Industry & IPMBA: Exhibit Hall,
Product Showcase and more...
The exhibit hall continues
to be a highlight of the annual IPMBA Conference. It is the only event that
offers bike personnel the opportunity to compare products side-by-side, test
ride the various bikes on offer, and converse with the knowledgeable men
and women who represent the various companies. Much information is exchanged
in the exhibit hall - participants learn from the vendors and vice-versa,
and the groundwork is laid for future business transactions. And, of course,
"deals" can always be found!
The second annual Product Showcase and Silent Auction was deemed a success,
again putting numerous products on display and raising nearly $3000 to benefit
IPMBA's training programs. The auction was coordinated by Bob Hatcher of
Delaware (OH) PD, who personally procured most of the donated items. Companies
contributing product included: Alerte Systems, Boundtree Medical, Bratwear,
Bushnell Outdoor Products, Bycycle, Cane Creek, Cannondale, Dero Racks, Desert
Sun, ElecTrek, Fuji, Gatorz, Gould & Goodrich, IMBA, Iosso Products,
John E. Reid, Kenda USA, Kryptonite, Leonard Consulting Group, Louka Tactical
Training, Maxxis USA, Mocean, NiteRider, Olympic, Patrol Bike Systems, Polar
Design, Police Bike Store, ProGold, R&B Fabrications, Rudy Project Eyewear,
Stone Cold Outdoors, Swagman, United Uniform, Volcanic, and WTB. Members
John Hanke (Joliet PD) and Tommy Hamelink (the Hague Police) donated an Illinois
COPS jersey and a jersey worn by Dutch cycling champion Michael Boogerd,
respectively, and the Albuquerque Police Department supplied a basket of
New Mexico goodies.
The exhibit hall, which was adjacent to the bike check and offered a small
cone course for bike testing, was a lively place, especially during the welcoming
reception on Wednesday, sponsored by IPMBA, and the Thursday night reception,
sponsored by Mocean and United Uniform.
IPMBA welcomed several first-time vendors to the event, including Bushnell
Outdoor Products, Cannondale Bicycles, Cardiac Science,
Dero Bike Racks, Electrik Motion, Leonard Consulting
Group, and Rudy Project Eyewear. Returning after an absence were
Bound Tree Medical, Marwi USA, and NiteRider Technical
Lighting.
Bushnell recently acquired Uncle Mike's and is now distributing the
full line of Uncle Mike's holsters and duty gear. Cannondale, which
features Made-in-the-USA patrol bikes in various models, was encouraged to
attend by IPMBA Instructor Brad Miller from Lewisburg (PA) PD. Cardiac
Science develops and markets PowerHeart brand AEDs, compact AEDs suitable
for law enforcement and BLS providers. Dero is known for their artistic
bicycle racks and distributes Saris racks, but their focus was on introducing
their bicycle storage systems, ideal for large bike fleets and property rooms.
Electrik Motion offers a full line of electric scooters and bicycles,
including a public safety model, while Leonard Consulting Group, also
known as "4bike-police.com", distributes such familar names as Alerte Systems,
Smith & Wesson, Fuji, and a variety of accessories. Rudy Project
Eyewear, a long-time participant in the IPMBA Product Purchase Program,
displayed a wide array of technical eyewear. Bound Tree Medical offers
a full line of supplies for pre-hospital care, and both Marwi USA
and Nite Rider feature lighting systems suitable for public safety
use.
Once again, Bratwear, Mocean, and United Uniform made certain that
it was a sharp-dressed conference. In a welcome break with tradition,
Bratwear outfitted the command staff in regal purple polo-style shirts,
while Mocean toned it down a bit for the instructor shirts - last
year's high-viz gave way to a more conservative gray-over-black color scheme.
The EMS support crew stood out in red-and-gray. United completed the
ensemble with their popular black uniform shorts.
In addition to helping sponsor the Thursday night reception, Mocean
provided a total of $2000 in grant funding to Officer Chris Bartolomei, New
York State University Police, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY; Officer
William Laramee, Town of Amherst Police, Amherst, MA; Corporal Nick Driscoll,
Greenwood Police, Greenwood, AR; and Sergeant Jerry Bisek, City of Manassas
Police, Manassas, VA, so they would be able to attend the conference.
Volcanic came on strong with a sponsorship that included sponsoring
the three off-road workshops and the competition, providing mechanical support,
and teaming up with NiteRider to sponsor the Instructor Course night ride.
They also contributed a bike frame with a unique custom paint job for the
silent auction, and everyone's favorite - homemade chocolate lollipops (thanks,
Eric's mom!) for the welcome bags.
Speaking of welcome bags, the tote bags provided by All-Tuff were
awesome! Royal purple in keeping with the Mardi Gras theme, they were constructed
of the same heavy-duty material used for their panniers, so they should hold
up from year-to-year. No chance of these handles breaking under the weight
of all the goodies in those welcome bags!
And finally, thanks are due to Finish Line USA, which once again donated
product to ensure that the bikes in the Maintenance Officer Certification
Course and the various maintenance workshops were clean and running smoothly.
And, of course, to Kryptonite, whose ever-popular lanyards enabled
attendees to keep track of their namebadges, bike check cards, hotel keys,
business cards, etc.
IPMBA appreciates the participation of industry members at every level -
Product Purchase Program participant, advertiser,
conference vendor, sponsor. When purchasing items for personal or on-duty
use, please check out your IPMBA supporters first. They're part of our community
and care about your comfort and safety.
More Stories from the 2007
IPMBA Conference...
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