By Pat Wray November 7, 2019 If you were responsible for this year’s conference, how would you go about planning the agenda? My approach was to gather together a group of interested people, ask for their ideas and then, before they got away, ask for their help in arranging speakers and seminars. Those people are hard at work, even as you read …

Building this year’s conference agenda Read More »

November 1, 2019 The 2020 Outdoor Media Summit (OMS) will be held in Estes Park, Colorado from April 21-23. OWAA’s partnership with OMS (formerly the Outdoor Blogger Summit) includes a 30% discount to active members. Use code VIPOWAA to get 30% off your ‘Conference + Hotel’ and ‘Conference Only’ tickets. The code expires on November 15, …

OWAA and Outdoor Media Summit partner again in 2020 Read More »

October 29, 2019 The Outdoor Writers Association of America annually honors the best-of-the-best in outdoor journalism through its Excellence In Craft Contest. The entry process for the 2020 EIC Contest begins Nov. 1, 2019 and will be managed this year through a partnership with Submittable, an OWAA Supporting Group that specializes in contest submissions. The platform …

EIC Contest to accept entries starting Nov. 1 Read More »

October 29, 2019 The Outdoor Writers Association of America annually honors the best-of-the-best in outdoor journalism through its Excellence In Craft Contest. The entry process for the 2020 EIC Contest begins Nov. 1, 2019 and will be managed this year through a partnership with Submittable, an OWAA Supporting Group that specializes in contest submissions. The platform …

EIC Contest to accept entries starting Nov. 1 Read More »

October 14, 2019 By Pat Wray Two words I rarely use in my daily writing: village and quaint. For some reason villages are rare in the western states. We have towns instead. Some are small. Some are nice. None are quaint. And yet, if you choose to drive to our 2020 conference at the Jay …

Coming to our Vermont conference? Consider driving an RV Read More »

By Pat Wray October 31, 2019 If you’ve been hoping for an OWAA conference with more information about photography, and how to make it pay, if you are intrigued about the new generation of mirrorless and 4/3 cameras, if you dream of an opportunity to try out new equipment with the help of a knowledgeable …

Photographers, take notice! The 2020 OWAA Conference offers something special for you Read More »

October 1, 2019 MISSOULA, Montana — The Outdoor Writers Association of America, the nation’s premier organization of outdoor media, announces the hiring of “Chez” Chesak as its new Executive Director. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of OWAA,” Chesak said. “This position marries two of my consummate passions, writing and the outdoors, …

Chesak Named Executive Director of Outdoor Writers Association of America Read More »

And are you up for it? By Pat Wray September 10, 2019 Do you know the difference between a conference and an adventure? The answer: Attitude. There are plenty of people who make their decision about attending conference based on convenience. “I only go to conferences held within a day’s drive of my home,” is one …

What makes your OWAA conference an adventure? Read More »

By Pat Wray August 17, 2019 The first, and perhaps most important thing I ever learned about the Outdoor Writers Association of America became clear at my first conference in Traverse City, Michigan. It was this: Everyone wanted to help me. They introduced themselves, shook my hand, did everything they could to make me feel …

How to make the most of your OWAA membership Read More »

By Pat Wray July 16, 2019 Are you getting everything you can from your OWAA membership? If your answer isn’t an unequivocal YES then let’s talk about how to make it so. Let’s start with our annual conference. Attend each and every conference, starting with 2020 at Jay Peak, Vermont. It’s the biggest and best …

Turn conference into a money maker Read More »