There are activist organizations doing heavy lifting for gun owners all over the country, many of which have their own meetings/conferences. There’s the trade organization, NSSF, with their annual SHOT Show. The NRA has its annual meeting. GOA has their newly minted GOALs conference. And of course the Second Amendment Foundation has the Gun Rights Policy Conference. Riding along in the sidecar of GRPC is the lesser known Alternative Mass Media Conference. For 2024, admittance is being opened to non-media members for the first time since its inception.

Adam Kraut, the executive director of the Second Amendment Foundation, recently sent out a notice informing followers of SAF of the policy change.

We are excited to announce a special opportunity for our Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC) registrants this year and for past participants. For the first time, we are opening our Friday pre-conference event, Amm-Con, to the general public.

Amm-Con is a gathering of some of the top Second Amendment media who provide educational presentations about all things related to 2A media. Typically, this conference is exclusive to media members only, but we recognize that each of us - through our friends, family and social media - can help spread the message.

The Amm-Con is a great gathering where some of the brightest minds of the Second Amendment community who are in the media and or “alternative” media come together. The conference was originally started in response to a member of the gun community going to a podcast conference years ago.

During an interview in 2022, one of the founding members of Amm-Con, Paul Lathrop and I spoke about the conference’s inception. “Gail Pepin went to a major podcasting convention in Florida. This is one where you pay several hundred dollars to go to. It’s over a weekend,” Lathrop told me. “She said that she learned some, but every time it came to [] networking, when somebody asked ‘What’s your podcast about?’ She said, ‘Guns and gun rights.’ And then everybody shut down.”

Lathrop continued, “Everybody treated her as a pariah and wouldn’t talk to her anymore.”

After that conversation is when the idea for Amm-con came about. “Wouldn’t it be great if there was something for pro gun podcasters where they could learn and not have to worry about what they do?” Lathrop said Pepin asked.

The eighth annual Alternative Mass Media Conference is being held the morning and afternoon of GRPC’s kickoff event on Friday September 27th from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. This year’s GRPC and Amm-con is being held in San Diego California at San Diego Marriott Mission Valley.

Advanced registration is required for both the Amm-con and GRPC in order to attend. While both conferences are free for attendees, a headcount is required for catering and other considerations.

You can sign up for Amm-con HERE and GRPC HERE – remember to sign up for both!

Kraut’s message breaks down more of the details of the forthcoming events:

What You Get for FREE:

• A full day of presentations by some of the best 2A people in media
• A day and a half of presentations, Q&A and fireside chats by 2A thought leaders
• GRPC Friday evening reception, Saturday luncheon and Saturday evening reception

To secure the special room rate of $209, visit Book Your Group/Corporate Rate | Marriott International. Be sure to book your rooms by September 4 to take advantage of this discounted rate!

Looking at the initial itinerary, attendees can expect to hear from some notable speakers from the Second Amendment arena. 

Some of the speakers listed on the Amm-Con “speakers” page include: Eye on the Target Radio host and NRA Board Member Amanda Suffecool, Executive Producer and Co-Host of Gun Freedom Radio Cheryl Todd, three-time Medal of Valor recipient and multi award-winning journalist Lee “the Gun Writer” Williams, comic book artist and writer Gabe Eltaeb, and others! I’m also scheduled to attend and am honored to be invited to speak at this year’s conference.

Williams is the keynote presenter and will be speaking about interviewing techniques. After his presentation, there will be “break out” sessions where attendees work on techniques and “how to conduct yourself during an interview.”

The 2024 Amm-Con and GRPC weekend is bound to be a blast! I hope that some of you will consider coming out to San Diego for these big events! Full details on the conferences below.

Location: San Diego Marriott Mission Valley, at 8757 Rio San Diego Dr, San Diego, CA 92108

Book Your Group/Corporate Rate | Marriott International

Friday, September. 27, 2024

• 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Amm-con
• 7 p.m. Welcome/Opening GRPC Reception

Saturday the 28th and Sunday the 29th

• GRPC Conference

GRPC Registration & Information: www.saf.org/grpc

Amm-con Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/amm-con-2024-tickets-951934470627