National Clothesline

Life in the Big Easy continues to be anything but. Confounded by power outages in many districts and a drastically-reduced labor force, the rebuilding effort of the damaged city is moving slowly along.

Many neighborhoods are still in unlivable condition and many businesses have remained closed — even in repaired portions of the city. New Orleans has aptly been described as a “ghost town” compared to what it used to be.

Optimistic estimates place about 150,000 residents as currently living there, or approximately a third of its pre-Hurricane Katrina population. New Orleans Councilwoman Jackie Clarkson believes that population may rise to 200,000 by early next year, but it is clear that it will be a long time before the city will be operating anywhere near peak capacity.

As a result of the slow progress, Clean Show officials have had to drop New Orleans as the venue for Clean ’07, the world’s largest show for the textile care industry. Instead, the event will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, which was the host for Clean ’03.

“We are fortunate to obtain dates in Las Vegas and because of the quick response on everyone’s part we were able to secure show dates of June 11-14,” said Brian Wallace, president/CEO of the Coin Laundry Association and chairman of the Clean ’07 Executive Committee. “Clean ’07 marks the show’s 30th anniversary and we hope everyone will make plans to be there to see the wealth of solutions and opportunities available to enhance and grow a textile care business.”

According to Wallace, making the change was a frustrating choice.

“Our decision to change venues was a difficult one considering the excellent relationship we have enjoyed with New Orleans and the sympathy we feel for our colleagues there,” he said. “We want to contribute to the city’s recovery and expect to return to New Orleans for a Clean Show in the future, but we could not fully commit to a show there now in light of the tragedy brought on by Hurricane Katrina.”

“Clean Executive Committee members serve not only as owners of the show, but also as stewards with a responsibility for preserving the health of the show for the exhibitors and attendees who rely on Clean for disseminating and learning the latest information on products and trends in the textile care industry,” Wallace added. “This decision enables Clean to hold the 2007 show in the venue most preferred by our customers.”

Details for the show are still being hammered out. The planning committee hopes to begin exhibit sales in April or early May of 2006.

The World Educational Congress for Laundering and Drycleaning, the show’s official name, is sponsored by six industry associations: Coin Laundry Association, International Fabricare Institute, National Association of Institutional Linen Management, Textile Care Allied Trades Association, Textile Rental Services Association of America, and Uniform & Textile Service Association.

The first regional trade show of 2006 will be held in Ft. Worth TX, March 31-April 2. Cleaners Showcase 2006, sponsored by the Southwest Drycleaners Association, will be held at the Ft. Worth Convention Center. Information is available by calling SDA, (210) 822-1213.

“Make More Money” will be the theme of the North East Fabricare Association’s biennial trade show, Fabricare Image, at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, RI, April 22-23. For information, call NEFA, (800) 442-6848.

The following weekend will see Clean Canada 2006 at the Toronto Congress Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The April 28-30 show is sponsored by the Canadian Launderers and Allied Trades Association and managed and produced by Canadian National Show Management. For information call (905) 361-5239.

The Southern Drycleaners show, sponsored by the South Eastern Fabricare Association, will be held at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center in Savannah, GA, July 29-30. For information call (877) 707-7332.

The California Cleaners Association will once again host its biennial trade show in Long Beach, CA. Fabricare 2006 will be August 18-20. Call (916) 239-4070.

The final U.S.-based show of 2006 will be Drycleaning and Laundry Expo, sponsored by the Pennsylvania and Delaware Cleaners Association in Atlantic City, NJ, September 16-17. For information, call (215) 830-8495.

Rounding out the trade show slate next year will be exhibitions in Italy and Japan. Expo Detergo International will be held in Milan Italy, Nov. 10-13. For information, call (39) 02-393-14120; fax: (39) 02-393-15160. or visit expodetergo.com.

The Clean Life Vision 21, laundry and drcyleaning show will be held in Osaka, Japan, Nov. 24-26. Call (81) 6-6612-1743 or visit the web site, www.fair.or.jp/clean, for information.