AOA and PPA Complete Unification at Daytona Event

Members of America Outdoors Association and the Professional Paddlesports Association (PPA) celebrated unification of the two organizations at the America Outdoors Association (AOA) conference in Daytona Beach, Florida December 4 - 6, 2012. The conference drew 600 representatives from a variety of outfitting businesses and vendors.

AOA President Mike Mills and former PPA President Don Roberts, who was elected to serve as the 1st Vice President of America Outdoors Association, issued the following joint statement. "We are pleased with the outcome and with the support that so many PPA and AOA members gave to our unification. Those who attended the conference in Daytona benefited from the first fruit of this successful effort." AOA now has 560 company members.

"AOA's International Marketing and Management Conference in Daytona was our strongest eastern event since 2000," said David Brown, Executive Director. "Our attendees said they loved the venue, the programming and the diversified tradeshow which included exhibitors of the equipment, services, software, soft goods and strategies necessary to run a successful outfitting business in this challenging business environment. We will build on this year's success as we head to Albuquerque, December 10 - 12, 2013."

Among the many highlights of the conference were awards given to West Virginians and founders of Class VI River Runners, Doug Proctor, Jeff Proctor and David Arnold, who received the Association's Exemplary Service Award for more 35 years of service to the outfitting industry. Rafael Gallo of Rios Tropicales of San Jose, Costa Rica received the Esther Sanborn Environmental Excellence Award for his success and dedication to conservation efforts.

At the AOA conference in Daytona Beach the membership elected new officers and directors who will serve three year terms. The new officers and directors are:

For more information contact David Brown, Executive Director, America Outdoors Association, 865-558-3595.