Convention

Agenda

Convention Agenda

Below is the Agenda for this upcoming 2026 convention.

Outfitters – bring your buyers for as there is plenty of time for appointments.

The Tuesday Night Social Event will be Team Trivia, get ready for a night of fun! Don your halloween costume as this is the week.

The Wednesday Evening Banquet and Silent Auction will provide another fun event!


Monday, Oct 26th Schedule of Events
1:00 PM – 8:00 PM Vendor Setup
4:30 PM – 7:30 PM CROA Board of Directors Meeting – All Members Welcome
2nd Floor of Hyatt
Tuesday, Oct 27th Schedule of Events
7:00 AM – 3:00 PM Vendor Setup
8:00 AM – 4:30 PM Show Registration
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Engaging the Water Community – Lessons learned from the Arkansas River Basin – We will share the success stories of building relationships with the key players in the Arkansas River Basin. These partnerships and collaborations have resulted in meaningful movements of water at key times for the boating community.
Bob Hamel | Director of Arkansas River Outfitters Association | Howard, CO
10:15 AM – 12:00 AM General Membership Meeting Part 1 – RESTRICTED TO MEMBERS ONLY
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Lunch on Your Own
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM CROA General Membership Meeting Part 2 – RESTRICTED TO MEMBERS ONLY
This meeting will include updates for recent association activities, upcoming legislative and legal work, public relation efforts and plans for 2027. The Board of Directors Election will be held at this meeting.  A more detailed agenda will be available the day of the meeting.
2:30 AM – 3:00 PM Election Outlook – How it might shape up and what are the implications for outfitting.
Will Coyne and Amber Burkhart | CROA Lobbyist | Headwaters Strategies | Denver
3:00 PM – 6:30 PM
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Trade Show Opens
Opening Reception in Tradeshow Hall
6:30 PM – 9:30 PM +++ Tuesday Night Social – Team Trivia
Review your river facts and history before the event. And do not forget that this will be Halloween week so bring your best costume. Food and drink will be provided. The cash bar will be ready and set up for you.
Wednesday, Oct 28th Schedule of Events
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM Coffee in Lobby
Trade Show Open – Make Appointments
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Colorado Labor Law – Part 2. Review of new changes in Colorado Labor Law subsequent to the sesson last year.
Eric Yohe | Outreach Manager | Division of Labor Standards and Statistics | State of Colorado | Denver
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM All About Employee Reports – What kinds of reports should you consider running on your employees? Perhaps sex offender registry checks, background checks, MVR reports, and more! Discussion will include why should you run them? When should you run them? Where you can retrieve the reports. We’ll discuss it all and leave you feeling like you have a handle on all things employee reports.
Ruthie Rivers | Adventure & Entertainment Risk Consultant | Granite Insurance
11:00 AM – 12:00 AM Financing – What are you options? How should you approach it and what key factors should you consider?
Andrea Garnett | Senior Loan Officer | Live Oak Bank | Denver
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM Lunch for Attendees and Vendors

1:30 PM – 6:30 PM Trade Show Open – DEDICATED VENDOR TIME
7:00 PM – 9:30 PM Banquet
Keynote Speaker: TBA

9:30 PM – 10:30 PM Silent Auction and Door Prize Drawing
Thursday, Oct 29th Schedule of Events
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM Coffee in Lobby
9:00 AM – 2:00 PM Trade Show Open
8:30 AM – 9:15 AM  America Outdoors Association Update
Aaron Liberman | Executive Director | America Outdoors Association |
Caryn Short | Member Specialist | America Outdoors Association |
9:15 AM – 11:00 AM The Latest on Legal Liability Issues
Peter Middleton | Attorney at Law | Hall & Evans, LLC | Denver
Ryan Winter | Attorney at Law | Hall & Evans, LLC | Denver
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM TBD
Zebulon Smith | CEO | zebulonllc.com | Durango
12:15 PM – 2:00 PM Lunch in Vendor Hall
2:00 PM Trade Show Closes
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM Vendor Take Down