Outdoor Recreation Professionals Find Inspiration in Duluth

Illustration by Carmen Segovia

National Outdoor Recreation Conference
May 11–14, 2026
Duluth, Minnesota
Attendees: 458
Exhibitors: 54 (including three tribal nations), and six additional sponsors

The host destination of Duluth, Minnesota, practically handed organizers of the 2026 National Outdoor Recreation Conference (NORC) their event theme: “Outdoor Recreation: Pathways to Restoration and Revitalization” — a nod to Duluth’s industrial past and present. More specifically, the theme highlighted “how the community, including the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, has embraced restoration of lands and waters and access to the outdoors as a way to revitalize the economy, public health, and environmental stewardship,” said Rachel Franchina, executive director of the Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals, which organizes NORC. Although this theme may seem overly specific to Duluth, “it resonated with attendees,” she said, “because many communities across the U.S. and Canada are grappling with the same issues.”

The four-day gathering for 450-plus professionals who work in outdoor recreation included educational sessions, keynotes, field workshops, and social events. For the field workshops, the NORC team worked closely with local outdoor and conservation leaders to identify area outdoor recreation sites that exemplify how land managers, community members, and businesses work together to support recreation and conservation. In a half-day excursion, for example, “Restoration of Lands and Waters” workshop participants explored Wisconsin Point, a three-mile-long freshwater sandbar, and visited the Lake Superior Estuarium, a natural history museum.

The conference, Franchina said, aims to bridge the gap between investing to increase outdoor access and investing in something that has not kept pace: the skilled professionals needed to plan for and manage that demand. But “perhaps more importantly,” she said, “we bring people together to learn from each other and understand that many outdoor recreation managers are dealing with the same challenges.”

Making Connections

Social functions included:

Monday Night Poster Reception — Along with poster displays and exhibitor booths, a silent auction raised funds for NORC’s scholarship program.

Morning Runs — NORC partnered with the Northern Minnesota Track Club to plan and lead two morning 5K runs around the Duluth waterfront.

Tuesday Night Social — Hosted by the Duluth Area Outdoor Alliance at the Great Lakes Aquarium, the event gave attendees the chance to fill their Bingo cards and win a prize as well as meet with local nonprofit organizations and land managers stationed around the venue.

Jennifer N. Dienst is Convene‘s senior editor.

Visit the Archive

• Read past installments of There’s a Meeting For That