OIA Conference & AGM 2024. Delegate Booking Now Open & Keynote Speakers Announced

Delegate booking for the OIA conference is now open for the annual two-day event, once again being held at Drayton Manor Resort, Tamworth, on the 20th and 21st March 2024.

It is still great to meet face to face and learn, share and network with our industry colleagues at this key event in the outdoor industry calendar.

The OIA is also excited to share  first Keynote Speakers Sean Conway & Anita Derwin-Nye.

Sean Conway is an adventurer, extreme endurance athlete and inspirational speaker. Sean has achieved the holy grail of endurance, what Sean likes to call the 3 Fs: a world’s first, the world’s furthest and the world’s fastest. Now he holds the world-record for the most full distance triathlons too.

Sean draws on hard-won experience when he shares his story about how a former corporate photographer became an inspiring, world-record setting, endurance adventurer.

Sean is passionate about encouraging others to take on a challenge and live life more adventurously. He tailors each talk and his messages are built around his own unique perspective on courage, resilience and challenge. Sean knows what it takes to tackle seemingly impossible goals, develop resilience when it gets tough and stay motivated for the long haul despite disappointment, injury and set-backs.

In her most recent role as Executive Director at YHA, Anita led on the development of the organisation’s 10 Year Strategy which has inclusion and access at its core. She managed their income generation approaches across trading, membership and fundraising - successfully navigating the challenges of COVID. Anita founded the Generation Green programme, which connected over 100 000 young people to nature and the National Parks, creating and saving jobs, and building an aspirant workforce for a green recovery.

Recognised as a national expert in access, Anita initiated Outdoor Citizens - a community of practice turning dial on access to outdoors.

Now working across a portfolio of outdoor organisations Anita is helping charities and brands extend their reach, diversity and impact while balancing with revenue and the challenges of costs. She is a prospective policy wonk: able to take a long view on what next. Anita chooses to shape the policy and funding environment to suit the cause rather than drifting mission to fit the money.

She is a bit naughty. Sometimes feisty. And quite funny.