The Tactical Conference originally began as a major mid-winter indoor pistol match. It started as a major IDPA event in 1998, but within a couple of years the format was changed to use more realistic, mannequin-type targets and actual carry gear.
It soon became obvious that the attendees were more self-defense oriented than purely competitive shooting oriented. Also, a number of self defense trainers were in attendance. It occurred to us that if we could have those trainers present blocks of instruction during the match, the attendees who were not busy shooting could be learning useful skills. At the same time, the trainers could showcase their teaching skills to an interested group of potential students. The Tactical Conference was born!
The Conference started out at Tom’s former pistol range in Memphis, TN. The event has moved a few times since then, with recent conferences taking place in Tulsa, OK; Little Rock, AR; New Orleans, LA; and Dallas, TX. We reached an important milestone in 2018 with the historic 20th Anniversary of the Tactical Conference, and we are still going strong. Rangemaster is grateful to everyone who has helped make the Conference a success every year, and we look forward to seeing it continue to grow for many years to come.