Conferences and Workshops
Why Attend a State or National Conference?
Professional conferences and workshops offer graduate and undergraduate students in the Department of Hospitality, Hotel Management and Tourism the opportunity to network, attend educational sessions and interview for positions. They also afford students the chance to hear from and learn from some of the leading thinkers and outstanding individuals in this ever-growing industry.
The department has mini-grants available to assist graduate students with conference expenses.
Professional Conferences and Workshops
ACA: American Camp Association
February 2024 (TBA)
https://www.acacamps.org/events-education
AORE: Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education
October 31-November 4, 2023 (Baltimore, MD)
https://aore.org/annual_conference.php
Children & Nature Network: International Conference
June 12-15, 2023 (Estes Park, CO)
https://www.childrenandnature.org/inside-out/
ESPA: Event Service Professionals Association
January 19-21, 2024 (Indianapolis, IN)
https://espaonline.org/conference/
IAAPA: International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions
November 1-317, 2023 (Orlando, FL)
https://www.iaapa.org/expos/iaapa-expo
iCHRIE: International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education
International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (ICHRIE) https://www.chrie.org/ and Graduate Conferences in Hospitality and Tourism https://www.gradconfht.com/
IFEA: International Festivals and Events Association
October 9-1, 2023 (McAllen, TX)
https://www.ifea.com/p/convention-and-expo/annualconvention
IATDG: International Association of Tour Directors and Guides
November 5-9, 2023 (New Orleans, LA)
https://iatdg.org/events/
ISTTE: International Society of Travel and Tourism Educators
October 11-13, 2023 (Toronto, Ontario)
https://www.istte.org/
NAAEE: North American Association for Environmental Education
October 17-20, 2023 (virtual)
https://conference.naaee.org/
NAI: National Association for Interpretation
November 7-11, 2023 (Little Rock, AR)
https://www.interpnet.com/conference
NOLS: National Outdoor Leadership School; Wilderness Risk Managers Conference
October 18-20, 2023 (Portland, OR)
https://www.nols.edu/en/risk-services/wilderness-risk-management-conference/
NRPA: National Recreation and Park Association
September 10-12, 2023 (Dallas, TX)
Check into volunteering to have the conference registration fee waived
https://www.nrpa.org/conference/registration/registration-hotels/
PLA: Public Lands Alliance
March 5-9, 2024 (San Francisco, CA)
https://www.publiclandsalliance.org/what-we-do/convention
RCRA: Resort and Commercial Recreation Association
November 11-14, 2023 (Palm Harbor, FL)
https://www.rcra.org/
Contact Dr. Petrick if you’re interested in attending!
SWPRTI: Southwest Parks and Recreation Training Institute
February 2024 (Hulbert, OK)
https://swprti.org/2023-institute/
TACVB: Texas Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus
August 28-31, 2023 (College Station, TX)
https://www.tacvb.org/education-events/annual-conference/
TAFE: Texas Association of Fairs and Events
January 4-6, 2024 (Galveston, TX)
https://www.texasfairs.com/p/2022-convention
TAPHERD: Texas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance
November 29 – December 2, 2023 (Fort Worth, Texas)
https://www.tahperd.org/tahperd-main-website-event/annual-convention
TTRA: Travel and Tourism Research Association
June 13-15, 2023 (St. Louis, MO)
https://ttra.com/conference
TTIA: Texas Travel Industry Association – Texas Travel Summit
September 16-18, 2023 (El Paso, TX)
https://www.ttia.org/event/2022TravelSummit
TFEA: Texas Festivals and Events Association
November 12-16, 2023 (Del Rio, TX)
https://www.tfea.org/p/conference
TRAPS: Texas Recreation and Parks Society
February 27-29, 2024 (Galveston, TX)
https://institute.traps.org/
USTOA: United States Tour Operators Association
December 2-6, 2023 (Los Angeles, CA)
https://ustoa.com/