National Clothesline

For some, the beginning of the year signifies a chance to make good on resolutions and work toward improvement. For others, whenever January rolls around, it means cold temperatures have settled in, along with strong desires to head out of town to a warmer climate.

Now, thanks to efforts by the National Cleaners Association, both yearnings can be satisfied at the same time.

From January 13-16, NCA will host a “Brainstorming With the Best 2005” conference at the Atlantic Resort and Casino in the Bahamas.

Highlighting the event will be a trio of marketing experts who will share some of their successful marketing secrets with attending cleaners.

Leading the way will be Jay Conrad Levinson, author of the best-selling marketing series in history — “Guerrilla Marketing.” He has also written 24 other business books and has a monthly column in Entrepreneur magazine.

He will help cleaners develop and implement a marketing, advertising and public relations plan that will improve their business’s bottom line.

Conrad will speak from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, January 14.

On the following day, world-renowned WOM (Word of Mouth) expert Jackie Huba will present from 9 a.m. until noon.

Huba is the co-author of the best-selling book, Creating Customer Evangelists, considered the premier guide to unlocking the potential of word of mouth advertising.

During her sessions, she will unravel the mystery of how a business can create a “buzz” so strong that it will prompt existing customers to bring in new customers by the droves.

From 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday, speaker Denton Bramwell will discuss a new major business phenomena known as Six Sigma, which began as a manufacturing quality program and has since been incorporated by several Fortune 500 companies.

Bramwell, a Six Sigma black belt who holds a BS in Physics, MBA and CQM, will explain what the program entails and how its principles can be applied to the drycleaning industry.

In addition to the seminars, NCA will offer plenty of opportunities for networking among cleaners. On Thursday, attendees can come visit the “Welcome Table” between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. located in the lower lobby of the Coral Towers and receive a copy of NCA’s “Brainstorming” book.

There will be a welcome reception later that evening from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Lagoon Pool.

On Saturday evening, the association will host a party featuring music, dancing and an open bar. The cost is $75 per person.

Registration costs for the conference are $495 per NCA member plus an additional $225 for his or her spouse. Non-members must pay $595 each and another $275 for his or her spouse.

Hotel reservations at the Altantis are available at a rate of $195 per night for a Coral room and $255 per night for a Royal room.

For more information on the hotel, visit online at www.atlantis.com.

Those who wish to attend the conference should fill out a registration form located on NCA’s web site, www.nca-i.com. Just click on the link entitled “Atlantis Information.”

For more information, contact the NCA office by calling (212) 967-3002.