Recreation Experience Community Network

What Recreation Experience Community Network does

Recreation Experience Community Network (REC Net) is a private non-profit professional association founded in 1981 (formerly RCRA — Recreation and Camp Resort Association) that serves the recreation, hospitality, tourism, and guest experience industries. It operates as a multi-sided membership community connecting four distinct member types: working professionals (such as resort recreation directors and activity managers), educators at universities teaching recreation and hospitality programs, students pursuing degrees in these fields, and vendor companies supplying products and services to the industry.

The association's core offerings are the annual National Conference (held each November at rotating US resort locations), the REC Net Roundtable Podcast, monthly REC Net Hotline live meetups, member and vendor directories, a free job and internship board, a blog, and a structured awards program that includes the Howard Uibel Lifetime Achievement Award, the Fellowship Award, and the Andy Holdnak Award Gala. The technical infrastructure is a standard association management platform provided by GrowthZone, which handles member portals, directories, event registration, and content management — there is no proprietary technology platform.

REC Net generates revenue through membership dues (subscription model) and National Conference fees and sponsorships. Job postings are offered free to members. The organization is led by an elected board of directors, with Gary Bleil serving as 2026 President and Annie Pilek as 2026 Past President. The headquarters is a PO Box in Fernandina Beach, Florida, and the organization employs 5 people. It serves the US Southeast, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic regions with no evidence of global operations.

Name

Recreation Experience Community Network

Legal name

Recreation Experience Community Network

Website

https://rec-network.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Recreation Experience Community Network (REC Net) is a non-profit professional association founded in 1981 that connects recreation, hospitality, and tourism professionals, educators, students, and vendors through an annual national conference, podcasts, meetups, directories, and awards programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports & Recreation Lessons (Surfing, Skiing, Golf, Tennis) (THAJAKAN), Community Sports & Recreation Festivals (Fun Runs, Local Games Days) (MPAGAEAN)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Recreation industry networking
• Hospitality professional development
• Industry conference services
• Trade association membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Fernandina Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Professional association membership fees from Professionals, Educators, Students, and Vendors. Members gain access to member-only resources, directories, job postings, hotline meetups, and conference registration discounts.
2. National Conference Revenue: Registration fees and vendor sponsorships from the annual National Conference held each November. Conference generates revenue through attendee fees, vendor exhibition booths, and sponsorship packages.
3. Job Postings: Free job and internship posting platform for REC Net members to list positions at their properties or companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Recreation Experience Community Network (REC Net) is a nonprofit professional association that provides networking, professional development, and educational resources for the recreation and hospitality industry. It offers an annual National Conference, monthly REC Net Hotline meetups, a podcast, member and vendor directories, a job board, and a structured industry awards program serving professionals, educators, students, and vendors.

Product overview

REC Net is a professional association providing a unified platform for recreation industry professionals, educators, students, and vendors. The core offering centers on the annual National Conference (held each fall), supplemented by monthly REC Net Hotline meetups (radio-style live sessions) and the REC Net Roundtable Podcast. Members access the Member Directory and Vendor Directory for networking, a Jobs & Internships Board for career opportunities, Blog and News sections for industry insights, and Awards & Recognition programs including the Andy Holdnak Award Gala. The association also supports members through the Research Symposium and a Membership Referral Program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• REC Net Roundtable Podcast: The official podcast of REC Net featuring discussions on recreation, education, and community engagement topics.

Products and services

• REC Net Membership Recurring professional association membership sold to recreation industry professionals, educators, students, and vendor companies. Members gain access to member directories, job postings, hotline meetups, conference registration discounts, and industry resources.
• National Conference Annual fall conference bringing together recreation professionals, educators, students, and vendors for networking, professional development, educational sessions, and awards. Locations rotate annually, with the 2026 edition scheduled for Eagle Ridge Resort in Galena, Illinois (November 14-17) and the 2025 edition held at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, South Carolina (November 8-11).
• Awards & Recognition Program Annual industry awards program recognizing excellence in the recreation industry through categories such as Excellence in Research, Fellowship, Lifetime Achievement, Innovation, Outstanding Student, Outstanding Vendor, Excellence in Programming (large/medium/small scale and ongoing), Newcomer, and Service. Includes the Andy Holdnak Award Gala and REC Net Awards Luncheon.
• Jobs & Internships Board Free job posting platform for REC Net members to list full-time, part-time, seasonal, and internship positions at their properties or companies across the recreation industry, including roles like resort activities director, recreation supervisor, and entertainment director.
• Research Symposium Academic research presentation track within the National Conference focusing on recreation industry research and scholarship, with awards such as the Excellence in Research Award given to doctoral students.

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Club Managers Association of America (CMAA): CMAA is the professional association for club management professionals (golf, country, athletic clubs) with CMAA World Conference and a member directory. It directly parallels REC Net's model of serving hospitality/lifestyle venue managers with conferences, recognition programs, and member services.
• American Resort Development Association (ARDA): ARDA is the trade association for the timeshare and resort industry, with annual conferences (ARDA World) serving resort operators and vendors. REC Net's resort recreation professionals and resort vendor members make it a directly comparable association serving overlapping resort industry constituents.
• American Camp Association (ACA): ACA is a national professional association serving camp directors, staff, and educators with accreditation, an annual conference, and member benefits. It overlaps with REC Net's recreation professional audience and shares the professional-association hosting conferences model.
• International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA): IAAPA is the global professional association for the attractions industry, hosting IAAPA Expo annually and serving operators, suppliers, and educators. REC Net's vendor members (e.g., Majestic Circus) and resort-programming focus place it in a directly comparable niche association-and-expo model.

Broad incumbents

• Events Industry Council (EIC): EIC is the federation of trade associations serving the global events industry, producing the CIC designation and industry research. REC Net's event programming and vendor exhibition model position it as a niche counterpart within the broader events association ecosystem.
• National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA): NRPA is the largest US professional association for park and recreation professionals, offering certifications, an annual congress, and member resources. It overlaps directly with REC Net's target audience of recreation professionals and operates the same association-and-conference model at much greater scale.
• Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI): HSMAI is a global professional association for hospitality sales, marketing, and revenue optimization professionals, with chapter events and an annual conference. It serves an overlapping hospitality industry audience with REC Net's resort and recreation members, though focused on commercial rather than recreation roles.

Others

• Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP): AFP is a large nonprofit professional association for fundraising professionals. REC Net shares the same nonprofit professional-association structure (membership dues, annual conference, awards, chapters) and is comparable in operating model even though it serves a different industry vertical.

Regional players

• Destination International: Destination International is the global trade association for destination marketing organizations (DMOs), with annual convention and member services. It overlaps with REC Net's tourism and hospitality recreation audience, particularly destination experience programming.
• Outdoor Industry Association (OIA): OIA is a US-based trade association serving outdoor recreation brands, with Outdoor Retailer trade shows and member programs. REC Net's outdoor recreation professionals (e.g., AnythingWeather, Epic Outdoor Cinema vendors) connect it to OIA's outdoor recreation industry constituency.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rcraorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/recnetworkorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/recnetworkorg
• Instagraminstagram.com/rec_networkorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Recreation Experience Community Network