Visit from NRPA Leadership
We were honored to welcome NRPA Board Member Breece Robertson to the Esri booth. We discussed the importance of expanding technology education for NRPA members and brainstormed ways to collaborate on future conference programming. She shared some of her thoughts in this LinkedIn post.
A Personal Note from Orlando
I grew up in the Orlando area so I’m always thankful for opportunities to return during work travel. I take pride in this beautiful part of Florida and showed my colleagues a glimpse into the life of a local with a wonderful evening with the team in downtown Winter Park. Orlando is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, but most visitors don’t venture beyond the theme parks area. If you’re ever in the area, take time to visit local spots like Winter Park, you won’t regret it.
Thanks to NRPA, staff, local chapter, volunteers, Esri partners, other exhibitors, sponsors, presenters, and attendees for such a great conference. Esri looks forward to continuing our support for NRPA, their conference, and the community with more educational opportunities on how technology can increase their effectiveness in parks and recreation. See you next year in Philadelphia!
Planning Smarter Parks and Recreation for the Next Generation
Whether you joined us at NRPA or are just discovering what GIS can do for parks and recreation, we’re here to help. From planning and operations to equity and community health, GIS is transforming how agencies serve their communities.
