South

The International Dryclean & Laundry Expo 2002 will be rolling into Miami, FL, for Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 9 and 10, with over 60,000 square feet of exhibits.

The event will take place at Steiner-Atlantic at 290 North East 68th St. The show, including all seminars, will be free to the public. Steiner-Atlantic will also be serving food and drinks to those who attend.

In addition to seeing the latest tensioning equipment in operation, attendees can watch new alternative solvent machines run and well-known industry expert Everett Childers will be on-hand to offer spotting demonstrations and finishing classes.

In fact, Steiner-Atlantic plans to offer several maintenance wetcleaning classes, as well as classes designed to teach machine maintenance and repair.

The event will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 10.

A block of rooms has already been reserved at a rate of $129 per night for single/double occupancy at the Fairfield Inn by Marriott, located in Miami near South Beach at 4101 Collins Ave. The cost includes breakfast. To make reservations, call (800) 777-9533, ext. 6508 and mention the discounted rate for the Dryclean Expo 2002.

Transportation to and from the hotel will be offered.

More information on the event, including a list of exhibitors, is located online at www.steineratlantic.com. Scroll down on the home page and click on the “Expo 2002” link.

Those who wish to register early can click on the link that reads “Register Today.”

For more information, contact Steiner-Atlantic at (305) 754-4551.

Adding to its list of state affiliates, the International Fabricare Institute has formed a new affiliate relationship with the Kentucky Fabricare Association as of January 1, 2002.

Tom Underwood, executive director of KFA, believes the move will be beneficial to its membership made up of Kentucky drycleaners. “This is a time for our nation and industry to come together and this gives both associations the opportunity to launch a coordinated effort to serve our members the best we can. We definitely want to be a part of the ongoing programs, effectiveness, and spirit of IFI.”

Jon Meijer, IFI’s vice president of membership, said that he is looking forward to working with KFA. “We welcome the opportunity to extend our benefits and services to this new state association. By combining IFI and KFA’s resources, we well be able to provide the best possible membership benefits to our members in Kentucky. We can deliver on that promise by eliminating the need for individual memberships in both organizations, and give members more for their money.”

Meijer can be contacted at (301) 622-1900, ext. 145.

The 2002 Coin Laundry Management Conference sponsored by the Coin Laundry Association will he held from Feb. 28 through March 3, 2002, in Tampa, FL.

A wide array of educational programming is planned, including four hours of “Basics for Beginners Education” that will take place on Thursday, Feb. 28. The program, which has been labeled by CLA as a “Pre-Conference Seminar,” is designed specifically for people who are thinking about entering the coin laundry business or those who are about to open their first coin laundry.

The “Basics for Beginners Education” will feature seminars on “Purchasing an Existing Laundry vs. Building New,” “The Basic Elements of a Coin Laundry Lease,” “Choosing the Right Location for Your Laundry,” and an open forum Coin Laundry 101 Panel of experts. The registration price for the event is $89 per person for members and $119 for non-members.

Later in the evening, CLA will kickoff the main festivities with a keynote speech by Mark Slutsky who will explain how to “Out Think, Not Out Spend Your Competition.”

More educational seminars are lined up from Friday through Sunday, including: “Remodeling Your Laundry,” “Developing an Income Projection for a New Laundry,” “The Five Most Common Legal Concerns for Laundry Owners,” “Your Business Plan — A Blueprint for Success,” “Slashing Utility Costs,” “How to Shop Deregulated Utilities,” a CLA idea exchange and roundtable discussion; a coin laundry design workshop; and several distributor and manufacturer workshops.

Additionally, an off-site dinner reception will be held at the Tampa Aquarium and a special coin laundry bus tour will visit some of Tampa’s best coin laundries.

Registration costs for the event is $395 per person for CLA members and $495 per person for non-members.

Hotel accommodations can be made by calling the Hyatt Regency Tampa Hotel at (800) 233-1234. If you mention the conference, you will receive a discounted room rate of $149 per night.

For more information, call (877) CLA-IDEA or visit www.coinlaundry.org.