Day 2 – Friday, October 17 - PTC Annual Meeting, Breakout Educational Sessions and Product Showcase
8:00 - 12:00 Product Showcase set-up on the Lower Pond Lawn
Meeting Space - USNWC - Conference Center Breakout Rooms
7:30 – 8:15 am Coffee and Buns
7:30 am - 12:00 pm Registration Open
8:15 - 8:45 am PTC Annual Meeting (all welcome) - Updates from the PTC Board of Directors
PTC Breakouts - Choose one session from each of the following time frames:
9:00 - 9:45 am
- Session 1 - Converting Casual Paddlers to Committed Customers - Breakout Room B
Join us to share insights and opportunities for retailers and manufacturers to add value to their offerings and community engagement in such a way that they are leveraging the engines that convert casual paddlers to committed customers. Jeff will bring insights from the kayak fishing sector including more than 160 retailer/dealer visits across the country over the last 2 years and significant expertise in the social media/influencer sector. Andrea will bring insights on how to allot a manageable contribution from your business to help create a local ecosystem for community engagement that results in a long term pipeline of sustainable business.
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- Jeff Little, National resource for Kayak Fishing social media management, retail/dealer relations, product development, trade show and competition, and influencer relations.
- Andrea White, Community Programs Coordinator at Georgia Rivers
- Session 2 - Grow Consumer Participation in Paddlesports - Breakout Room C
In this conversation, panel members from each of the silos of the PTC —brand, retail, sales rep, and associate— will share how they've built powerful relationships to expand their market reach. Learn practical strategies and best practices you can apply to your business, with a focus on increasing sales, boosting community engagement, and leveraging your brand to bring paddlesports to more people.
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- Kate Wright, Director of Marketing for Aqua Bound and Bending Branches
- Tony Narcisse, Paddle 4 Tomorrow
- Fletch Griffin, Westbrook Supply Co.
- Bahen Privett, Southeastern Paddlesports, LLC
- Michael Schwartz, Paddle 4 Tomorrow
9:15 - 12:00 Optional - PTC Attendees may attend ACA Program - Fees apply
ACA Swiftwater Training 9:15 am -12:00 pm CPR Refresher
Attain your Adult, Child, Infant CPR Certification with discussion on care of a drowning patient. Be ready in case of drowning or cardiac arrest with these life-saving skills. Will include an introduction to advanced drowning care. Separate registration and fees apply. (Approximate Fee - $35 to ACA - training materials included) (Click here for ACA registration for this session)
PTC Breakouts - Choose one session from each of the following time frames:
10:00 - 10:45 am
- Session 1 - Commerce Made Simple - Launching your E-Com Store and Driving Traffic - Breakout Room B
Join this practical, straight-forward session with Stig, Alex, and Simon sharing real wins and mistakes from building online stores. Whether you’re just starting out or your current site isn’t clicking, you’ll leave with clear steps and fresh ideas to make e-commerce work for your business
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- Simon Coward, AQ Outdoors / Aquabatics
- Alex Lowman, LevelSix
- Stig Larsson, LevelSix
- Session 2 - Paddling Safety Initiatives - Partnering with other Organizations - Breakout Room C
Discover how to access and use a large variety of publicly available paddlesports resources from some of the nation's top nonprofit organizations.
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- Virgil Chambers, National Safe Boating Council
- Jeff Moag, Watersports Foundation
- Kelsey Bracewell, American Canoe Association
11:00 - 11:45 am
- Session 1 - What is currently successful in paddlesports? Tips and trends - Breakout Room B
Who better to report on what is happening in today's paddlesports than the organization who has been involved for 145 years! Join us as we look ahead to what's next in paddlesports.
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- Suzanne Britt, ACA President
- Kelsey Bracewell, ACA Safety Education and Instruction Council
- Bill Caruso, ACA Regional Activities Council Chair
- Session 2 - Building an Industry Index for the AI Era - Breakout Room C
AI platforms are rapidly becoming the front door to the internet, replacing traditional search and bypassing brand websites. But many industries—and especially smaller players—are being left invisible in this shift. This session explores the concept of an industry index: a shared, authoritative directory that makes every brand findable in the AI economy. By pooling resources, structuring content for AI, and aligning around open standards, industries can future-proof visibility, lower costs, and create new revenue streams. Attendees will learn how an index positions entire sectors to thrive as AI platforms consolidate—and why collaboration is now the only path forward.
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch on own
PTC University Clinic 1:
12:45 - 2:45 pm Kayak Fishing 101 (This is a 2-hour session!) - Breakout Room C
Jake Vitak and Fletch Griffin will provide an overview of the ACA Paddlesports Angler initiative to drive grassroots kayak fishing skills and safety training. Hear about how the team is actively growing the installed base of nationally certified ACA Kayak and Kayak Fishing instructors using a curriculum designed to build foundational kayaking skills that enhance the safety of the angler under the header of helping them catch more fish. Learn how you can be part of this movement to create access to kayak fishing skills training in your community, address the growing paddlesports/kayak angling fatality rate, and serve as an integral part of building safety norms across your region with a manageable contribution from a manufacturer or retailer who is already busy running a business.
- Presentation Team:
- Andrea White, Georgia Rivers Network
- Jake Vitak, ACA Instructor Trainer - Fishing Endorsement
- Fletch Griffin, Westbrook Supply Co.
- Jeff Atkins, Wave Paddler
1:00 Product Showcase Opens on Lower Pond Lawn
Join us on the Lower Lawn for the opening of the PTC Product Showcase and on-water demos (water activity pass required).
Education Breakouts Continue
Choose one session from each of the following time frames:
1:00 - 1:45 pm
- Session 1 - Attracting New, Younger Buyers to Paddlesports - Breakout Room A
Learn how to leverage ready-made national marketing campaigns into your social media and outreach efforts to drive paddler participation.
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- Brenna Kelly, Rapid Media - PTC's Rapid Media's Paddling Kids initiative
- Simon Coward - Paddle Canada Initiative
- Kaycee Maas, ACA Communication Manager - ACA's Paddle Summer Solstice Celebration
- The ACA Summer Solstice Celebration is a growing annual initiative that invites paddlers worldwide to celebrate the longest days of the year through community events, creative contests, and on-water stewardship. Since 2023, participation has expanded across more than 20 states and multiple countries, connecting new and seasoned paddlers through shared experiences, storytelling, and environmental action.
- Stig Larsson and Jon Kahn, PTC's Go Paddle Day - June 20, 2026
- Session 2 - The Next Growth Opportunity: Adaptive Kayaking in Retail & Manufacturing - Breakout Room B
Adaptive kayaking isn’t limited to people with disabilities—it also serves aging paddlers, veterans and those with injuries or chronic conditions. This session explores the growing demand for inclusive paddling, highlights common adaptations and equipment, and shows how retailers and manufacturers can expand their market, build loyalty and strengthen community connections.
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- Cathy Webster, Physical Therapist, Northeast Disabled Athletics Association
- Meg McCall, Angle Oar
2:00 - 2:45 pm
- Session 1: ACA Smart Start for Safe Paddling - Breakout Room B
Review these newest public information resources from the ACA. Learn how to customize them for your business or organization. Resources are available for all - you do not have to be an ACA member or instructor.
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- Kelsey Bracewell, ACA Director of Education, Insurance and Membership
PTC University Clinic 2:
3:00 - 5:00 pm PaddlePRO: Kayak Safety and Risk Management (Note: This is a 2 hour session) - Breakout Room C
Risk management covers all the aspects of physical safety for your staff and guests. In this session, you will identify areas of emotional and psychological safety that should be folded into your risk management plan. A SAMPLE flatwater training guide for kayak will be introduced based on the American National Standard for On-Water Skills – Human Propelled.
Optional: PTC Attendees may attend ACA Program - Fees apply
4:00 - 8:00pm - ACA Swiftwater Rescue Training - Cutting tools, Scenario-based training, and Low-light Operations
Emergency cutting tools are important rescue tools, but paddlers rarely take the time to train with them. This module will discuss cutting tool selection, storage on a PFD, and use on land and in water. We most often paddle during the day, but what happens when rescues extend into the night? These modules will discuss lighting options paddlers can carry with them and use scenarios to practice rescues in light-limited situations. (Approximate cost - $25 to ACA. (Click here for ACA registration for this session)
| 8:00 PM Outdoor Adventure Film Screening - River Jam Stage & Lawn (USNWC Programming open to all!) |