This afternoon, over 50 bike advocates from across Oregon will kick-off the third annual Oregon Bike Summit with, what else, a bike ride.
The kick-off ride will work up their appetites for a feast of an agenda that’s jam-packed with an impressive slate of speakers, interesting breakout sessions and workshops, and many opportunities to connect and network with Oregon’s shining stars of cycling.
The list of several hundred registrants reads like a who’s-who of cycling in Oregon and they come from every facet of biking you can imagine. Policy-makers, industry leaders, tourism experts, advocates, politicians, citizen activists — they’ll all be in the same place tonight and tomorrow.
And have I mentioned the line-up of keynote presentations? (You know you’re a bike nut if these get you excited):
- Why Cycling is Important in Oregon: Congressman Earl Blumenauer
- National Overview of the Importance of Cycling: Tim Blumenthal, President, Bikes Belong
- The Oregon Transportation Plan and the Role of Cycling: Gail Achterman, Chair, Oregon Transportation Commission*
Some of the big themes this year will be bike tourism, developing Oregon’s bike industry, and learning how to influence transportation policy on the local, regional, and national levels.
If you want to be part of the action, make your way out to the Red Lion Hotel in Janzten Beach (on the Columbia River) and help us make Oregon, “the land bicycles dream about!”
Check out the official event website for more information.
I’ll be there tonight and all-day Saturday to bring you all the photos, stories, and gossip that’s fit to print. Stay tuned…