2022 CONFERENCE

Save the date and make plans to join OWAA in Casper, Wyoming at the Ramkota Hotel, May 21-23, 2022.

Overview

Network with other professionals, find opportunities to sell your work and hone your communications skills. Meet with America’s best in outdoor communication and attend seminars on writing, photography, broadcasting, book publishing, technology and more. From national spokespeople to local experts, get the facts and the quotes you need from newsmaker sessions, exhibitor booths or hospitality suites. Breakout day gives you the opportunity for hands-on learning during this half-day offsite event.  Outdoor opportunities abound in the area. Take advantage of pre- and post-conference trips to experience world-classing fishing or mountain biking, hiking, paddling and more. Use these trips to generate story material or build your stock photo files. Or just explore the downtown, craft breweries and local restaurants, nature centers and walking and biking trails to experience the local flavor of Casper.
 

Join us to: 

  • Network with top professionals
  • Get exclusive access to newsmakers and stories critical to conservation and the outdoors
  • Find new markets to sell your work
  • Attend seminars to sharpen your professional skills
  • Meet with America’s best in outdoor communication
  • Demo the latest outdoor gear
  • Hear from editors and industry leaders
  • And much, much more!
For outdoor media, brands, destinations, service providers, conservation organizations and other outdoor professionals, it’s an event not to be missed!

Know a great speaker or workshop instructor? We’d love to hear about them (especially if they’re from underrepresented outdoor communities such as BIPOC peoples, persons with a disability, LGBTQ+ peoples, etc.)! Click on these links to learn more:

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Three hikers stand on the edge of a rock ledge looking out over a vast wooded landscape
A man fly fishes in a rocky canyon

Registration

Registration will open in December. Stay tuned!

Cancellation Policy:
  • You can cancel your registration for a full refund up to eight weeks before the event, or we can transfer your registration to the following (2023) conference.
  • If you must cancel between eight and four weeks before the event, we can transfer your registration to the following (2023) conference.
  • If, just prior to the event, you’re unable to attend, we can switch your registration to a colleague or friend (but we’re now locked into the number of people attending as we work with our host venue on meals, etc.). 

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Pre-, Spouse/Partner, and Post-Tours

May 17-20, 2022
  • Two nights in Cody, one night in Yellowstone National Park
  • Six writers (Three for fishing and three for shooting)Price: $100 – Includes accommodations, meals, local transportation and activities.
*Participants need to fly into Cody’s Yellowstone Regional Airport May 17. We will drive you to Casper the afternoon of May 20.
 
Cody Yellowstone will be your host for this three-night adventure. We will break up into two groups of three – one focused on fishing and the other dedicated to shooting. The region is known for its blue-ribbon trout fishing. Anglers will enjoy fly fishing with a local guide as they visit the various streams and rivers that attract visitors from all over the world. The second group will visit the Cody Firearms Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and the Cody Dug Up Gun Museum. Hands-on experience will include shooting a variety of guns – including a Gattling gun – at the Cody Firearms Experience and Cody Gunwerks. As a bonus, the whole group will spend a day and night touring the world’s first national park as Yellowstone celebrates its 150th anniversary.

Tentative Itinerary

Day 1
A.M.

  • Drive from Casper  
  • Meet & greet at the Historic TA Ranch
  • Including tour the famous barn with lunch provided by TA Ranch 

Early PM

  • Drive to Crazy Woman Canyon to experience the winding canyon road and fascinating rock formations.
  • Possible horseback ride into the canyon 1hr/one way ride including a picnic at Crazy Woman Creek. 

Late P.M.

  • Meet at the Historic Occidental Saloon (www.occidentalwyoming.com) for a drink, some snacks and enjoy live music or experience one of our premier restaurants in downtown Buffalo
  • Overnight stay at one of our hotels, Inns, B&B’s. Please find attached hotel list. (Convention packet).

Day 2
A.M.

  • Tour our Wool Mill – Mountain Meadow Wool – Experience wool makingfrom start to finish and see all the beautiful items they have on display.
  • Visit Main Street retail stores – see what Buffalo has to offer Horse Carriage ride through downtown Buffalo 

P.M. (weather permitting)

  • Short drive to Red Horse Trail Head
  • Horseback ride at “Red Horse Exit” for about 1hour with breathtaking vistas toward the Bighorn Mountains provided 
  • Authentic Chuck wagon dinner, campfire entertainment at Trail Head provided by Wyoming Heritage Tours.
  • LeaveBuffalo
Contact
Claudia Todd
307-620-1123
claudia [at] jocofirst.com
Johnson County Tourism Association

Sinks Canyon is a geological wonder known for its river that disappears into a limestone cavern, only to reappear in a trout-filled pool on the opposite side of the canyon a quarter mile downstream. This canyon is also one of the grand gateways to the Shoshone National Forest. Don’t miss out on all the hiking, fishing, camping and mountain biking that Sinks Canyon has to offer.

Contact
Melanie Hoefle
mhoefle [at] windriver.org
307-332-5546

Spend a half-day wading with the fly fishing editor for Strung Magazine. Dave Zoby is offering a free half-day trip to fish the North Platte or one of the local reservoirs (depending on the conditions). The trip will originate at the Ramkota at 6 am. Dave will provide coffee and transportation to one of the local hot spots. Dave is not a guide, and is known for poor knot-tying, so anglers should bring their own gear and a pair of waders and boot. Dave recommends a 6 wt rod and a wide assortment of flies. Henderson, Dave’s 100 pound Lab, will also be on this trip, so be tolerant of big-boned and raucous dogs. After a half-day of fishing, the trip will culminate at one of Casper’s emerging breweries. The trip will end around 2 pm at the Ramkota. 

  • Maximum participants: two
  • There is no fee for this trip, but participants are encouraged to chip in for gas money and to bring their own lunches and drinks.

12:00 – 7:00 pm Friday May 20th. Travel to the northeast corner of the Red Desert and consider the natural and cultural history of the mustang in the West, with an eye toward finding opportunities for wild horse photography. For more information on the host organization or the trip’s leader, visit: wyomustangs.org or chadhanson.org.

  • Free
  • Max. three guests

The Wind River Indian Reservation Trail offers a cultural peek into the history of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes, who share the beautiful wide-open spaces northwest of Lander and Riverton. On this 70 mile loop, you’ll discover Chief Washakie’s grave site, Sacajawea’s grave site, the Eastern Shoshone Culture Center, St. Michael’s Mission, St. Stephen’s Mission and the Northern Arapaho Experience Culture Room.

Contact
Melanie Hoefle
mhoefle [at] windriver.org
307-332-5546

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Schedule (framework)
We've posted just a framework of the schedule for now, just the outline, to give you a sense of what the event will be like. We'll start adding in speakers and venues and other critical information soon!

View the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) 2022 Conference schedule & directory.

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Visit Casper

Casper is home to unmatched opportunities to get outside and enjoy the best of Wyoming’s wide-open spaces. Found in the heart of Wyoming, nestled into the North Platte River Valley, Casper is within 20 minutes of some of the region’s best sightseeing, blue-ribbon fishing, trails for hiking, biking, skiing, snowshoeing, and more. Nearly 100 miles of multi-use trails crisscross through downtown Casper, up to the top of Casper Mountain, west to Alcova Lake and Fremont Canyon, and right up to the North Platte River banks. In any area around Casper there is a good chance of crossing paths with wildlife. Edness K. Wilkins State Park is home to many rare bird species, Casper Mountain and Muddy Mountain claim to be home to mountain lions, and all over Casper hill sides are antelope, deer, and migratory birds, and the North Platte River is teeming with trout species worth your time and effort. No matter what you do outside in Casper, you’ll be immersed in Wyoming’s fresh air and stunning landscapes, guaranteeing an unforgettable experience.
 
Cancellation policy: registered participants that must cancel their registration will receive a full refund if they cancel within 60 days of the event. Registration will close 15 days before the event. 

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Praise for the 2021 Conference

"While I have long interacted with some of your members, this was my first time to interact with the organization, and I was impressed with both the diversity of your membership and the passion and commitment for a sustainable future for nature and people."
Doug Ladd
Former director of conservation for The Nature Conservancy in Missouri
"I loved the conference. I made so many valuable connections and new friends. The keynotes were excellent."
Greg Schwipps
Professor of English at DePauw University
"I had such fun at the OWAA conference! What a sharp, friendly group of people."
Tamara Dean
Author
"The panels and seminars were excellent across the board, but what really made the conference special was the people. From the moment I arrived at the Jay Peak Resort until I stepped off the shuttle at the airport in Burlington, I was made to feel more welcome by fellow attendees than any conference I have attended, including ones with my own professional colleagues. I ended up leaving with some new colleagues and friends and I would love to attend again."
David Yamane
Professor of Sociology at Wake Forest University
"It was truly a fantastic opportunity--in an intimate and friendly setting--to make new and strengthened connections with so many great professional movers and shakers in the communications and journalism field."
Amy Kapp
Editorial Director/Editor-in-Chief, Rails to Trails

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Proud OWAA Conference Partner

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