MISSOULA, Mont. – The Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) announced the launch of its first-ever online conference event. The one-and-a-half-day virtual conference will be held from June 26-27 and include a mix of newsmaker and craft improvement sessions as well as the annual Excellence in Craft and OWAA awards.
“The events of this year have caused many organizations, including ours, to adapt and evolve. While we can’t hold our usual in-person conference, we still felt we had the opportunity and ability to offer our members access to new professional development opportunities and a chance to connect with each other – all from the comfort and safety of their own homes,” said Chez Chesak, OWAA executive director.
Registration for the virtual event will open on May 26 and include access to keynote speaker sessions, multiple outdoor media expert panel discussions, presentations on current outdoor topics, issues, and techniques, and the popular “Meet the Editors” session which will feature access to media editors from a range of popular outdoor publications. Sessions will include:
Additionally, outdoor media who are not yet OWAA members will be able to register for this year’s event. All professional communicators dedicated to sharing the outdoor experience with the public are welcomed to attend. This will be an opportunity for potential members to network with current members and industry experts while gaining access to exclusive content and vendor deals.
“We really look forward to being able to offer this content to those OWAA members who might not have had the opportunity to travel to the conference before, and to introduce our content and programming to outdoor media that are new to our association,” added Chesak.
For updated information, continue to visit the conference page (https://owaa-oldsite.birchbarkmedia.com/2020conference/), which will be updated as new information comes available. The ‘early bird’ registration rates for the virtual conference will be:
- OWAA Members: $75 (after June 5 the rate will increase to $95)
- Members of State & Regional Outdoor Media Groups: $95 ($115 after June 5)
- Soon-to-be-Members: $115 ($135 after June 5)
In addition to the virtual event, OWAA will hold its annual membership meeting on the evening of Thursday, June 25 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The meeting will be free to attend by all active OWAA members and supporters.
Along with the virtual conference event, the newly appointed OWAA Online Content Development Committee and OWAA staff have been busy exploring new digital content offerings and virtual opportunities such as online workshops, webinars, seminars and expanded social media options for OWAA members throughout this year.
“We know not having those in-person connections will be difficult this year, but we hope to use this as a time to expand our programs that deliver content to our membership, leveraging technology as a tool to help members stay informed and connected during this challenging time – and well into the future,” said Tim Mead, OWAA president.
The Board of Directors of the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) voted unanimously to postpone the organization’s in-person 2020 conference scheduled to be held at the end of June at Vermont’s Jay Peak Resort. The conference will instead take place at Jay Peak in July of 2021.
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