In light of recent news and developments regarding the COVID-19 outbreak, I wanted to take a moment to send a brief announcement as it relates to our upcoming annual OWAA conference, which is June 27-29 at Vermont’s Jay Peak Resort.
Rest assured; the safety of our members is paramount and will always be our primary concern. OWAA’s Executive Committee and staff have discussed the matter, and based on the information we have available now, we feel it premature to alter the conference at this time.
We are moving forward with everything as planned and anticipate a fun and informative conference in Vermont. We will continue to monitor the overall situation closely and take the appropriate precautions for the safety and wellbeing of our members. We are staying in touch with our contacts at various tourism boards and will refer to the State Department and CDC websites for up to date information and recommendations.
Should a health emergency be declared in the Northeast region of the U.S. resulting in something like a travel ban or restrictions on events, we will reassess. If an individual cancels due to personal concerns, and the conference has not been canceled, the standard cancellation policies remain in place.
In the meantime, here are few things to consider:
Flights & Travel Arrangements - We urge you to buy insurance and understand the cancellation policy on your flights. Stay in touch with your airline to understand their particular policies or if they have changed. For some current travel guidance, visit this article.
Hotel & Lodging – You can review Jay Peak's policies here.
Information - To stay up to date on this situation and appropriate travel precautions, we encourage you to visit the State Department, World Health Organization and/or CDC websites.
Again, OWAA leadership will continually monitor this situation, and respond accordingly.
But for now, please continue to make your plans to join us in Vermont!
Tim Mead
OWAA President
OWAA is The Voice of the Outdoors. The Outdoor Writers Association of America® is the oldest and largest association of professional outdoor communicators in the United States. It was organized in 1927 by members of the Izaak Walton League of America and includes professional communicators dedicated to sharing the outdoor experience. OWAA’s professionals include writers, photographers, outdoors radio- and television-show hosts, book authors, videographers, lecturers and artists. The association is headquartered in Missoula, Montana. For more information, contact Outdoor Writers Association of America, 2814 Brooks St., Box 442, Missoula, Montana 59801; 406-728-7434, info@owaa.org; www.owaa.org.