The parks and recreation industry has become one of our fastest-growing markets. Cities across the country are building amphitheaters, band shells, and concert sites at a rapid pace. Sitting on these venues for too long in many other cases, administrators are trying to find a way to activate them and even push new revenue.
But these spaces require more than talent booking. Talking to many city programmers, municipalities are seeking partners who can provide not only entertainment options at great pricing but also financial forecasting, CAD layouts, strategic use planning, and ProFormas that help them understand how to build sustainable event strategies. We stand at the forefront of this work.
Through our Degy Consulting Services group, we serve as a vital extension to city teams by helping them strategize and execute events of every size. We deliver venue planning, budget modeling, and scalable programming solutions that align with the goals of communities while making sure events are financially successful.
Although NRPA has become a key conference for municipal buyers, it remains important for Degy’s military partnerships. We were excited to see installations we work with regularly, including Naval Station Great Lakes, Naval Station Mayport, Fort Bragg, Fort Riley, and Fort Knox. While we had many of our friends in the finals for the award, it was exciting to watch our friends at USAG Fort Carson receive the Gold Medal Award, NRPA’s highest recognition for excellence in recreation programming. Their achievement underscored the strength of military recreation and was a proud moment for all connected to this space.
One of the most painstaking marketing exercises for me is the preparation of a conference booth. I grapple with the idea that there is so much to say and so little room. NRPA 2025 was no different, as we wanted to use our 10’ by 20’ space as impactfully as possible to create conversations with new recreation and parks programmers. Fortunately, our booth in Orlando quickly became a popular stop for attendees looking for inspiration and fresh ideas.
We showcased newly released Degy Concepts including:
● Mission: Masterpiece – our paint and sip experience
● Southern Stomp – a community line dancing event
● The Ultimate Toss Tour – a traveling cornhole tour
These new interactive event concepts showed how Degy continues to innovate in community programming, delivering fun engagement for families, military bases, festivals, and city parks.
We also saw strong interest in Degy’s legacy programming. The Dinner Detective remains the country’s most recognized interactive murder mystery dinner show. Howl2Go Dueling Pianos and Headphone Disco, the creators of the silent dance party, were popular talking points with buyers impressed by their versatility. Headphone Disco especially stood out for its ability to shift from a dance party to outdoor silent movies in the park or even to silent fitness events under the stars. The Big Bounce America, recognized as the world’s largest bounce house, captured the imagination of attendees and continues to be one of the most unique touring events in the country. We often show the BBA video footage in the booth to mouths wide open in amazement. For those cities willing to put forth the higher rental fee, it turns out to be a no-brainer. I continue to insist that Big Bounce America is the best revenue-generating, press-generating, community-engaging event that anyone will find.
Beyond showcasing our own events and services, NRPA 2025 was an opportunity to discover new technologies and partners. I love hopping from booth to booth to discover any cutting-edge events and ideas that other vendors are selling.
This year, Caité and Aislinn from our team had the chance to check out each booth to see where we could find or grow partnerships for the future. I always enjoy catching up with Stageline, whose stages we rent constantly throughout the year. Century Industries was also present with their staging solutions. I laughed at the large number of variations of ‘VIP Port-O-Potties’ available. In just about every aisle, there was another bathroom available, not for use. Wouldn’t you know it, one of the companies was handing out Poop Emoji stress balls as their booth giveaway – yes, I picked up two for my kids.
We saw creative inflatable companies displaying slides and large format movie screens, inspiring ideas for community activations. One standout was INSaNe Impact, which showcased LED screen technology perfect for events ranging from outdoor movie nights to large-scale concerts. These discoveries reinforced the value of NRPA as more than just a showcase for entertainment. It is a good place for us to identify innovative partners and tools that can help elevate the community programming we support. We often find an entity that breeds a new concept. Without sharing too much too soon, I’d expect Degy Concepts to launch at least one new event next year that was born from our discussions in the expo hall.
NRPA has quickly become a conference we won’t miss on the calendar. In fact, we anchored down our booths for next year while on-site in Orlando; we are already planning for Philadelphia 2026. This year’s conference was about more than booths and sessions. It was about the excitement of cities reimagining recreation, the positive conversations we had with buyers about interactive programming, and the pride of celebrating our military partners on a national stage.
Speaking for my colleagues, I can say that we left NRPA 2025 energized and confident in the role Degy plays in shaping this space. Parks and Recreation is not only an emerging market, but also one of the most exciting growth opportunities for community entertainment and municipal consulting. We will continue leading the way by helping cities and military installations deliver programming that engages, inspires, and lasts.
Whether you’re planning for an amphitheater, activating a band shell, or seeking fresh entertainment concepts for your city, Degy Entertainment is here to help. From consulting services to turnkey programs like The Dinner Detective, Headphone Disco, and Big Bounce America – we’ll partner with you to design experiences that connect your community.
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