IMBA will host their first-ever Women’s Summit next month in Arkansas, bringing together mountain biking’s leading women to talk trails, community, and advocacy. IMBA communications manager Eleanor Blick tells us the Uprising summit’s goal is to help further more mountain biking opportunities for women in their own communities.
IMBA Uprising women’s mountain bike advocacy summit
IMBA (International Mountain Bicycling Association) will run the new Uprising event from March 22-25 in Bentonville, Arkansas. They hope to bring together women from all over the USA that are already leading their mountain biking communities back home to meet, share ideas, and ride together on the northwest Arkansas trails.
The 2 1/2 day summit is aiming to get women who are already active in organizing and advocating for mountain bikes together to share their ideas and experiences. IMBA hopes the Uprising event will highlight the most successful work that women are already doing in the industry in a way to share “best practices, information, resources and networking opportunities centered around four guiding principles: Build, Ride, Learn and Engage”. IMBA will be bringing together leading female trail builders, IMBA chapter presidents, ride leaders, coaches and advocates that are already working to evolve a more inclusive mountain biking community.
The new IMBA UPRISING name looks to be the first in a string of advocacy events centered around promoting women’s involvement in mountain biking & trail advocacy. “In 2018 IMBA will celebrate thirty years. We have seen the sport grow and evolve, and it’s our duty as a national educational organization to ensure IMBA’s programming continues to serve mountain bikers’ needs. UPRISING is a new step in this commitment,” says Aimee Ross, IMBA Director of Brand Development.
IMBA will compile the body of knowledge shared during the Uprising event and make it available to throughout their advocacy network. Many women are already active & influential in their own cycling communities. And IMBA wants to double down on its committed to being an “aggregator of educational information, resources and inspiration to get more women riding, learning and inspiring others to get involved”.
The IMBA Uprising summit is open for registration now, with a limited number of spaces still available. Check out the full program details as it continues to get flushed out.
