I head to Salt Lake City next week; I'll be the opening keynote speaker for the annual conference of the National Recreation and Parks Association.

GovPro News recently ran a press release on my keynote, commenting:

The recession has created an atmosphere of anxiety and uncertainty for many, and those who work in the parks and recreation field are not immune. With so many forces - the economy, politics, and social and leisure trends, for example - out of the control of parks and recreation professionals, thinking about the future could cause a few sleepless nights.

Futurist Jim Carroll has helped hundreds of organizations minimize their sleepless nights when preparing for the future, and he will discuss some of the upcoming challenges and opportunities in the field of parks and recreation when he delivers the keynote address at the National Recreation and Parks Association’s (NRPA) annual Congress and Exposition in Salt Lake City.

So what will I be talking about? The NRPA ran an interview with me in their September issue which is worth a read; I discuss some of the challenges and trends that we face in terms of the future of parks and recreation, and the innovative mindsets that will help folks cope with a future which is faster, more complex, and certainly full of opportunity.

As NRPA Chief Executive Officer Barbara Tulipane commented in the GovPro release: "In these difficult economic times, it will be refreshing and instructive to learn from one of the truly great minds in strategic planning.... Attendees will leave the conference well-armed with a variety of tools and strategies to help them successfully confront the challenges of the coming year."

More information:

• Read NRPA article: What the Future Holds
• visit 2009 NRPA Congress and Exposition Web site
• Read 2009 NRPA conference casts an eye to the future