National Clothesline

If the upcoming event calendar is any indication of the state of the drycleaning industry, then prosperous times may await in 2007.

In fact, a quick look at the first nine months of the year reveals over a dozen trade shows and conventions, and over three dozen additional seminars, classes and other happenings that could keep cleaners busy into Fall.

Of course, the highlight of the year promises to be Clean ’07, which will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center from June 11-14.

The show is the world’s premier showcase for equipment, products, supplies and services for

the entire textile care industry, featuring live demonstrations and seminars from some of the industry’s most knowledgeable experts.

The biennial event is sponsored by six major textile associations: the International Fabricare Institute, the Coin Laundry Association, the Textile Care Allied Trades Association, the Textile Rental Services Association, the Uniform and Textile Service Association, and the National Association of Institutional Linen Management.

As part of this year’s theme, Clean ’07 will celebrate the banding together of all those segments of the textile industry, which first occurred under one roof 30 years ago.

Also at Clean, another impressive landmark will be recognized: IFI’s 100th anniversary. The association has traced back its origins to Milwaukee, WI, in 1907, and plans to honor that century of service with special events in Las Vegas.

Certainly many cleaners will be on hand to mark that momentous achievement. Regardless, show managers at Riddle & Associates are not taking any chances on turnout. Already, they have sent invitations to about 16,000 companies across the nation and throughout the world.

“The invitations reach many more potential attendees than the 16,000 recipients,” noted John Riddle, president of Riddle & Associates, the show’s management company. “They are sent to a company representative. It is intended for that person to share the invitation with many others within the company.”

Riddle also distributed official manuals to approximately 350 exhibitors who have already contracted space for Clean ’07.

More information on the Clean Show, including how to make hotel reservations is available on the show’s web site at www.cleanshow.com.

While the Clean Show is reason enough for many cleaners to visit Las Vegas in 2007, there will be two more reasons to make the trip.

Just prior to Clean, the Certified Restoration Network has scheduled its 5th annual international convention at Caesar’s Palace. It will begin on June 8 and conclude the day before the Clean Show begins, so those who plan on attending can simply make room reservations for a few more nights.

Also on the weekend before the show, the Golomb Group will hold an Ultimate Route seminar in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas is not the only interesting venue to host a drycleaning event in 2007.

Another highlight of the year will be TexCare Asia, Sept. 19-21, at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre in China.

Because China’s textile care industry has flourished in recent years, attendance and exhibitor numbers are expected to rise. The last show, held in Beijing, attracted around 120 exhibitors from 18 countries and regions. For more information on this year’s show, visit: www.texcare.messefrankfurt.com.

Anyone hoping to attend a conference at a nice, sunny venue have several choices on the horizon.

First up is the National Cleaners Association’s “Brainstorming With the Best” conference at the Hotel Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. It will be held from Jan. 11-14.

The following month, IFI will host its “Business as Unusual” management conference in Orlando, FL. The event will be hosted at the Wyndham Orlando Resort Feb. 22-23.

Also coming to Orlando will be CLA’s spring seminar series March 9-10 at the Hilton in Walt Disney World Resort.

Later in March — and on the other side of the country — the Federation of Korean Drycleaners Associations will be convening in Anaheim for its Cleaners Launderers Expo USA show. The March 24-27 is expected to draw laundry owners from all over the USA and Korea.

Later in the year, NCA will present its TexCare trade show in Secaucus, NJ, on the weekend of Oct. 20-21.

Other conventions on the calendar so far include the Wisconsin Fabricare Institute with its annual convention and table-top exhibit from Feb. 23-25 at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton, WI and the North Carolina Association of Cleaners and Launderers with Carolina Clean ’07 at Atlantic Beach, NC, May 25-27. On tap will be a board and committee meeting, educational sessions and allied trades tabletops.

Allied trade people will gather at the Silverado Resort in Napa, CA, from Aug. 1-4 for Textile Care Allied Trades Association annual convention.

In addition to trade shows and conventions, there are dozens of classes and seminars on the 2007 calendar.

IFI will host four sessions of its introductory and advanced drycleaning courses this year along with two one-week cleaning and stain removal sessions at its headquarters in Laurel, MD, headquarters.

NCA also offers comprehensive courses at its New York School of Drycleaning in New York City with classes presented in Korean and Spanish in addition to English.

On the west coast, the California Cleaners Association has a series of courses planned in Stockton and Los Angeles over the next four months.

Not all cleaners feel they have enough time to leave the battle lines of their plants to attend a seminar. For them there will still be many options thanks to the growing number of on-line classes.

Both NCA and IFI offer web-based seminars. NCA’s 2007 webinar program gets going with “2006 Problem Garment Review” on Jan. 17 with more planned for February.

IFI’s on-line program kicks off with “Getting More Dollars From Customers: What to Say and How to Say It” on Jan. 18.

And if you can’t be in front of your computer for the appointed time of the seminar, CDs of the programs are usually available after the fact. With those you can make your own schedule.