For the first time in the 90-plus-year history of the nation’s largest organization of professional outdoor journalists, the group's largest yearly gathering will be held within the borders of Alabama. Baldwin County, specifically.

Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism recently announced the 2023 Outdoor Writers Association of America's national conference will be hosted at The Lodge at Gulf State Park Sept. 9-11.

“Gulf Shores & Orange Beach have been a pleasant surprise at every turn,” said Ken Keffer, president of OWAA. “When GSOBT first approached us about hosting our conference, we were interested but didn’t really know the destination. Now that we’ve had board meetings and site inspections there — and worked with the CVB’s excellent staff — we’re beyond excited to bring our membership of vetted outdoor media to this fabulous destination.”

Bringing over 200 outdoor authors, media and brands to Alabama’s white-sand beaches, the conference is a chance for attendees to network, learn and gather information and create their own stories about all of the opportunities for visitors and locals alike throughout coastal Alabama and the rest of the state.

“This is a great opportunity for not only our destination but also the state of Alabama,” said GSOBT's president and CEO, Beth Gendler. “Having this tremendous number of media, creators and brands in the outdoor space in our area can generate a great amount of awareness of our amazing destination and state.”

Recognized as “The Voice of the Outdoors,” OWAA is the nation’s largest organization of professional outdoor journalists. Its membership includes writers, photographers, videographers, radio and TV personalities, digital storytellers and artists. Formed in 1927, the nonprofit association’s mission is to improve the professional skills and opportunities of its members, set the highest ethical and communications standards, encourage public enjoyment and conservation of natural resources, and mentor the next generation of professional outdoor communicators.

The group has signed up for specially selected tours throughout the state where they’ll be participating in fishing, birding, photography and more.
GSOBT encourages local businesses to welcome this group to the area with signage, marquees and social media posts where applicable using #OWAA2023.

For more information on the conference, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, visit OWAA.org/2023-conference/, GulfShores.com and OrangeBeach.com.