Pro Staff Blog

POMA Conference 2010 by Mitch Strobl

20100819_logoIt has been said that there is power in numbers. In the case of the Professional Outdoor Media Association, the saying rings true. POMA is a proven leader in the outdoor industry, providing a family for those pursuing a career in the outdoor industry. Prostaffers Justin Morrissey, Chris Telinda and I had the pleasure of attending the 2010 POMA conference as guest students. Before departing at the end of the conference, the three of us said our goodbyes and kind of looked at each other in amazement. It finally hit us; we just had an exceptional weekend at the POMA conference, more so than any of us could have imagined prior to the event.

Upon arrival, we attended a seminar directed towards those less than 35 years of age. Well respected people such as Mr. Jim Zumbo, Mr. Phillip Vanderpool of Hunters Specialties, Tony Smotherman, Brandon Butler, Will Brantley, Keli Van Cleave, and many others talked directly to us in a three hour seminar. After lunch we attended more seminars covering filming strategies, editing, and marketing. Following the seminars was the product showcase. Companies such as Rocky, CVA, Aimpoint, Trijicon, Hunt Comfort, Big game drag glove, and many others were present. We were able to do plenty of interviews and product reviews with these companies. The following day brought more seminars full of invaluable experience and advice. In the morning hours we attended the photography session lead by world-renowned photographer Mr. Bill Konway. We were able to do actual photo shoots simulating product advertisement etc. To cap off the seminar days was a live auction as well as a raffle draw. Undoubtedly Justin Morrissey walked away with the greatest winnings. Lets just say he will have more than enough equipment for all three of us to go out in the duck waters this year! Chris and I also got lucky during the raffle draw, winning a few thermo-cells, hats, shirts, soup and a few other fun products. At that point we were thinking that things couldn’t get any better, little did we know what tomorrow had in store for us!

On the last day of the conference, Brandon Butler took us to the site of the shooting day. Needless to say, this shooting range was anything but small. We had arrived at the shooters paradise! Handguns galore, rifles, shotguns, bows, and crossbows were scattered all over the shooting range, all of them calling our names. We started by shooting a few large caliber rifles with top-notch scopes from aimpoint and trijicon. I must say I was impressed with both scope types however Aimpoint has a great line of scopes for the rifle hunter, fast target acquisition is a synch with their scopes. Later in the day, out at the trap range, the three of us put on a show using a few Ithica guns. I was extremely impressed with the Model 37, which turns out to be a very reasonable gun when it comes to affordability. Using the Hunter Specialties iKam, we were able to get some great footage as well. We then moved to the Bowtech booth where we shot their new line of hunting bows, impressive is all I can say! Smooth, quiet, and boy were these things fast! To wrap up our day at the range, we were able to interview Andrea K. Cerwinske, Deputy Executive Director for the NRA. We all know how important the NRA is to our outdoor lifestyle, so we look forward to bringing you that interview as soon as possible.

Overall, this weekend totally blew us away. Having the chance to sit down and chat with guys like Phillip Vanderpool, Tron Peterson of Peterson Outdoors, and Tony Smotherman meant the world to us. The best part about it is how welcoming and inspirational they were. Time is a valuable thing, and they gave us exactly that at the POMA conference. The three of us cannot thank them enough. Another huge thank you goes to Brandon Butler, without him we would not have been present at the conference, and we would have missed out on the biggest event of our careers thus far. Laurie Lee Dovey also entertained us with some fantastic stories but more importantly shared advice with us prior to the conference. The Professional Outdoor Media Association is a world-class organization, and I for one am extremely proud to say that I look forward to becoming a member of POMA. As for now, the three of us are already planning our camping trip to the conference out in Utah next year. If you are interested in learning more about POMA, please visit the POMA website.

Check us out over the next couple weeks as we will be posting various interviews and product reviews from the 2010 POMA conference.

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Mitch Strobl checking out the Ithica Model 3720100819_IMG_0047

Chris Telinda seconds before dusting a clay bird

Kevin Paulson

Kevin Paulson is the Founder and CEO of HuntingLife.com. His passion for Hunting began at the age of 5 hunting alongside of his father. Kevin has followed his dreams through outfitting, conservation work, videography and hunting trips around the world.

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