By Rob Sexton, POMA Executive Director
All organizations and companies have a workflow throughout the year. Some times are a bit slower than others, and other times it’s a mad rush to keep up. POMA is no different, other than the fact that I am in some ways still learning ours. October marks the end of my rookie season as your Executive Director, and with it any excuses as the new guy.
That does not mean I don’t still have plenty to learn, but it does mean I know where things stand, and what we need to do to continue to improve as the nation’s premier outdoor media trade association. We have been through a lot of change in this rookie season, but we are fortunate to have good volunteers, board members, and some patient and diligent staff who have worked very hard to smooth out the ride.
I really appreciate our Communications Director Stephanie Spika Hickey, who has shouldered the fits and starts associated with both our website and member database overhaul. While I am sure she did not anticipate this many hiccups, she has been a hard charger to make sure things get corrected quickly.
The other person that has been indispensable is our 1st Vice President, Britney Booth. Britney has taken a leadership role in the overhaul of POMA itself over the last several years, coordinating the 2024 Annual Meeting in South Carolina, chairing the planning of the 2025 meeting which will take place on Lake Erie at Maumee Bay State Park Lodge, and spearheading POMA’s Show Planning Committee which coordinates POMA’s role at the various shows throughout the year. As part of this, she represented POMA at our Meet-Up in Tennessee at the Gun Owners Advocacy and Leadership Summit (GOALS).
On a personal note, I had a knee replacement as part of my 60,000-mile tune-up in late July, right after attending my first ICAST on behalf of POMA. Over the last couple of weeks, I have been able to return to full strength and have a strong second wind just in time for our next rush. For POMA, there are really two major rush periods: the planning and execution of our Annual Meeting and the lead up to the show season in January and February.
Both Britney and I will be at SHOT Show representing POMA, but we have plenty on our plate before then. October 17-20, I will be at the National Association of Sporting Good Wholesalers Annual Expo in Kansas City. Along with NASGW President Kenyon Gleason I will be presenting their annual Caliber Awards, which “honor the highest caliber new products in seven product categories.” POMA is honored to help judge the product entries each year, and I am grateful for the volunteer judges who handled this work.
If you are planning to be in Kansas City at NASGW, shoot me an email at rob@professionaloutdoormedia.org. I’d love to have the chance to meet you while we’re there. I will be spending my time connecting with POMA Corporate Partners to say thanks!
Planning is well underway for POMA 2025 which will take place June 23-25, 2025 on the shores of Lake Erie at Maumee State Lodge near Toledo, Ohio. We are going to take full advantage of the location including world class walleye fishing, a visit to the legendary Camp Perry and several other activities that will put people on the water and along the shoreline. Together with a great program, you won’t want to miss it. Registration will open right after the first of the year.
Finally, I want to say a farewell to Kevin Paulson, who recently stepped off the POMA Board of Directors to take the Executive Director position with AGLOW, the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers. While Kevin isn’t going away, he won’t be with us on a day-to-day basis as he has been during my short tenure with POMA. I will miss that and thank him for his work, candid insights and dedication to the organization.
As always, I greatly appreciate our media and corporate partners for all that you do. I am available at any time to talk or communicate about how we can do a better job meeting your needs.