I had the good fortune to take the first place award in SEOPA's Entrepreneur Project Category that recognizes creativity and risk taking in a profit-making outdoor enterprize. I think that this is a prize category that POMA should also award.
I had the good fortune to take the first place award in SEOPA's Entrepreneur Project Category that recognizes creativity and risk taking in a profit-making outdoor enterprize. I think that this is a prize category that POMA should also award. As a professional outdoor media organization not only should we award prizes for the best media outputs, but we should also recognize the efforts of our members to start new outdoor businesses and support their activities.
The SEOPA prize is awarded to businesses that are started during the contest year by members in good standing, are designed to produce a profit, are related to the outdoors and not eledgable for other EIC categories. This recognition gives needed publicity to start-up companies, a little cash and an ego boost to the company's owners at a time when everything they have may be invested in the new venture and no income may be forthcoming for months. This is a scarry time for any entrepreneur and just the moment when some peer encouragement and publicity help from POMA members is most needed.
Currently, Mossy Oak's Cuz Strickland has a video on this site touting the benefits of belonging to POMA and stressing the close ties between the working outdoor media and fledging outdoor companies. It is no coincidence that Mossy Oak is the sponsor of this SEOPA award, and I suspect that it would not take much encouragement for them to sponsor a similar award at POMA.
I will suggest this at the next business meeting. In the meantime, please communicate your thoughts on this matter to the board and our Executive Director to get some movement started on initiating this additional EIC category. I have just posted a Press Release on my receiving the award. If you wish to communicate to me about this suggested POMA EIC category or Hovey's Knives of China you may do so at hoveysmith@bellsouth.net.