Gain a competitive edge at Atlantic City
show
“Give Yourself the Competitive
Edge” will be the theme for the Pennsylvania
and Delaware Cleaners Association’s Drycleaning and Laundry Expo 2004, which will be
held on Saturday and Sunday, October 2 and 3.
The association will keep with the same
venue that has hosted successful shows in the past — the
Atlantic City Convention Center in New Jersey. However, this
year will see a change in headquarters as the association will
be stationed at the stunning new Borgata Hotel, Casino &
Spa.
Not only is the Borgata the largest hotel
in the area with 2,010 guest rooms, but it contains 135,000
square feet of gaming, 11 restaurants and 70,000 square feet of
conference space. The building had a construction price tag of
over $1 billion dollars.
Rooms are available at a special rate of
$189 nightly for single or double occupancy. For reservations,
call (866) 692-6742 and mention Drycleaning and Laundry Expo.
One of this year’s headliners for
the event is IFI CEO Bill Fisher, who will deliver a discussion
on how cleaners can grow their business and be more profitable
in a challenging marketplace. The seminar is entitled
“Keep the Competitive Edge in Any Business
Climate.”
Afterward, Bill Odorizzi, president of the
Textile Care Allied Trades Association and vice president of
sales for FH Bonn Co., will discuss how to “Get the
Competitive Edge Through Customer and Employee
Satisfaction” at 9:45 am
On Sunday morning, various industry
experts will comprise an interactive panel that will help
attendees learn more ways to make their businesses stand apart
from the rest of the pack.
The “Breakfast With the Pros”
session will be moderated by Jane Zellers, the chief instructor
at the Southwest Drycleaners Association’s drycleaning
school on the campus of Texas Tech University.
The session will begin at 9 am and run for
approximately two hours.
Attendees will also have an opportunity to
see the latest drycleaning machinery and accessories up close
at the exhibit hall, which is open from 10 am to 6 pm on
Saturday and from 10 am to 5 pm on Sunday.
Network events planned for the weekend
include a casual welcome reception at 6:30 pm on the night of
Friday, October 1, and an elegant cocktail reception at the
same time on the following night. Both will take place at the
Borgata.
Registration packages are available on
line at www.pdclean.org. The cost is $50 per person for a full
package, which includes admittance to all events. Admission to
the exhibits is free except for non-exhibiting allied trades
who must pay $250 each.
Cleaners also have the option of
purchasing individual packages as well. The breakdown is as
follows: $20 per Saturday seminar; $25 for the Saturday
reception; and $25 for the Sunday morning breakfast and seminar
program.
For more information, contact PDCA, (800)
822-7352.
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Three-day CLA summer convention planned in
DC
The Coin
Laundry Association will
host its three-day national convention from July 9-11 at the
Grand Hyatt, located at 1000 H Street NW in Washington, D.C.
Preceding the event will be a one-day “Coin Laundry:
Basics for Beginners” service school on Thursday, July
8. It will kick off at 10:30 am with “Evaluating an
Investment in Coin Laundry” presented by Bob Eisenberg,
CLA Chairman-Elect. He will discuss everything investors need
to know before entering into the coin laundry industry.
In the afternoon, Clay Pedersen of
Business Consultants International will speak on the topic of
“Negotiating Your Best Laundry Lease.”
At 2 pm, “Coin Laundry Design
Concepts” will be the subject of a seminar by Jay
McDonald of Alliance Laundry Systems. He will reveal what works
and what doesn’t when it comes to layout and design for
coin laundries.
Also on the day’s schedule are
seminars on “A Day in the Life” of a Laundry
Owner” by Chicago store owner and CLA deputy executive
director, Michael Sokolowski, and a panel discussion of
“Coin Laundry Basics: Ask the Experts.” Both
programs will begin at 3:15 and 4 pm, respectively.
Those with more experience in the industry
may wish to wait until Friday to attend the convention. The
day’s seminars will include: “The ‘Free
Dry’ Controversy” by Bob Eisenberg; “The
Change Factor: Advancements in Card and Coin Systems by Jim
McNutt of Standard Change-Makers and Amy Gitlin, ESD;
“Small Changes Big Benefits: Washer and Dryer
Improvements” by Mike Floyd of Continental Girbau;
“Innovative Solutions for Utility Savings by Jeff Deal of
Hamilton Engineering, Inc.; and “Maximize Safety Minimize
Risk: Security Systems and Personal Safety” by Curt Wood
of Electronic Engineering Research Inc. and Bill Gilbert of
Service Laundry Machinery Corporation.
More educational opportunities will resume
on Saturday, beginning with a discussion of “Financing
Options and Small Business Trends” by SBA Lead Economic
Development Specialist Seth Jones.
CLA will also feature several service
schools throughout the day and again on Sunday.
Finishing up Sunday’s schedule of
seminars will be one on how to “Keep It Clean: Garment
Care Tips from the Experts” by Jane Rising, IFI manager
of Education.
There will be a few social activities
during the weekend, as well. CLA has set up a “Mandatory
Service School Manufacturer Meeting” at 5 pm Saturday
night. CLA members are invited to attend a 5:30 pm meeting on
the same evening, followed by a hospitality and cocktail
reception at 6 pm
Full registration packages are available
for those who sign up prior to arriving at the convention. The
cost is $449 for CLA members $449 and $549 for non-members. An
additional fee of $50 per registrant will be added to those who
register on site.
Those costs do not include admission to
Thursday’s conference for beginners; CLA members must pay
$175 each to attend and non-members pay $225 each.
Reservations for the Grand Hyatt
Hotel can be secured by calling (800) 233-1234.
For information, contact the Coin Laundry
Association,l (877) CLA-IDEA.
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