Northeast News

In an effort to meet the demands for a bigger show, the North East Fabricare Association will be hosting Fabricare Image 2002 at the Rhode Island Convention Center located in Providence, RI. The venue will be a change of pace from its Fabricare Image 2000 show which took place in Worcester, MA.

NEFA is also planning its program two weeks earlier in the year from its traditional April schedule. This year, the program will run from March 22-24.

A welcome reception will take place on Friday evening from 7 to 9 p.m. to help attendees ease into the weekend’s activities.

This year’s slate of educational sessions will begin the next morning at 8:30 a.m. as Ted Barry delivers a 75-minute seminar on “Managing For Profit.” Barry is a cleaning industry cost management consultant who has presented several informative seminars in the past on achieving profitability in the drycleaning industry.

At 10:30 a.m. on the same day, Tom Janek, Don Desrosiers and Chris Baggott will participate in a panel discussion on “Diversification Pays Dividends” in an effort to demonstrate to cleaners supplemental ways to make more money. Wetcleaning, shirt laundry and innovative marketing will all be discussed in the 90-minute program.

On Saturday evening, attendees will have an opportunity to enjoy drinks, entertainment and prize raffles at the “Roaring Twenties” cocktail reception from 6: 30 to 8:30 p.m.

Sunday morning will begin with a 75-minute seminar on “Casual Wear to Formal Wear — Prepare Your Plant for the Future” with guest speaker Laurie Wilson. Wilson has spent over 20 years in the retailing industry, including 17 with the Mercantile Department Stores Co. The session will run from 9 to 10:15 a.m. and will include a buffet breakfast.

Afterward, Chris Allsbrooks will present “Quality Cleaning: How Do You Measure Up?” from 10: 30 a.m. to noon. Allsbrooks has several years of experience on garment analysis working at IFI’s headquarters facility in Silver Springs, MD.

NEFA is offering two separate packages for Fabricare Image 2002, including one for $65 that includes admission to all four seminars and the registration fee for the convention.

A second package, including everything from the first package plus admission to the welcome reception and the “Roaring Twenties” cocktail reception, sells for $100. Two free drink coupons, one for each cocktail party, are also included.

Those who wish to attend on an event-by-event basis may individually purchase tickets for the programs of their choice. Admission to the “Roaring Twenties” cocktail reception is $35, as is the seminar presented by Laurie Wilson on casual wear.

Admittance to all other seminars and the welcome reception is $15 each. Exhibit registration is $5.

The convention hotel for the 2002 event is the Providence Westin, which will also serve as the convention’s headquarters. A block of rooms have been reserved at a rate of $149 per night. To make a reservation, call the hotel at (800) WESTIN-1 and ask for the NEFA convention rate. Additionally, NEFA has planned for room blocks at other hotels in the immediate area.

For more information, contact NEFA at (800) 683-6332 or visit the association’s web site at www.nefabricare.com.

A two-night, hands-on spotting class will be presented by Mike Achin of the Laidlaw Corp. at Aristocraft of Oxford, MA, beginning on Wednesday, March 6 and concluding the next day.

The program will run both nights from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Class size is limited to approximately 10 to 15 students.

For more information, contact Mike Ross of Aristocraft at (508) 987-6444 or Mike Achin of Laidlaw at (508) 699-5521.