A STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE FOR COMMUNITY REC EXECUTIVES

The Community Rec Leadership Summit is an invite-only experience designed for C-suite and senior leaders who are responsible for guiding their organizations through increasing complexity — workforce challenges, financial pressure, evolving community expectations and the need to innovate without losing mission alignment.

This is not a trade show.

It’s a peer-driven leadership environment built to help you think strategically, learn from those facing the same realities and return with ideas you can act on immediately.

Request an Invitation Download the Top Insights from 2026 Are You a Sponsor? Learn More Here FAQ

YOU’RE LEADING THROUGH MORE COMPLEXITY THAN EVER

Community recreation leaders today face a unique set of challenges:

Balancing mission-driven impact with financial sustainability
Navigating staffing shortages, leadership development, and retention
Meeting evolving community needs across health, wellness, and engagement
Making high-stakes decisions without a trusted peer sounding board

Leadership at this level can feel isolating — and the stakes are too high to figure it out alone.

The Community Rec Leadership Summit exists because great leaders grow faster when they learn from other great leaders. Everything about this Summit is intentional — from the venue to the agenda to the people in the room.

• Invite-only attendance to ensure peer alignment

• Facilitated discussions led by experienced moderators

• Integrated networking through meals and shared experiences

• Strategic vendor engagement designed to add value, not distraction

This is a space built for honest leadership dialogue.

The Leadership Summit will be held at the Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, a four-star hotel located in California.

MORE ABOUT THE RESORT

This Summit is designed specifically for:

• CEOs, Executive Directors, and Presidents
• COOs, CFOs, and senior operational leaders
• Department heads and division leaders preparing for enterprise-level responsibility
• Decision-makers responsible for growth, culture, and community impact

Attendance is intentionally limited to 60 to preserve the quality of discussion and connection.

The cost to attend is $595 and includes all food and beverage during event times, all activities, and inclusion in all roundtables. Hotel rates are $319/night plus taxes. Rates are offered three days pre and post event, pending availability. To attend as a sponsor, contact rico@peakemedia.com for sponsorship pricing.

Interested in Joining Us?

Step 1: Request an Invitation

Share a few details to let us know you’re interested. This invite-only Summit is designed for senior leaders from YMCAs, JCCs and community recreation organizations.

Click Here to Request an Invitation

Step 2: Confirm the Right Fit

A member of our team will personally follow up to confirm availability, answer questions and ensure the Summit aligns with your role, organization and current priorities.

Step 3: Join a Trusted Peer Community

If accepted, you’ll receive a formal invitation to join a highly curated group of community recreation executives focused on sustainable growth, leadership and community impact.

Tiered Pricing for Events

Best price

Early Bird Special
^$595/mo
October 16 deadline

General Admission
^$795/mo
January 22 deadline

The Itinerary

5:30 – 8:30 pm PT • Welcome Reception + Dinner

Meet your fellow peers over drinks and dinner, breaking the ice on the first evening of the Summit.

7:30 – 8:30 am • Networking Breakfast

8:30 – 9:15 am • Keynote: Building Community Inside and Out with Rajiv Mehta from Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute

9:20 – 10:20 am • Demo Time

10:25 am – 11:40 am • Roundtable 1: Remaining Relevant vs. For-Profit Clubs — Sponsored by Keiser

11:45 – 12:45 pm • Demo Time

12:45 – 1:45 pm • Networking Lunch — Sponsored by Arly

1:45 – 3 pm • Roundtable 2: Engaging Youth Today — Sponsored by NinjaZone

3 – 5:30 pm •One-on-One Networking: Set-up meetings with other attendees or sponsors, and/or enjoy the resort!

6 – 9 pm • Networking Dinner — Sponsored by Arly

7:30 – 8:30 am • Networking Breakfast

8:30 – 9:45 am • Roundtable 3: Creative Revenue Streams Outside of Membership — Sponsored by Traction Rec

9:50 – 10:50 am • Demo Time

11 am – 12:15 pm • Roundtable 4: Leading Through Uncertainty — Sponsored by Active Network

12:15 – 1:15 pm • Networking Lunch

1:15 – 2 pm • Trends & Insights Panel

4 – 8 pm • Networking Dinner at Metate Ranch

Today we head to a private dinner at the 800-acre Metate Ranch, located in the Indio Hills. As the sun sets over the desert landscape, enjoy games, village tours, a DJ and jeep rides. A buffet dinner complete with s’mores will cap off the evening as we say cheers to an incredible week of education and networking.

What they're saying ...

I love being able to connect with my peers, people I haven’t had a chance to see in a long time from all over the country. The leaders here are the right leaders to be able to have some really deep conversations about what’s happening in our current environment and landscape, so I found it extremely beneficial to hear what others are doing and bounce ideas off each other.
Louis Lopez, President and CEO, YMCA of Greater San Antonio
I’m someone who thrives on relationship development and networking, and the amount of diverse leadership that was present at this summit was awesome. My top takeaway from this event was it’s not about competition, it’s about collaboration.
Adam Shilling, CEO, Buckeye Valley Family YMCA
Sales is all about getting to know people and building relationships, and the summit fostered an environment that allowed us to really make those connections. It’s invaluable.
Kevin Williams, EGYM, Senior Sales Executive
Being part of a likeminded group with others and other organizations has been really impactful and beneficial to me, as a leader, but also as someone in a community to be able to get new ideas.
Sabrina Smeltz, CEO, Wakeman Boys & Girls Club
It’s been great connecting with the different vendors, as well as the other peers from around the country. I really appreciated the full day where we leaned into probably some atypical topics around DNI and mental health. I think those are really important topics for leaders in this sector to really lean into because it’s facing all of us.
Todd Tibbits, President and CEO, YMCA of San Diego County
One of the things I appreciated the most was the format – these roundtable discussions with some of the most innovative thinkers around the country. The discussion was really high level. Working for the JCC, I’m fortunate to be surrounded by a lot of great contacts and colleagues, and now that network has only expanded. I’m really grateful for the takeaway of a whole new group of colleagues.
Raychel Reilly, COO, Binghamton JCC
I really didn’t know what to expect coming in and was pleasantly surprised Day One that not only was there dedicated time to talk to all the attendees but that we were going to be involved in all the sessions. We’ll be back next year.
Cody Norton, Daxko, VP, Sales
You gave us great exposure as a sponsor. You did some special touches that really allowed a sponsor to feel very proud to be a sponsor of this event, especially since it’s the first. That says a lot, and I know it’ll be even better in the future.
Antonio Battaglia, Arly, President & COO
I had an amazing experience and I really appreciated the format. I’ve been to bigger trade shows which are Vegas-like in quality, and in terms of value, the value I received from being at this conference far exceeds anything I’ve been to before.
Hailee Bland-Walsh, Fit Truk, Co-Founder