West
IFI hosts management seminar in Las Vegas
A members-only management seminar will be
presented by the International Fabricare Institute from Feb. 20-22 in Las Vegas, NV, at the New
York-New York Hotel and Casino.
The three-day event is designed to help
business managers get the most out of their business in these
economically-troubled times by teaching them how to get the
most out of their employees.
The seminar, entitled “At Your
Request: Management Techniques for Today’s
Drycleaner,” will focus mostly on issues facing
larger-scale cleaners; however, IFI has stressed that all of
its members are invited to attend.
“This seminar is designed for the
plant that plans on being around in the future,” said IFI
CEO Bill Fisher. “The seminar will cover what’s
happening now and what we believe will happen in the future,
based on previous cycles in the industry. We will also be
examining some innovative things that have been done to build
customer loyalty and increase volume. Attendees of this seminar
will greatly increase their chances of surviving this episode
of the industry crunch.”
On Wednesday, Feb. 20, the festivities
will kick off with a Straight Shooters Golf Tournament at the
Rhodes Ranch Country Club at 12:30 p.m. The tournament will be
a restricted scramble format so players should register early.
Afterward at 6:30 p.m., guests are invited
to attend dinner and a presentation of golf awards for the
day’s winners.
Attendees will be getting down to business
on Thursday morning with a presentation at the 8 a.m. breakfast
by Fisher who will give a “No-Holds Barred Look at the
Future of the Industry.”
At 9:30 a.m., Mark Wagner of Arcadis,
Geraghty & Miller, IFI’s environmental engineering
firm, will present “Contamination: What’s Under
Your Plant? Will EPA Object?”
An hour later, Wagner will join a panel
discussion with Mike Saul of CL Solutions and Robert D. Henshaw
of Henshaw Associates, Inc. on “Welcome to My
Contamination Nightmare: Contamination Case Studies and How
They Are Being Cleaned Up.”
After lunch, Eric Kloter of Swiss Cleaners
and Jim Douglas of Prestige Cleaners will head a program on
“The Crunch in the Industry is Here: What Do I Do to
Survive?” from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Attendees will have an
opportunity to learn the methods that successful drycleaners
are utilizing in their businesses.
The day’s education will end with
“Why Diversification Works For Me” from 3:30 to 5
p.m., which will include panel members Pat Godo of Avon
Cleaners, fabricare consultant Doris Easley and Bob Stewart of
Kirk’s Suede-Life, Inc. Routes, heirloom restoration and
shoe and leather product care will all be discussed as
supplemental ways for drycleaners to make money.
On Friday, Laura Barron, president of The
Baron Group, will speak on “Motivating and Retaining Good
Employees” following an 8:30 a.m. continental breakfast.
She will give employers tips on how to reduce the turnover rate
and increase quality and efficiency from their employees.
Later in the morning, Barron will discuss
“Customer Relations: Dealing With the Irate
Customer” from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m.
The seminar fee for IFI members is $299.
Non-members are not allowed to attend.
Rooms at the New York-New York Hotel and
Casino in Las Vegas can be reserved for Wednesday and Thursday
nights by calling (800) 693-5763.
For more information, contact IFI at (800)
638-2627.
