National Clothesline

Drycleaners who attend this year’s International Drycleaners Congress’s convention in Orlando, FL, can look forward to a program featuring “Fresh Ideas for Challenging Times.”

The event is scheduled from June 19-22, just prior to the Clean Show.

Registration will begin on Sunday, June 19. Also on the day’s agenda will be an IDC board meeting and a welcome reception for attendees.

The convention will officially open on the following morning at 8 a.m. with an introduction by guest speaker John Jordan, the chairman of the event. Jordan is also president of Fabritec International.

IDC President Marcia Todd will join him during the proceedings to welcome attendees to Orlando.

The first educational session which focuses on “These Challenging Times” won’t be far behind. It will start at 8:50 a.m. and run until 10: 30 a.m.

During that time, three industry experts will discuss what they believe are the major difficulties the industry will face in the future, and how creative thinking might help cleaners gain an edge.

First up will be IFI President-Elect Gary Dawson who will address “The Challenges Facing Our Industry.” NCA Executive Director Nora Nealis will discuss “Meeting the Challenges From an Association Perspective.”

Providing cleaners with the “Creative Thinking” portion of the programming will be Darcy Moen, whose imaginative title with the Customer Loyalty Network is Supreme Commander and Chief Digital Mechanic.

IDC will move on to a second education session from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. that emphasizes the importance of “Diversification” in cleaning businesses.

Sally Lorensen Conant, Ph.D., will examine adding the extra service of wedding gowns. She is a former museum professional and now is the administrative coordinator of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists. She operates the largest gown preservation service in New England and often works as a consultant to museums and historical societies.

Other topics during the session include: leather and theatrical cleaning, diversification in Japan, and Malcolm MacGregor presenting a seminar on fire restoration.

For a break later in the afternoon, Jim Parham will take cleaners on an optional three-hour plant visit tour.

On the next morning, IDC will host its third educational session. This time, the topic will be “Implementing New Marketing Initiatives Successfully.”

Jim Parham will be back to discuss “Customer Relationships” and Jack Barth will follow with a seminar on “Rewarding Customers Using Database Marketing.” Barth, who is president and manager of Barth’s Cleaning Centre in Ontario, Canada, also serves as the IDC regional vice president of region 9, which covers central Canada.

“The Personal Method of Marketing” will be presented by David Hillary, president of Fraser Hillarys Ltd. in Ontario, Canada, who has logged in over 55 years of involvement in the cleaning industry.

Guest speaker Sid Tuchman will also be on hand to examine “How to Increase the Value of Your Company.” Tuchman is the president of Tuchman Training Systems in Indianapolis, Indiana.

After that session, Mark Rockcastle, IDC fellowship chair, will host the 2004-05 fellowship reports. He is the executive vice president of R.R. Street & Co., Inc.

Also prior to lunchtime will be 70 minutes of fast-paced reports on industry developments in the Far East, Australasia and Europe. Trevor Holmes, national sales manager of Seitz, Inc. and president of Canada’s Cleaners and Launderers Allied Trades Association, will offer up a report on the Americas, as well.

During the IDC luncheon presentation, attendees will have an opportunity to learn about the association’s early plans for its 2006 convention.

Later, IDC will gather for its annual general meeting from 2:40 to 3 p.m. and then proceed with an evening of activities beginning with the president’s reception at 6:30 p.m. hosted by Chris Tebbs, IDC executive director.

A banquet is slated to begin at 7:30 that night and will be emceed by Tom Hopkins, the retired CEO of Gibson’s Cleaners Co., Ltd. At 9:30 p.m., he will help distribute the IDC awards, and, afterward, he will induct the organization’s officers for the 2005-06 term.

On Wednesday, just one day before Clean ’05 opens, IDC will hold its fist annual golf tournament.

Hotel accommodations for convention guests will be at the Renaissance Orlando Resort at Seaworld. A special rate of $129 per night plus taxes for a single/double room is available to those who call and mention their affiliation with IDC.

Full registration packages for the convention are available at a cost of $549 per person, which includes admittance to the welcome cocktail party, convention banquet and all business sessions. For non-members, the same package costs $699 per person — which also includes a one-year membership with IDC.

In addition to that registration package, IDC will also offer a pre-convention tour that consists of a deep sea cruise that will embark on a week-long journey through exotic waters.

The itinerary for IDC’s pre-convention excursion will begin on Sunday, June 12, when attendees board the Royal Caribbean International’s “Mariner of the Seas” cruise ship that departs from Port Canaveral, home of the Kennedy Space Center.

While the cruise ship has its share of on-board activities — ice skating, basketball and wall climbing — the highlight of the voyage will be ports visited along the way.

On Monday, the ship will arrive in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, where passengers can spend the day ashore. The next stop along the way will be at Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, located in the Virgin Islands. Those participating in the tour can spend the day enjoying the area’s amazing beaches and duty-free shopping.

Next on the agenda will be a stop in Phillipsburg, St. Maarten, also known as the “Crossroads of the Caribbean” with all of its lively shopping streets, cafes, and hotels. Then, finally, on Friday and Saturday, the ship will head back to its port of origin in Port Canaveral so that passengers will have time on Sunday for arranged transportation to the Renaissance Orlando Resort at Sea World.

Rates for the cruise vary, depending on the quality of room accommodations. Prices range from $1,050 per guest for an inside stateroom on deck 9 to $1,960 per guest for a junior suite on decks 6-10. There are five other pricing options, as well. The cost includes cruise fare, ship accommodations, ocean transportation, most meals and entertainment and some beverages. In addition to the base cost, each person pays $139 port charges plus $28.95 in taxes and fees.

For more information, contact IDC by calling (403) 685-4755 or visit online at www.idcnews.org.