Exhibit A: Over 20 Vendors Support
IPMBA and You
by Monte May, PCI #262T/EMSCI#009
Kansas City PD (MO)
IPMBA Industry Liaison
The 13th Annual IPMBA Conference once again attracted participants from around
the U.S., and the world. These folks all gathered in Charleston to acquire
knowledge and skills to make them better bike officers, medics, and security
personnel. Joining them were over 20 fine companies dedicated to providing
products and services to public safety cyclists. Some companies were there
to take orders; others were introducing new products; and yet others were
conducting a bit of market research. Despite the different reasons each of
us had for being there, we all shared a common goal: to continue to enhance
and expand public safety cycling as a respected profession.
The vendors who attended the Expo
- and a few who were not able to join us - donated over 100 prizes, all of
which were awarded to the officers and medics who attended the post-competition
cookout on Friday night. These prizes included locks, helmets, flashlights,
saddles, gear bags, cycling clothing, uniforms, training seminars, lights,
racks, panniers, shoes, gloves, tools, hats, and even a suspension fork and
a bike frame. These last two, contributed by Answer Products and Patrol Cycles
respectively, were awarded to our fine hosts at the Charleston Police Department.
After all their hard work, they sure deserved them.
Many thanks to all of our prize contributors. Prize winners - I hope you
are reading this and will take a moment to send a personal "thank you" to
the person who donated your prize.
The support of our corporate partners was also evident in other ways. Cycle
Source Group, the new distributor of Smith & Wesson bicycles came
in strong, providing funding for the canvas bags and the opening reception.
All that, plus a 20 x 20 booth, and they sponsored Introduction to Off-Road
Riding, too. Generous support for Thursday's lunch was supplied by
TIDALFORCE, a new contender in the electric bike market. Mocean
once again outfitted all conference instructors with high-quality polo-style
uniform shirts - khaki this year. Tri-State Regional Community Policing
Institute supplied all the audio-visual equipment, and a staff person
to run it, for the third year in a row. The West Virginia Division of
Tourism provided the funds for the post-competition cook-out at the FOP
Lodge. They also supplied the goodie bags, which were chock full of stuff
from Bell, Law Enforcement Product News, Muscle
Products/VooDew, Police magazine, Rubel BikeMaps,
EMS magazine, and Trek Bicycle Corporation. Finally, the t-shirts
were brought to you courtesy of Bell, Bratwear, Chiba,
Cop Pedalers, Cycle Source Group, EVT, Golden West
Communications, Muscle Products/Voodew, Olympic
Uniforms, Tri-State Regional Community Policing Institute, and
United Uniform.
IPMBA is still hard at work developing the Corporate Membership category,
and we thank our charter members once again for their support. Nice job,
Alerte Systems, Patrol Cycles LLC, TIDALFORCE, and Trek
Bicycle Corporation.
IPMBA appreciates the participation of industry members at every level -
Product Purchase Program participant, advertiser,
conference vendor, or sponsor. They are an important part of the IPMBA community.
When you have the opportunity to buy something for personal or duty use,
consider the companies who support IPMBA first. They're working everyday
to serve you.
Monte May can be reached at
industry@ipmba.org.
More Stories from the 2003
IPMBA Conference...
|
