National Clothesline

It will be an excellent year for those in North America who want to visit a local trade show and see the latest and greatest in drycleaning technology.

In fact, there will be a total of seven upcoming shows altogether scattered throughout the continent over the next few months.

First up will be Cleaners Showcase 2006 offered by the Southwest Drycleaners Association.

The show will take place at the Fort Worth Convention Center from March 31 to April 2.

Nearly 80 companies had signed up to display their cleaning wares in the heart of “Cowtown USA” with more certain to join the exhibition by the time the show opens.

Attendees will also have a chance to learn from featured speaker Bill Fisher, CEO of IFI, and a panel of experts who will discuss how to survive catastrophes such as the recent Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.

A bit farther from home…

Not all upcoming trade shows and major conventions for the drycleaning industry this year will take place within the confines of North America.

Many cleaners will find it prudent to take a trip overseas for some impressive international offerings later this year.

First up, the International Drycleaners Congress will host its convention Nov. 2-4 in Bologna, Italy.

One highlight of the convention will be a Friday tour of the local Firbimatic factory, a state-of-the-art facility that produces drycleaning machines of various types, using different solvents.

Those who participate in the tour will be able to ask questions pertinent to machine manufacture and purchase while they literally view technology in the making.

IDC also plans a half-day of presentations from drycleaners representing areas all around the globe, as well as numerous other educational sessions.

Attendees will still have plenty of time allotted for exploring the various historical sights and sounds of Bologna, too.

In fact, IDC will host pre- and post-convention tours in conjunction with the event.

More details can be found at IDC’s site at www.idcnews.org or by calling (403) 685-4755.

Many cleaners who attend the IDC convention will want to stick around in Italy after for the Expo Detergo International trade show in Milan from Nov. 10-13.

“Drycleaners and industrial laundries meet present-day needs that are associated with our look, travel, health care, and social life by looking after our garments, and by washing and sanitizing flat linen and workwear,” noted Expodetergo President Gianni Salvati.

“Expodetergo International is one of the focal points in this process. It is an opportunity to view and to compare all the latest and finest market offerings on display,” he added.

So far, more than 100 exhibitors have confirmed their participation. More than 75 percent of the exhibition space from the previous Detergo trade show has already been claimed.

Symposiums organized by CINET, the International Committee of Textile Care, will augment the exhibition.

The 2002 show covered 30,000 square meters of exhibition space overall with over 20,000 people in attendance — 34 percent coming from countries outside Italy.

The 2006 offering will focus on the latest innovations in the field of machines, ironing equipment, detergents and chemical products, handling systems, identification and packaging.

For details, call Call (39) 02-393-14120 or visit www.expodetergo.com.

More information, including how to register, is available here or at www.sda-dryclean.com.

Visiting the next trade show involves a shift from the open prairies of Texas to the urban environs of the east coast.

The North East Fabricare Association will host its biennial Fabricare Image exhibition from April 22-23 at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, RI.

NEFA hopes to help attendees “Make More Money” with innovative seminars, on-the-floor demonstrations and numerous show traffic enticements, including the raffling of six $1,000 certificates for attendees to spend at the show vendor of their choice.

The association has also planned a silent auction with prizes ranging from Red Sox tickets to a pre-owned delivery step-van. For more information, contact NEFA at (800) 442-6848 or visit www.nefabricare.com.

The Canadian cleaning industry will have a chance to strut its stuff April 28-30 at the Toronto Congress Centre in Toronto, ON, the site for Clean Canada 2006.

Over 100 exhibitors will feature virtually every aspect of the laundry and drycleaning business and attendees can take advantage of several free seminar offerings from a variety of industry experts, including Wesley Nelson, President of Sankosha USA, who will examine garment finishing trends, and Alexander Seitz, President of Seitz GmbH, who will outline “Everything You Need to Know About Wetcleaning.”

Details on the show can be obtained by calling (905) 361-5239 or visiting www.cleancanada.ca.

Korean cleaners will also have a large trade show venue with Clean Expo 2006, sponsored by the Federation of Korean Drycleaners Associations.

The program will be held at the New Jersey Convention and Exhibition Center in Edison from June 16-18.

Highlights of the Expo will include: displays of all of the newest high tech items in the drycleaning and laundry industry; informative educational seminars; and over $20,000 worth of raffle giveaways.

For more information, call (718) 729-8825 or visit www.cleanexpousa.com.

From July 29-30, the South Eastern Fabricare Association will add its own offering to the mix: the 2006 Southern Drycleaners Show.

The site for this year’s event will be the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center. Pre-registration is only $10 per plant owner prior to June 16.

Additional registration information, including an updated list of exhibiting companies, is available at the association’s web site: www.sefa.org. More information is also available by calling (877) 707-7332.

The west coast will get into the action with the California Cleaners Association Fabricare 2006 show Aug. 18-20 in Long Beach, CA.

CCA hopes to surpass the success from its 2004 show, which saw more than 3,000 cleaners pass through the convention center’s doors.

For more information, contact the association’s office at (916) 239-4070. CCA’s web site, www.calcleaners.com, promises show updates in the near future.

Rounding out the North American offerings in 2006 is one from the Pennsylvania and Delaware Cleaners Association.

PDCA’s Drycleaning and Laundry Expo will take place from Sept. 16-17 at the Atlantic City Convention Center in New Jersey.

Already, over 100 booths have been sold for the event, which is still in its initial planning stages.

For more information, call (215) 830-8495 or check www.pdclean.org periodically for updates.

Links to the sites for all shows, as well as direct contact information, is available on the Dateline page on National Clothesline’s web site, located at www.natclo.com.