OWAA announces location of 2017 annual conference

Explore Outside’s “Best Town Ever” during the 2017 OWAA conference

The Outdoor Writers Association of America has selected Duluth, Minnesota for three jam-packed days of sessions, demos, hospitalities and more.

Visit Duluth and local chair Michael Furtman look forward to welcoming OWAA to Duluth June 24-26, 2017.

“Outside magazine may have chosen Duluth in 2014 as America’s best outdoor town, but it is something that those of us who live here have long known,” Furtman said. “With Lake Superior at our front steps, and millions of acres of state and federal forest and wilderness out our back door, no one who loves the outdoors could ever be bored.

“We have world class mountain biking right in the city, with the shining star being the Duluth Traverse, a 100-mile biking course through forests and across streams. If fishing is your thing, the St. Louis River, reborn thanks to the Clean Water Act, is a legendary walleye fishery, and a producer of large northern pike, musky and some dandy smallmouth angling. The famous Brule River and its hexagenia mayfly hatch (should be going on at the time of the conference) is but an hour away for those who prefer fly-fishing. Whitewater and sea kayaking can be done right in town, and wilderness canoe trips to the Boundary Waters, a couple hours north, will keep paddlers busy. Want to fish the big lake? Charter captains leave from right in front of the convention center, with native lake trout waiting for you just minutes from the dock.”

All conference sessions will take place at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center overlooking Lake Superior. The Harbor Side Convention Center provides state-of-the-art facilities, stunning views and privacy from the rest of facility.

Between your pre- and post-conference adventures, the host hotel for the 2017 conference is the Radisson Hotel Duluth-Harborview, which boasts $109/night room rates that include complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, use of their indoor pool and sauna, fitness and business centers and a complimentary airport shuttle. And don’t forget to visit their revolving rooftop restaurant that offers panoramic views of Lake Superior.

The United Sportsmen Retreat will host a combined Demo and Shooting Day. UNS is Minnesota’s largest and most active conservation club located a short 25 minute drive from downtown Duluth. Its shooting facilities include firing lanes from 25 to 300 yards, an archery range and a trap shooting range. And itsproperty is located on Island Lake with a boat launch and five docks providing ample facilities for fishing, canoeing and boats of all sizes.

The 1996 OWAA conference in Duluth was one of the best attended conferences we’ve ever held and we look forward to returning. The 2017 OWAA conference is sure to provide outdoor activities and experiences to suit any attendee, all while helping to boost career, expand your professional networks or promote your products or campaigns.

Details about the Duluth conference will be posted at http://old.owaa-oldsite.birchbarkmedia.com/2017conference as they become available.

We hope to see you there!