Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association

What Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association does

Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association (TRPA) is a non-profit professional membership association serving parks and recreation professionals, municipal and county government staff, and related commercial vendors in the state of Tennessee. Headquartered at a mailing address in Franklin, TN, the organization provides a bundled membership offering consisting of access to an online member directory, a private Facebook peer community, a job postings board, certification resources (CPRP/CPRE), scholarships, awards programs, an annual conference, and advocacy representation. Its primary persona is the Tennessee parks and recreation professional, with a secondary business segment consisting of commercial vendors (playgrounds, turf, lighting, aquatics, safety, software/technology, events/programs, park equipment) that gain marketplace visibility through a Buyer's Guide directory and homepage logo placement.

The underlying technology stack is conventional association management infrastructure: a public marketing website at trpa.net and a member portal at members.trpa.net, both operated on GrowthZone AMS, with a Junolive-powered community engagement module and an external e-commerce storefront at trpastore.itemorder.com for branded merchandise. There is no proprietary technology product, mobile application, or API surface; the value to members derives from the curated community, network effects, and content/events rather than software differentiation. Distribution is self-service through the member portal for both individual and organization-owned membership applications, with marketing reach through organic social (Facebook, Twitter/X), the website, and email.

Revenue is generated through four streams: individual and organizational membership dues, commercial member/sponsorship fees (with directory and homepage logo placement as the principal benefit), event registration (anchored by the annual conference with program and host committees), and one-time merchandise sales through the TRPA Store. Membership pricing is not publicly disclosed. TRPA is governed by a Board of Directors including a President (Chris Clark), Vice President (Seth Rodgers), President Elect (Christi David), Past President (Tiffany McCollins), Treasurer/Secretary (Randy Crawley, Jr), and three district directors representing East (Chris Hern), West (Molly Glass), and Central (JP Kraft) Tennessee, with additional branch and committee chairs. The organization is independently operated with no parent company, no disclosed institutional funding, and no equity structure; it is a member-supported 501-style non-profit with no public listing.

Name

Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association

Legal name

Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association

Website

https://trpa.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association (TRPA) is a non-profit professional membership association serving parks and recreation professionals and commercial vendors across Tennessee, offering a member directory, private peer community, Buyer's Guide, annual conference, and advocacy programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)

Keywords

• Professional association membership
• Parks and recreation advocacy
• Professional development conferences
• Industry buyer directory
• Scholarship and awards programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Franklin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

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: Individual and organization membership subscriptions providing access to the member directory, private Facebook page, career resources, and professional development.
2. Commercial Membership/Sponsorships: Commercial members (vendors, suppliers) receive visibility through the Buyer's Guide directory and logo placement on the homepage.
3. Events: Event calendar and registration for conferences, including the annual conference with program and host committees.
4. TRPA Store: Online merchandise store for TRPA branded swag.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association (TRPA) is a non-profit professional membership association serving parks and recreation professionals across Tennessee. It delivers individual and organization-owned memberships, an annual conference, an online commercial member Buyer's Guide directory, advocacy on legislative/regulatory issues affecting the field, and a merchandise store. The organization is headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee and acts as a central community hub for its members.

Product overview

Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association (TRPA) is a professional membership association that provides services to parks and recreation professionals across Tennessee. The organization's offerings center on membership benefits including access to a private Facebook community for peer networking, an online membership directory, scholarships, awards programs, career resources, event calendars, and a buyers guide directory connecting members with commercial vendors in the parks and recreation industry. TRPA does not offer a proprietary software product or technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Membership Annual membership for individual parks and recreation professionals in Tennessee, providing access to the association's network, resources, advocacy, and member benefits.
• Organization-Owned Membership Annual membership purchased by parks and recreation departments/agencies on behalf of multiple staff members, conferring membership benefits across the team.
• Commercial Membership Annual membership for vendors and businesses serving the parks and recreation industry, including listing in the online Buyer's Guide directory and sponsorship opportunities.
• Annual Conference Yearly multi-day professional development and networking conference for parks and recreation professionals in Tennessee, with educational sessions, exhibits, and awards.
• Buyer's Guide Directory Online vendor directory listing commercial members that supply products and services to the parks and recreation industry, enabling members to discover vendors.
• TRPA Merchandise Store Online store selling branded merchandise and apparel such as shirts, hats, and accessories to members and supporters of the association.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

34 partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• 80 West GroupminorOthersCommercial member with logo displayed on TRPA homepage. 80 West Group provides services to the parks and recreation industry.
• Anderson Mulch & Soil, LLCminorOthersCommercial member. Manufactures landscape mulches and certified playground mulch. Listed under Park Equipment category.
• ArborPro, Inc.minorOthersCommercial member. Tree care and arborist services provider based in Thompson's Station, TN. Listed under Software/Technology category.
• Bliss Products & ServicesminorOthersCommercial member. Playground and recreation equipment supplier. Listed under Playgrounds category.
• Bluegrass Recreation Sales and InstallationminorOthersCommercial member. Provides playground surfacing, shade, and outdoor amenities. Listed under Playgrounds category.
• Carolina Recreation and DesignminorOthersCommercial member. Playground equipment provider. Listed under Playgrounds category.
• Cunningham Recreation/GameTimeminorOthersCommercial member. Playground and recreation equipment provider. Listed under Playgrounds category.
• Great Southern RecreationminorOthersCommercial member. Designs, sells and builds commercial playgrounds, splashpads, site amenities, pavilions, and sunshades.
• Kompan PlaygroundsminorOthersCommercial member. International playground equipment manufacturer. Listed under Playgrounds category.
• Mid-South Recreation, Inc.minorOthersCommercial member. Playground equipment provider. Listed under Playgrounds category.
• Miracle Playgrounds of KY & TNminorOthersCommercial member. Playground equipment provider serving Kentucky and Tennessee. Listed under Playgrounds category.
• Musco Sports LightingminorOthersCommercial member. Sports field lighting solutions. Listed under Lighting category.
• Outdoorlink IncminorOthersCommercial member. Cellular-based smart controller system for sports lighting and electrical asset management. Listed under Lighting category.
• Recreational ConceptsminorOthersCommercial member. Playground and recreation equipment provider based in Cookeville, TN. Listed under Playgrounds category.
• Rec TechnologiesminorOthersCommercial member. Mobile-first, AI-enabled software for parks and recreation. Listed under Software/Technology category. Works with 30+ cities including San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Torrance.
• Sport Surface Pros, LLCminorOthersCommercial member. Tennis court builder and contractor. Builds and resurfaces tennis, pickleball, basketball and play courts. Listed under Specialty Parks category.
• SportsEdgeminorOthersCommercial member. Sports court and recreation surface solutions. Listed under Specialty Parks category.
• Vortex Aquatic Structures InternationalminorOthersCommercial member. World leader in aquatic play landscapes and entertainment with over 9,000 installations in 50 countries. Founded in 1995 with the first Splashpad. Listed under Specialty Parks/Aquatics category.
• iStrike by AnythingWeatherminorOthersCommercial member. Lightning alerting services and sirens for parks, pools, golf courses and outdoor events. Includes live radar, lightning strikes mapped, and NWS warnings. Listed under Safety category.
• Hustler TurfminorOthersCommercial member. Commercial zero-turn mowers. Listed under Turf category.
• Smith Turf and IrrigationminorOthersCommercial member. Commercial, golf course, and residential irrigation and equipment. Listed under Turf category.
• Goat TurfminorOthersCommercial member. Artificial turf products. Listed under Turf category.
• FlexirocksminorOthersCommercial member. Playground and recreation surfacing products. Listed under Turf category.
• NetZero USAminorOthersCommercial member. Energy-efficient lighting solutions. Listed under Lighting category.
• Spartan Sports LightingminorOthersCommercial member. Turnkey sports lighting solutions. Listed under Lighting category.
• Christmas Decor Plus MoreminorOthersCommercial member. Holiday lighting services. Listed under Lighting category.
• Pyrotecnico FireworksminorOthersCommercial member. Fireworks for events. Listed under Events/Programs category.
• Pyro Shows, Inc.minorOthersCommercial member. Fireworks for events. Listed under Events/Programs category.
• USTA TennesseeminorOthersCommercial member. Youth and adult tennis programs throughout Tennessee. Listed under Events/Programs category.
• Braves Country Youth AssociationminorOthersCommercial member. Youth baseball and softball state tournaments. Listed under Events/Programs category.
• BCI BurkeminorOthersCommercial member. Playground equipment provider. Listed under Playgrounds category.
• Nevco SportsminorOthersCommercial member. Athletic equipment provider. Listed under Park Equipment category.
• Kiefer USAminorOthersCommercial member. Athletic flooring products. Listed under Park Equipment category.
• Grand Slam SafetyminorOthersCommercial member. Safety equipment provider. Listed under Park Equipment category.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA): The national professional membership association for park and recreation professionals in the U.S. NRPA operates at scale with certification (CPRP/CPRE), advocacy, and an annual conference — overlapping directly with TRPA's mission but at a national scope.

Regional players

• Kentucky Recreation and Park Society: Kentucky's statewide parks and recreation professional association with membership, conference, and certification support — directly comparable to TRPA but in an adjacent regional geography rather than a competitor.
• Virginia Recreation and Park Society: Virginia's statewide recreation and parks professional association offering membership, training events, advocacy, and awards — analogous structure to TRPA in an adjacent southeastern/mid-Atlantic state.

Direct peers

• Texas Recreation and Park Society: Larger state-level professional association for Texas parks and recreation professionals with membership, an annual conference, certification, and a vendor directory — same business model as TRPA but at a much larger scale.
• Florida Recreation and Park Association: Florida's statewide parks and recreation professional association offering memberships, annual conference, certification pathways, and advocacy — directly comparable to TRPA in mission and operating model.
• South Carolina Recreation and Park Association: State-level professional association for South Carolina park and recreation professionals with membership, events, awards, and advocacy — same operating model as TRPA in a neighboring southeastern state.
• Alabama Recreation and Parks Society: Alabama's statewide parks and recreation professional association offering memberships, annual conference, awards, and advocacy — directly comparable in size and structure to TRPA in a neighboring southeastern state.
• Georgia Recreation and Park Association: State-level professional membership association for parks and recreation professionals in Georgia with the same operating model (memberships, events, Buyer's Guide, advocacy, certifications) — a near-clone peer to TRPA in adjacent geography.
• North Carolina Recreation and Park Association: Statewide North Carolina association serving parks and recreation professionals with membership, training, events, and a Buyer's Guide/vendor directory — a direct analog to TRPA's offerings.

Others

• American Alliance for Active Lifestyles and Fitness (AAALF): Adjacent membership body supporting parks, recreation, and active-lifestyle professionals through advocacy and resources. Thematically related to TRPA's mission but oriented around active-lifestyle policy and not a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/TnRecParks
• Facebookfacebook.com/TRPA.net
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tennessee-recreation-and-parks-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association