Northeast Tennessee borders North Carolina, Virginia, and Kentucky in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of South Central Appalachia. With 230 miles of internationally-known rivers and 288 miles of the Appalachian Trail, it's the true outdoors with endless opportunities to explore and less time in traffic. Johnson City and the communities along the way make up a diverse region of outdoor recreation, music, history, and everything in between.
This inaugural Field Fest event is a hybrid of a conference, marketplace, and regional familiarization tours.
Be part of this historical event and immerse yourself in the heart of the Mountain South!
With 137 guest rooms, 10,000 square feet of meeting space, Wellington’s Restaurant, and Austin Springs Spa & Salon onsite, this AAA four-diamond property has everything you need under one roof.
East Tennessee’s premier boutique property, Carnegie Hotel, has offered a competitive room rate of $139 per night. Please review the below instructions to book your room prior to the cutoff date of June 7, 2024.
1. Visit the booking link here
2. Select "Add Code"
3. Select "Discount Code"
4. Select "Group Attendee"
5. In the second box, type the following code - OWAAFF
**Download the following document for tour details**
OWAA Field Fest Tours.pdf
*tentative and subject to change*
July 7th
- Delegates arrive; registration opens
- Welcome reception and Keynote sponsored by Tri-Cities Airport
July 8th
- Breakfast workshop
- Workshops and "Meet the Editors" panel
- Selection of four half-day tour options
- Downtown Johnson City dine-around
July 9th
- Breakfast Keynote
- Media Marketplace
- Group dinner
July 10th
- Selection of four full-day tour options
- Final Dinner in Downtown Jonesborough sponsored by Historic Jonesborough
July 11th
- Breakfast at hotel
- Delegates depart for home or Post-FAM sponsored by Visit Knoxville
Thursday, July 11 - Sunday, July 14
Please note: Attendees are responsible for travel to and from Knoxville.
Experience Knoxville as a nature-loving-adventure-seeking-artsy-kinda-town, with a heavy focus on the nature part! Lots of outdoor opportunities from paddling the waters of the Tennessee River, hiking quarry trails that give a nod to Knoxville’s past as “The Marble City”, to beautiful botanical gardens, and more.
At this time, Visit Knoxville will host a maximum of 5 attendees. Additional attendees will be added to a wait list. Plus ones are accepted, and accommodations and attractions will be covered for them. However, plus ones will be responsible for meals and possibly transportation. Additional details yet to be determined as itineraries are in process.
Potential attendees can submit their interest to this form here. Please write any additional notes in the final text box, along with the phrase “Post-FAM Interest”. Deadline for expressing interest is May 15th, and potential attendees can anticipate a response from Visit Knoxville by May 22nd.
Gerry Seavo James serves as a Deputy Director for the Sierra Club's Outdoors For All Campaign, where he is part of a team dedicated to advancing outdoor access and equity across the country. Additionally, he is the founder of the Outdoor Recreation Design Lab, a think tank focused on inclusive outdoor environments, conservation, and just transition for rural communities.
Gerry has been involved in various projects, such as the development of Explore Kentucky, planner for the EPA's Recreation Economies for Rural Communities program, and kickstarting the American Canoe Association J.E.D.I initiatives. He holds a B.S in Mass Communications from Campbellsville University and is an Air Force veteran, social artist, and photojournalist. Gerry resides in Frankfort, Kentucky with his wife and their loyal dog, Everest.
Connie Deegan is the naturalist for the City of Johnson City, specializing in herpetology, with snakes being her area of expertise. She conducts week-long seasonal nature camps and writes a popular weekly nature series, ‘Naturally Yours’. Deegan is responsible for park trail design and construction, signage, maps, and maintenance. Her interpretive programs are known for simple, straightforward explanations that help all ages lock on and comprehend. Nature systems and connections are a forte.
Recent awards include the Tennessee Wildlife Federation Conservation Achievement Award for Conservation Educator of the Year, Pinnacle Award for Adventure Tourism Leader and ETSU Clemmer College Community Partner Award.
This is her eighteenth year as a state certified motorcycle instructor and she enjoys long distance riding. Connie has put in thousands of miles on the Appalachian Trail.
Howard Fox is an award-winning outdoor adventure podcaster. He hosts the Outdoor Adventure Series. His episodes celebrate individuals and families, entrepreneurs, and organizations that seek out and promote the exploration, conservation, stewardship, access, and enjoyment of the outdoors.
This workshop will unpack the value proposition that podcasting, either as a guest or as host, offers media of all types as they look for ways to expand their brand, grow their audience, and discover new adventure opportunities.
Maayan Gordon is a 4x Founder and has been an entrepreneur for the past 13 years. She has generated over $1,000,000 in sales through social media and grown her online following to more than 2.3 million across Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok. She currently works as a consultant and startup advisor, speaker, author, and travel influencer.
In this workshop, you will learn the 7-step process to build a powerful personal brand and use it to attract every single business opportunity you can imagine. Walk away with a complete action plan you can start using immediately.
Marvin Cash has been an avid outdoorsman as long as he can remember. He is the host and producer of the award-winning fly fishing podcast, The Articulate Fly. In its sixth year, the podcast has 800+ episodes. The Articulate Fly is Marvin’s laboratory for using digital tools to build the fly fishing community. Off the water, Marvin has spent the last thirty years as a lawyer, entrepreneur, and businessman .
In his interactive workshop, you will be provided with a foundational understanding of AI and a framework for evaluating and implementing AI to magnify your creative voice. The workshop is appropriate for all creatives regardless of media.
"Meet the Editors" panelists to be announced!
Tennessee is a global destination of choice offering visitors world-class music, live entertainment, family-friendly experiences, charming communities, innovative and classic culinary creations, renowned scenic beauty and outdoor adventure—all centered at the crossroads of rich history and unrivaled hospitality. Vacations “sound perfect” in Tennessee.
Learn more here!
Located between the cities of Bristol, Kingsport, and Johnson City, Tri-Cities Airport provides comfort and convenience for travelers. With seven spacious gates, a restaurant, bar, gift shop, ATM’s, and free Wi-Fi, the best experience in airport services awaits.
Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association
Visit Johnson City
Tour Carter County
Explore Bristol
Heart of Appalachia
Visit Kingsport
Real. Wild. Unicoi County
Historic Jonesborough
Visit Morristown
Discover Greeneville
Visit Knoxville
Registration fee includes a travel reimbursement for up to $400*, discounted room rate** at host hotel, all meals, ground transportation, core meeting activities, and tours.
*requires OWAA ‘Active' membership level and for the first 20 Active registrants. Attendee will book all travel themselves and will provide Visit Johnson City an invoice and all receipts after the event for reimbursement of travel expenses up to $400.
**registration does NOT include lodging
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Participation in the Outdoor Writers Association of America's Field Fest is voluntary. In consideration of permitting me to participate in these activities and fully recognizing that these activities are potentially hazardous by registering, I, for myself and for anyone entitled to act on my behalf, hereby waive and release all claims or liabilities of any kind against the Outdoor Writers Association of America, Johnson City Convention and Visitors Bureau, Carnegie Hotel, and their representatives and successors for any personal injury, death or property damage arising out of or in any way connected with such activities, including without limitation any acts or omissions caused in whole or part by negligence. This applies to activities both on and off conference property.
