Conference

2024 CONFERENCE ONLINE VENUE

Click the link below to access 2024 Conference online venue to view the conference packet and complete session evaluations. 

2024 CONFERENCE ONLINE VENUE

Click the link below to access 2024 Conference online venue to view the conference packet and complete session evaluations. 

Overview

Join us on Thursday, March 28th through Friday, March 29th, 2024 for the opportunity to further your skills and knowledge of Recreational Therapy! 

Venue 

Utah Valley Convention Center

220 W Center St, Provo, UT 84601

Theme

Ignite your Passion, Expand your Impact

Party

Thursday March 28th from 6:30pm-8:30pm. Join us for some hors d’oeuvres and help solve a Murder Mystery at the Utah Valley Convention Center. 


Disclaimers and Policies

Access to Member Drive (Conference Packet and Hand Outs) and Personal CEU Drive (CEU Certificate)

Do your best to provide and use a Google Account (Gmail or a work sponsored G Suite Account) to be able to access the handouts, Member Drive, and your personal CEU Drive where you will get your CEU certificate after conference.

Professionalism

Please act respectfully and professionally when interacting with others.

Professional Status vs. Student Status

If you are a licensed TRS in the state of Utah but are attending school for further education, you must still register as a Professional in order to receive CEU credit.

Parking

Parking will be available at the Convention Center.

Hotels Nearby

Provo Marriott

Hyatt Place

ADA Disclosure

The Utah Recreation Therapy Association (URTA) will comply with the American Disabilities Act (ADA). We invite any participant with special needs to contact us at utahrectherapy@gmail.com upon registration for special accommodations.


Rates

All Registrations include 2024 URTA Membership, opportunity to attend 2 hour suicide prevention training, and networking. 

Professional Registration includes CEUs.

Student Registration does not include CEUs.

Minimal onsite day-of registration will be available this year.

30 online attendance spots will be available this year. These will be primarily used and intended for people out of state, new parents, and hardship requests. 

2024 Rates - Conference

Registration

Registration will be completed via Google Forms and Square. After registration is received we will email you a separate Square invoice to complete payment. 

Group registration is available but it is important that each person is registered with their own email in order to facilitate conference and other URTA communications.


Online Remote Attendance Information

Student Scholarship Application

This year students will have the opportunity to apply for a scholarship to attend conference.  This scholarship is available to undergraduate recreational therapy students from the University of Utah and Brigham Young University-Idaho. The scholarship includes conference registration, one-year membership to URTA, two meals each day (continental breakfast, lunch, and hor d’eurves at the conference party), and opportunities for networking. This is a “working scholarship.” Students will assist in implementing the Utah Recreation Therapy Association 2024 Conference on March 28-29. Responsibilities may include introducing speakers, punching CEU sheets, monitoring the silent auction, and assisting with registration. Students will be expected to assist with one full day of conference and can attend the second day without scholarship responsibilities. Please share your availability for one or both days of conference. 

DEADLINE: Student Scholarship Applications need to be emailed to utahrectherapy@gmail.com by Wednesday, January 24th, 2024 with all attachments.

Click the form below for application instructions. 

URTA Student Scholarship.pdf

Call for Presenters

It’s that time of year again! Conference is around the corner, and we are looking for presenters to help facilitate educational and uplifting experiences focused around Therapeutic Recreation as we move into the future with our profession. Please submit your presentations and handouts early enough so we can plan an effective conference.

This year we have also included a Call for Presenters Submissions Outline to help you gather the necessary information BEFORE submitting the official form. 

As always, we appreciate your quick submission of your presentation(s) and handouts. This gives us time to review and approve your presentation, and/or handouts, then input the information into the conference packet. Overall, it helps us plan an effective conference that contains useful information for URTA Members and the profession.

If you are interested in presenting but need some ideas of topics or populations to present on, here are a few that have been requested:


Discounts and Deadlines

Please review the Call for Presenters Submission Outline to help gather all information required to complete all questions required. You will not be approved to present until you fill out the Call for Presenters form out in full. 

Pre-Recording Your Session

This year URTA will have a limited online attendance option for registrants. This requires pre-recorded sessions of your presentation with your permission. These will be primarily used for people out of state, new parents, and hardship requests. We are offering an additional $25 off of conference registration OR a $25 Amazon GiftCard for each presentation (not for each presenter) for your willingness to help more people access CEUs. This incentive is separate from all other presenter discounts. Please mark on your Call for Presenters Form if you are interested in pre-recording. We encourage and appreciate all who are willing to participate. We will also need a solid commitment of your intent to submit a pre-recording of your presentation by December 23rd,  2023.  Directions for format and uploading of presentations will be sent to all those indicating interest on the call for presenters form. Your submission needs to be received by URTA by March 8, 2024, which is roughly 3 weeks prior to conference. 


Presentations are due by the following dates. 

November 17th, 2023 for up to $100 off registration for presenter(s).

December 23rd, 2023 for up to $75 off registration for presenter(s).

January 26th, 2024 for up to $50 off registration for presenter(s).


Acceptance

Approved presentations will be notified by December 31st, 2023 or 2 weeks after submission.


Disclaimers

1. Discounts are limited to one presentation and the discount will be divided among the number of presenters. If the presenter submits several presentations, they will be eligible for the highest calculated discount of all their submissions. The maximum discount a presenter could receive is $100.

2. Please fill out the form completely before submitting.

3. Everyone is encouraged to present, but discounts are limited to those registering as professionals, not students.

4. Per Presentation Guidelines, TRTs may present up to 50% of the allotted time with a TRS or MTRS presenting the rest.

5. Allied professionals must relate their topic to TR/RT.


The Utah Recreation Therapy Association (URTA) will comply with the American Disabilities Act (ADA). We invite any participant with special needs to contact us at utahrectherapy@gmail.com upon registration for special accommodations.

Call for Poster Session Presenters

URTA is excited to announce and open this year's poster session to all members! Do you have information to share? Submit a poster! Presenting a poster can earn you 2 CEUs!

Are you implementing successful and unique interventions and have the documentation to prove it - we want to see it! Are you using a theory to guide your program? We want to hear about it! Are you advocating for RT with a theoretical framework - then we want to know about it! One of the best parts about our annual conference is learning and networking with each other. This poster session is for you if you want to share what you have found through your programming, what theories have supported your program, and how you are advocating for your RT community. 


Posters will be displayed for the duration of conference and presenters will be expected to stand by their poster to discuss and answer questions on Thursday, March 28 right after lunch. 

Please review all of the following information and guidelines on poster presentation form below. 

Deadline

Presenters are responsible for printing their own poster this year. 

Submit your poster PDF presentation by Friday, March 1, 2024 by emailing your file to westenskow.becca@gmail.com and include “Poster Presentation” and your full name in the subject line.


The Utah Recreation Therapy Association (URTA) will comply with the American Disabilities Act (ADA). We invite any participant with special needs to contact us at utahrectherapy@gmail.com upon registration for special accommodations.

2024 URTA Call for Poster Presenters

Sponsorship and Vendors

Sponsorship

$250 +1 Raffle Item Donation


Vendor

2 Day Vendor Table $150 +1 Raffle Item Donation: Vendor table provided for both days of conference. URTA introduces your company during the raffle. 

1 Day Vendor Table $100 +1 Raffle Item Donation: Vendor table provided for 1 day (Please notify which day on the registration form). URTA introduces your company during the raffle.

Call for Silent Auction Items

Make a donation to our Silent Auction!

The Utah Recreation Therapy Association (URTA) and Therapeutic Recreation Foundation (TRF), are non-profit organizations with the missions of promoting the professional development of recreation therapy in the State of Utah. Part of our mission is providing scholarship opportunities for students engaging in an approved TR program at a neighboring university. This is accomplished through the Silent Auction proceeds from the larger community. 

The silent auction will be available for attendees to bid on donated items during the in-person conference. 

Please contact our Silent Auction Coordinator Jenna Spendlove at jenna.d.spendlove@gmail.comto arrange a pick up or drop off. 

Call for Nominations for Award Recognition

Know someone who is awesome and is passionate about recreation therapy? Nominate them for recognition and an award at the annual Utah Recreation Therapy Conference! Each year URTA Members and friends are recognized for their hard work and dedication to the profession in the following categories: Outstanding Member, Distinguished Service, Outstanding Program, Community Service. 

Visit the 2024 Membership Directory to connect with and learn about other URTA Members.

Only current URTA Members can submit nominations. The qualifications for each award have been updated so please read them closely and be specific in how your nominee meets the criteria as you write your nomination. Please provide compelling reasons for each person you nominate. Also include valid contact information.

Submit all nominations by 1/31/2024.

New this year, an awards committee will blindly rate each nomination (after any identifying information has been removed) based on the criteria to select the recipient of each award. 

Call for Nominations for Board of Directors

Nominations are also submitted for candidates to serve on the Board of Directors, which oversees the Executive Committee.

The qualifications for a nominee to serve on the URTA Board of Directors are:

Please check with the person you are nominating before you nominate them as this is a 3 year commitment and we need someone who is willing to do this the entire time.

The entire URTA membership is invited to vote on all qualifying nominations.

Submit all nominations by 1/31/2024.