Burns Memorial Golf Classic opens 2025 TPA Convention & Trade Show

The Robert Burns Memorial Golf Classic returns to the Oakmont Country Club as the kickoff event for the 2025 Texas Press Association Convention and Trade Show June 19-21 in Denton.

The Oakmont Country Club golf course is located minutes north of Lake Lewisville in Corinth. PGA Seniors Champion Don January served as golf course design consultant to Roger Packard, the course architect. They designed a course considered the best combination of natural beauty and challenging play in the area. The 170-acre country club was constructed in 1986.

According to the country club website, the championship Par-72 course features Bermuda grass greens, 51 sand traps and six water holes. 

Tee time for the classic, sponsored by Ad Messenger, is 8 a.m. June 19. 

The club is located at 1901 Oakmont Dr., Corinth. Registration is $100 per person, which includes cart and practice balls. Proceeds from the tournament benefit the Texas Newspaper Foundation. Registration form may be downloaded on the foundation website, www.tnf.net.

Convention registration forms are available on the TPA website, www.texaspress.com. Online registration is also available. June 2 is deadline for the registration and for room reservations at the special TPA convention rate of $158 per night.

Opening day convention activities continue at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Denton Convention Center. The registration desk opens at 10 a.m. Thursday.

An open government training bonus session is scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday, sponsored by TPA and the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. The free event features Tom Williams of the FOIFT board and the Haynes and Boone law firm, and Tamara Smith of the Texas Attorney General’s Office. Open government seminars are offered to provide detailed training for government employees, attorneys, journalists and anyone wanting to learn more about Texas open government laws. The program also meets requirements for open government training for public officials. State Bar of Texas continuing education credits are also available.

Trade Show vendors will be setting up in the showroom Thursday afternoon in preparation for the opening reception at 7 p.m. The Trade Show featuring dozens of vendors is sponsored by eType Services.

Also on display in the Trade Show ballroom will be the annual silent auction benefitting the Texas Newspaper Foundation, sponsor of the Texas Center for Community Journalism. Contact Sue Brown at sbrown@texaspress.com to donate items for the auction.

The TPA board of directors meets Thursday afternoon, and the officers and past presidents dinner is set for 7 p.m.

Activities conclude Thursday evening with a hospitality reception at 9 p.m.

On Friday, June 20, the trade show is open from 7:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. Bidding in the silent auction closes at 11:15 a.m.

The Texas Newspaper Foundation Hall of Fame 2025 induction ceremonies and Golden 50 Awards luncheon will be held at 11:45 a.m. Uvalde Leader-News Publisher Craig Garnett is keynote speaker for the luncheon.

A full slate of industry sessions is scheduled Friday afternoon. The sessions are sponsored by Ad Messenger, BLOX, Texas 2036 and Advantage Newspaper Consultants. Topics include the NNA advertising update, AI in the newsroom, and a publishers round table to discuss public notice, revenue ideas and creative solutions. A Poynter Institute presentation on local survey results will conclude the programs.

An offsite event from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at University of North Texas Library will feature dinner, a tour and entertainment sponsored by the UNT Digital Newspaper Program and the Cathy Nelson Hartman Portal to Texas History Endowment.

The general membership meeting and election of officers opens morning activities from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday, June 21, sponsored by Metro Creative. Following the business meeting, Don Richards will speak on legal rights of reporters and newspapers. Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, will speak on the future of water in Texas.

The convention concludes with the contest awards luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Saturday when officers will be installed, the 2025 Mayborn Award winner will be honored and the Texas Better Newspaper Contest awards will be presented.

Member registration for the convention is $400 per person, which includes the trade show and all other activities, including the industry sessions, hospitality events and both the Friday and Saturday award luncheons. Members may also choose to attend only some of the events, such as the Saturday contest awards brunch, and pay for those individually. The complete price list is on the registration form.

Qualifying ad network participants receive one complimentary stay for one or both nights of the convention. Ad network participants’ rooms will be reserved by TPA.

For others attending, the special group rate at the Denton Convention Center is $158 per night.  Reservations may be made by calling 940-243-3799.

For more information, contact Sue Brown at sbrown@texaspress.com or Mike Hodges at mhodges@texaspress.com.