NPAA Meeting info

Looking to the future, it’s time to mark you calendars with the dates of the 2010 NPAA Annual Conference. 2010’s Conference will be held January 8-10th at the Holiday Inn Select in Minneapolis. This location has gone all out to give us a great room rate of $75 a night. This is the same location we held our Conference in 2008, but the hotel has been completely remodeled since then and it is truly one of the nicest hotels in the Minneapolis area. In close proximity to the Mall of America and a local water park, it is a gr eat venue to allow you to bring the family to make this a winter weekend getaway. Watch your e-mail over the next 30 days for the formal invitation to the event that will include a tentative agenda. We plan to make the agenda for the event one that will give you time to network with fellow anglers, and spend time with your family so please plan to attend.

What can the NPAA do for you and why should you join you ask? I joined the NPAA 3 yrs ago, I was getting into competitive walleye fishing and did not have a clue on how to approach potential sponsors. So I attended a meeting in Bloomington and found it quite informative, they had speakers like Tommy Skarlis, Ted Takasaki, Johnny Candle and people from the industry and what they do and what they are looking for from an angler. And their info has helped me acquire some sponsorships.
It also gives you access to guys like Parsons, Skarlis, Neu, Candle and others, I have emailed and talked to these guys personally, all these guys belong to the NPAA and they are more than happy to talk to NPAA members and give you advice and share their opinions. That is allot of years of competitive fishing knowledge there if you add it up.
It also allows you to build relationships with fellow anglers, I met a guy last year at the meeting, Terry Filkins was sitting next to me and we started chatting and he asked me if I wanted to partner up for the FLW League in 09, share lodging expenses and help each other out, well guess what we both made the championship, Terry should have made the top 10, but finished 11th, and I won it.
And you also get product discounts from various tackle manufactures, but the info that is available is far more valuable.
And it is just not for walleye guys, if you fish for bass or muskies it would be beneficial. If you also are fishing guide it would be of value, with contacting fishing tackle manufactures.
Kirt Hedquist
NPAA 292