Wow Your Community with an Epic Fireworks Display — Episode 055

With the end of the year rapidly approaching, many cities and
towns are gearing up for their annual celebrations to ring in the
New Year. And while there are a lot of ways you can make your
celebrations special, nothing quite brings it all together like a
good fireworks display.


On today’s episode, we’re joined by two people who not only know
a lot about putting on an epic fireworks display, they also take
a lot of pride in it. They presented a session at the 2019 NRPA
Annual Conference in Baltimore on the anatomy of a great
fireworks display, and recently had an article in the December
issue of Parks & Recreation magazine — and we’re excited to
chat with them on the show today.


We’re joined by John Prue, Installation Program Director at
Morale, Welfare & Recreation (MWR), Naval Station Great Lakes
in Illinois. John is also currently serving as the Chairperson
for the NRPA Conference Program Committee, which is currently
evaluating over 600 education session proposals that were
submitted for the 2020 NRPA Annual Conference. He is also an
elected member of the American Academy for Park and Recreation
Administration (AAPRA)


We’re also joined by John’s co-presenter from the conference,
Wynn Cramer, an event producer with Melrose Pyrotechnics, a
fireworks display company.


Tune in to the full episode below to hear us chat about the
things park and recreation agencies should consider when deciding
on a fireworks display at an event. We talk about everything from
doing the initial research and using resources from organizations
like the American Pyrotechnics Association, to finding the right
vendor, to using music and narration to add another layer to your
fireworks display.


We also discuss ways you can ensure people at your events aren’t
negatively impacted if they suffer from conditions like
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or sensory sensitivities.