Of all the professional development opportunities available in campus recreation, the NIRSA Recreation Facilities Institute, presented by Mondo and in partnership with AB Show, is among the most anticipated of the year. This year’s event will be held Nov. 5-8 at the San Diego Convention Center, and it offers an opportunity to network not only with campus recreation peers but also with the broader spectrum of athletics, fitness and recreation professionals.
“I think one of the things that’s so interesting about the Institute is that it’s a partnership between NIRSA and Athletic Business, plus the National Alliance for Youth Sports, the Medical Fitness Association and the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education, so you have all these different industries under one roof that pretty much have a common goal — we just serve different populations,” says Bryan Haunert, director of campus recreation at Illinois State University and one of three members of the NIRSA Recreation Facilities Institute Program Committee, which planned and organized this year’s educational sessions. “Sometimes we only focus on what we do on a day-to-day basis, and we don’t expand our knowledge enough.”
“It’s about getting out of your facility,” adds Maddie Hawkins, associate director of athletics/director of recreation at Johns Hopkins University and fellow member of the program committee. “You meet people who have similar aspirations, and that’s invaluable. Everybody is so willing to help. Higher education is a passion field; you have to want to do the work. But when I’m feeling a little burned out or tired, being able to go to an event like this really fills the cup and reminds me that I’m not alone — I’m not the only one who’s struggling with finances or resources or something else. It’s a common thread that we all can figure out together.”
With three tracks — risk management/programming, facility planning and design, and operations — the Institute offers plenty of opportunities for professional development.
“I’ve been able to learn more about facility-related topics by attending the Facilities Institute, but being on the planning committee has been the most beneficial for me,” says third program committee member Zach McGee, assistant director of aquatics and wellness programs for Campus Recreation and Wellness at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. “It has given me the opportunity to be part of the behind-the-scenes part of the conference.”
Some of that behind-the-scenes work involved developing a slate of educational sessions that this year cover topics including adaptive reuse of spaces, promoting outdoor recreation, operational and design considerations for inclusive facilities and events, managing recreation vehicle fleets and elevating facility signage strategies.
NIRSA members who register for the Facilities Institute/AB Show also can earn Continuing Education Credits (CECs), which can be applied toward the Certified Student Affairs Educator (CSAEd) core certification and the specialty CSAEd-CR certification for campus recreation professionals. Attendees can connect at dedicated roundtable discussions, too, as well as attend the AB Show Expo (with more than 160,000 square feet of exhibit space occupied by more than 200 vendors) and participate in facility tours.
‘Take advantage of the tours’
The number of AB Show 2025 tours doubled from two to four and includes tours of San Diego State University’s athletic and recreation facilities, three of San Diego County’s state-of-the-art outdoor aquatics centers, Coronado Island Recreation and Golf Services and San Diego wine country.
“I always try to take advantage of the tours,” says Haunert, who is bringing six of his staff members to this year’s Institute. “Just like we can learn so much from our peers, we also can learn so much from walking through other facilities.”
“Always check out the preconference opportunities, and if you’re interested in tours, sign up in advance and get on that bus, because they are worth it,” adds Hawkins, noting that the expansion of the Ralph S. O’Connor Center for Recreation and Well-Being at Johns Hopkins — a 2023 AB Facilities of Merit™ winner — was an AB Show 2023 tour site. “When you go on tours, think about your own facility and what projects you might be responsible for. If you aren’t responsible for any projects yet, go on that tour with open eyes. Notice the features — the floors, the windows and the equipment — but also notice the people. How are the student employees and the pro staff working in their services? Were you greeted by someone at the welcome desk? What might you adopt for your own facility? Those are small things that go a long way.”
Hawkins, who is presenting a session at this year’s Institute titled “Optimizing Tech and Operating Systems in Campus Recreation & Athletics,” considers last year’s Recreation Facilities Institute/AB Show tour of Louisiana State University invaluable in shaping changes to how she manages her own spaces.
The insightful opportunities offered by a major event serving multiple entities under one roof, along with the wide lineup of worthwhile tour experience options, make the NIRSA Recreation Facilities Institute/AB Show different from what campus recreation professionals might find at, say, another in-person learning event designed specifically for rec professionals working in higher ed.
“An annual NIRSA Conference covers a wider range of campus recreation programs,” McGee says, adding, “The Facilities Institute is focused on facility-specific topics. So, if your job deals with facilities, it’s a great event to attend.
‘Advocate for yourself’
This year marks the fifth that the NIRSA Recreation Facilities Institute has been planned in partnership with AB Show. And while it might be too late to attend the 2025 event, Hawkins recommends that campus recreation professionals begin alerting their supervisors of their interest in attending learning events three or more months in advance.
“Communicate with your boss and make sure they know what your professional development goals are,” she says. “Advocate for yourself. Tell them how this is going to help you personally, as well as professionally, in your current job. Going to events like this is a small price to pay for an employee who’s going to make the most of it, but we are living in a time right now where every decision for every expenditure needs a justification.”
The opportunity to earn several CECs in one four-day window also is valuable, according to Haunert. “Anything that we, and especially young professionals, can do to differentiate ourselves from our peers has lots of value,” he says. “I think the ability to walk into a conversation or potentially an interview and talk about your CECs and your broad knowledge of our profession has massive benefits.”
In the end, all professional development opportunities have benefits, but the NIRSA Recreation Facilities Institute can fulfill multiple objectives.
“Going to this can help you,” Hawkins concludes, “if you are excited for a new project, if you are planning a new project but need to get by until you have the funding, if you want to optimize the resources you have, and if you want to make your people and your processes better.”
