McAllen Hotel Cutoff: April 30

Plan to attend our May 23-25, 2014, conference – make your McAllen conference hotel reservations today! The cutoff to guarantee our group rate is Wednesday, April 30.

OWAA’s headquarters hotel is The Embassy Suites, located at 1800 S. Second St., McAllen, Texas, 78503; 956-686-3000. Room rates are $109/night for single/double occupancy suites, including breakfast.

Join us in Texas – don’t miss these exciting sessions:

One-Minute Videos Using a Smartphone

• Friday, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
• Speakers: Mark Freeman, Mail Tribune; Cathy Noah, Mail Tribune
• Newspapers are now asking or even requiring reporters to add short videos to all their story packages for the Web. The latest trend is to shoot them with a smartphone. Learn how to quickly shoot, edit and post videos from the field with your phone.

Weed Walk

• Saturday, 7 – 8 a.m.
• Hosts: Rich Patterson; Hollie Johnston and Ken King, Valley Nature Center
• Join professional naturalist and former OWAA president Rich Patterson as well as local expert Ken King and Hollie Johnston from the Valley Nature Center on a one-hour non-strenuous walk to observe and learn about local flora and fauna as well as weeds common around the country. Many weeds found both in McAllen and throughout the world have fascinating histories. Spread by people because of their food or medicinal value, certain weeds have developed a strong following. They’re also extremely adaptable. Expand your knowledge of plant life locally and at home on this morning excursion.

Laugh ’til You Cry: How to Write Funny

• Sunday, 3:15 – 4:15 p.m.
• Speakers: Jim Burnett, author “Hey Ranger”; Kendall Hemphill, author “The Buck Never Got Here”
• Everyone likes a good story, especially if it can make us laugh, but many writers find humor to be a challenging genre. Kendall Hemphill and Jim Burnett have successfully translated the lighter side of outdoor life into books and articles, and they’ll share some tips and examples of their work in this lively session that will both inform — and entertain.