2020 will be remembered as the year everything was cancelled—including the annual OWFI conference. Canceling the conference almost happened plenty of times, but this was the first time in 52 years that it actually happened. You might say, “Man! I’d hate to be THAT president!” Actually…I’m grateful to be president this year. I’m grateful that the board has agreed to let me stay on as president until we DO finally bridge this gap. I’m also grateful for such a fantastic team. What could easily tear our organization apart has done nothing but bring us closer together, figuratively speaking of course.
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for life to get back to normal. Too bad it’s been so long that I can’t remember how normal felt. As for the zombie apocalypse, I might have a chance of surviving as long as they are slower than I am. So far so good!
Seriously though, with uncertainty a daily constant, hope can be difficult to find. But it is there, and it pops up in some of the most unexpected places.
I’ve been talking to William Bernhardt, best-selling author and creator of the Red Sneaker Writers Center that hosts WriterCon in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, every year. Many of our members attend both conferences, and because of the unprecedented circumstances we find ourselves in this year, Bill has offered OWFI a place at WriterCon this September 4-6, 2020.
What does that include?
CONFERENCE DISCOUNT
First and foremost, Bill and his team are offering a 50% discount to OWFI members on the three-day WriterCon conference. That’s right. If paid before the early bird cutoff of June 1, the cost to OWFI members will be just $149.00. This is for the three-day conference only, so be sure to check out all the other amenities when you register. We are sending the promo code for the discount to all OWFI members via email. So, be on the lookout for that.
CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED
The virtual announcement of our contest winners is still scheduled for next Saturday, May 2. Time to be announced, so watch for updates!
However, we wanted to give our members the chance to enjoy the fanfare of cheering each other on in person. OWFI will present our writing contest awards at WriterCon’s Saturday night banquet, September 5. Banquet tickets are purchased separately from the conference registration, and normally, WriterCon requires participants to be registered for the conference in order to buy banquet tickets. This year, to give OWFI members a chance to receive their accolades in person and invite friends and family, WriterCon has waived the registration requirement. While we still encourage everyone to take advantage of this amazing conference opportunity, banquet tickets may be purchased independently for $50 per ticket.
EXHIBIT TABLE
OWFI will have an exhibitor table. Though many of our members enjoy both conferences, there are those at WriterCon who have never heard about OWFI. Here’s our chance to make new friends. In order to shine a light on who we are, we need to showcase all of you. So, if you wish to contribute promotional items (swag), whether it be bookmarks, postcards, pens, or even hand sanitizers, please let me know. We are open to your ideas!
OWFI RECEPTION
Last, but certainly not least, OWFI will host a reception at 4:00 p.m., Sunday, September 6, 2020. Those of you who have attended our conference more than once will know what we mean when we say it feels like a family reunion. This has been the biggest factor in our disappointment this year, and now we don’t have to wait until next year to see each other again! Everyone is invited. We have a couple of ideas up our sleeves, so watch for more details to come.
We want to thank William Bernhardt and the WriterCon team for reaching out to us and offering this opportunity to bridge an unexpected gap!
