For those educators and trainers who are looking for new training techniques, specialized training, defensive tactics, or certification to teach other officers in a plethora of topics, the annual ILEETA conference held each spring is for you.
This year the ILEETA (International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association) conference ran March 20 to March 25. Despite a change in conference location from Chicago, Ill. to St. Louis, Mo., ILEETA reported more than 700 attendees over the six-day period and more than 100 exhibitors during the 2-day expo. The conference boasted 150 education sessions and more than two-dozen instructor certifications/armorer courses as well.
New location doesn’t hinder attendance
This year the ILEETA conference had a new home in St. Louis, Mo., at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. The decision to switch locations wasn’t a hard one as hotel industry changes included price increases and the conference’s former home of Chicago, Ill., became too costly, says Harvey Hedden, ILEETA’s executive director. “A lot of cities bid on hosting the ILEETA conference, but St. Louis was the most accommodating and best-suited for our needs,” says Hedden. “Having it in a location like St. Louis allowed us to keep the costs down to where we could make it both affordable and convenient for attendees.”
The St. Louis Union Station Hotel had plenty of room for the dozens of educational sessions and also allowed for the expo to be held in a large, central space. “It’s hard to avoid the expo,” Hedden jokes. He isn’t incorrect. Held in a former train station, the expo space offered natural lighting and more than enough room for the many exhibitors and the hundreds of attendees.
A ‘buffet of training’
Education and training sessions are at the core of the ILEETA conference. This year more than 40 hours of training sessions were offered to attendees, ranging in topics from adaptive decision making for the FTO, to recruitment and retention, to policing and leadership in the 21st century. These topics don’t even scratch the service of offerings. Other sessions included a course designed to give today’s firearms instructors insight on the “forgotten art of the revolver,” while another session focused on officer recognition of and response to mentally ill and emotionally disturbed individuals. “The focus of the conference is still on the training and the certifications,” Hedden confirms. “ILEETA provides a buffet of training for attendees.”
The amount of information offered at the conference and expo comes at good price, too. Hedden says that many attendees are trainers of multiple subjects so when they come to ILEETA, they can get certified in a variety of areas for a low price, all in one place.
Not only is the education and training a large attraction for attendees, but so is the opportunity to network with others in the field. “When you can meet with other people across the U.S. and share ideas and solutions, it’s always a win-win,” says Hedden.
Exhibitors deliver in education and training offerings
Though the location differed from the 2016 conference, Hedden says exhibitors did not shy away from the venue change. Around 100 exhibitors showed off new products and updates to classics, showcased training programs, and much more.
The 2018 ILEETA conference will take place in St. Louis, Mo., once again from March 19 to March 24, 2018. If you have ever wondered if the ILEETA conference lives up to the talk, sign up in 2018 and find out firsthand.
