We held the fifth annual Virtual PoleCon just this past Saturday October 26, 2024, to…
PoleCon is now part of the IPIA!
PoleCon is now part of the IPIA!
This post explains why that happened and what it means going forward.
Our goal with these changes is to better support the pole industry, especially those working in it, and continue to provide a space for individual expression for the pole community.
First, some history
Colleen Jolly’s (owner of PoleCon and Executive Director of the IPIA) experience with events historically has been in the context of trade associations supporting people working in the corporate world.
She was the CEO (a volunteer title) for the APMP and worked on planning their “Bid and Proposal Con” when she purchased PoleCon from the original founder in 2014, running her first PoleCon in 2015 in New Orleans.
Most trade associations host an annual event -> Colleen just did all this backwards, purchasing PoleCon in 2014 and not creating the IPIA, the pole industry’s first trade association, until 2020. (What is a trade association? Read this post!)
It was always her intention of creating a trade association (501 c 6) entity that could provide support and resources to the business side of the pole industry.
The IPIA has grown slowly, providing resources to existing and new pole businesses. It will continue to evolve to support the pole industry through things like collecting and sharing survey data across relevant business topics. This may also include creating scholarships to attend PoleCon, for aspiring pole business owners who demonstrate need, to network and learn.
What happens moving forward?
To come to PoleCon everyone must be a current or former member of the IPIA.
Purchasing a pass to PoleCon will provide you with one free month of IPIA membership. Signing up for an IPIA membership to get access to member only resources and partner discounts is not automatic and requires you to visit a separate link. You will receive instructions in your receipt from your PoleCon purchase to officially sign up. You will be asked for your credit card, for a renewable monthly payment of $5. You may cancel any time.
Previously, PoleCon, was considered a “partner” of the IPIA and offered IPIA members a discount off admission to the event.
If you are a current IPIA member whose membership started before this change over (Sept 1, 2024) please contact the IPIA directly for a special discount code for the 2025 PoleCon event only. There will be no discount moving forward after that.
To reiterate, our goal with these changes is to better support the pole industry, especially those working in it, and continue to provide a space for individual expression for the pole community.
PoleCon and the IPIA will continue to evolve and change with the ultimate vision of positively influencing the creation of “A successful, inclusive and sustainable pole industry.”
Colleen Jolly is an entrepreneur and a pole dance enthusiast. She has been poling for 13 years, is the CEO of PoleCon and the Executive Director of the IPIA. She teaches pole, lyra, floorwork, and mobility online and in-person in the DC metro area. She has been active in leadership roles in several international businesses over the past two decades and is also an award-winning pole dancer, artist, writer, and speaker. She is certified in several movement modalities and wrote the book "Mobility for Pole" to help pole dancers move better.
Latest posts by Colleen (see all)
- Virtual PoleCon 2024 Recap - November 1, 2024
- Train While You Travel: Tips to Training Without a Pole - October 11, 2024
- Pole Comedy: the what’s and how’s of this funny business - October 4, 2024
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