National Clothesline

While the Clean Show is traditionally a time for cleaners to network with each other and buy and sell the latest industry equipment and products, it is also an excellent opportunity to expand their knowledge and gain new ideas and fresh insights.

In the past, Clean Shows have featured top speakers expounding on a variety of industry topics. This year ’s show, which takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Center June 11-14, will be no different.

The International Fabricare Institute has put together a program in honor of its 100th anniversary this year and will kick things off with a seminar on “Celebrating a Second Century of Excellence” at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 11.

IFI traces its origins to the formation of the National Association of Dyers and Cleaners in 1907. The Clean Show will be IFI ’s official birthday bash and the kick-off program on Monday morning will be a sneak-peak at the events ahead.

At 8:30 a.m. on the same day, Alfred Lautenslager will deliver a session on “Take No Prisoners with Guerilla Marketing.” The author of the book Guerilla Marketing, Lautenslager will offer some creative and powerful ways that cleaners can keep their customers coming to their business time and again.

On Tuesday, IFI will switch its focus to the hot topic of “Solvent Options.” Now that the the California Air Resources Board has officially declared a full phase-out on perc in that state by 2023, many cleaners will want to stay ahead of the regulatory curve and know their options down the road.

The program, which will run from 8 to 9:45 a.m., will examine the latest developments in the alternative solvents, including DrySolv, GreenEarth, CO2, Solvair, PureDry, Rynex and hydrocarbon.

“Sagging Shirt Production Solutions” will be the first topic of the day at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. Tailwind Systems expert — and monthly National Clothesline columnist — Don Desrosiers will explain how attendees can boost shirt productivity, lower their costs and wipe out the possibility of errors with proven results.

Afterward, IFI’s Chris Allsbrooks will take the podium for a 9 a.m. presentation called “Problems, Problems, Problems.” Every day, cleaners are inundated with “problem garments” at their plants. Allsbrooks will look at some of the more common ones while providing tips on what counter personnel can do and say whenever such problems arise. Desrosiers will join Allsbrooks for a highlight segment on shirts.

IFI will wrap up its educational schedule on Thursday by hosting certification exams from 7 to 10 a.m. This will be an opportunity to take one of the three certification tests — Certified Professional Drycleaner, Certified Professional Wetcleaner or Certified Environmental Drycleaner.

Also offering seminars will be the Clean show co-sponsor the Coin Laundry Association which will offer a half dozen programs on everything from investing in the industry to what tomorrow may bring for it.

At 9 a.m. on Monday morning, CLA will host “A Look Ahead: The Future of the Self-Service Coin Laundry Industry”.

In the next ten years, a lot can change. Population shifts, energy consumption and conservation and business policies all have the potential to greatly influence the future. Thus, CLA will refer to its own research and network of laundry experts to predict what may lie ahead.

On the following day, “Profitable Vend Price Strategies for Successful Coin Laundries” will begin at 8 a.m. The presentation will show several successful vend price strategies that have been employed by some of the most successful operators in the coin laundry industry.

One hour later, CLA will shift the topic of discussion from what to charge to how to improve profits with “Boost Your Bottom Line: 10 Ways to Make More Money in Your Coin Laundry.” Both small and large investment ideas will be outlined.

On Wednesday, the topic “Beyond the Self-Service Customer” will be broken into two installments. The first will run from 8 to 10 a.m. and focus on “Marketing & Advertising Your Drop-Off Service.”

Because drop-off service is an ideal way to add revenue and reduce the impact of fixed costs at the same time, laundry owners will want to discover some of the basics of launching this service for time-starved families.

A second segment on the topic will focus on “Folding & Packaging for Customer Satisfaction” later in the same day.

Once laundry owners draw customers to use their service, they’ll naturally want to keep them. The number one criterion for running a successful drop-off business is processing orders the same way, every time, and this presentation by Jeff Gardner will focus on folding and packaging and giving the customer a reason for returning.

CLA will round out its educational sessions with one last offering on Thursday, Jan. 14 at 8 a.m. It will be called “Evaluating and Investment in Coin Laundry.”

Potential industry investors will want to attend this program, which will be a “crash course” on the basics of laundry investment and management.

Another Clean Show co-sponsor with educational offerings will be the National Association of Institutional Linen Management.

On Monday, NAILM will present a 75-minute session on “Hotel & Motel Laundry Cost Factors” which will look at the impact that high-end textiles can have on hospital laundry operations and its processing and costs.

The seminar, presented by Paul Jewison, general manager of Textile Care Services, will begin at 8 a.m.

Also at that time, Barbara Williams, operations manager of Standard Textile Co., will be present for “Extreme Makeover, Linen System Edition.” Those seeking to have an efficient linen distribution system can gather the appropriate tools and building blocks here. Things such as linen room organization, effective delivery schedules, staffing, solid retrieval and success measurement will all be covered.

On Tuesday, NAILM will host “Benchmark Data & Laundry Applications” from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Janice Larson, managing director of cost management services and training for Encompass Textiles & Interiors will be on hand.

Also starting at 8 a.m. will be a program on “New Technology in the Laundry Industry” by Doug Story, senior research fellow at JohnsonDiversey. All the latest technological innovations will be featured, helping attendees to revolutionize their laundry operations.

Those who would like to learn valuable tips on how to save money on their utility bills will want to be in attendance at “Utility Savings and Management” at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. Those who show up will learn how to reduce their consumption and improve their bottom line.

The guest speaker will be Edward Kwasnick, Jr., the president and founding principal of Turn-Key Industrial Engineering Services, Inc.

NAILM will present its final program of the week at 8 a.m. on Thursday. John D. Stepnes of John D. Stepnes Company, Inc., will look at productivity improvement through studying the laws of efficient energy exchange.

The Textile Rental Services Association has several informative seminars on their agenda, as well, beginning with “Developing a Succession Plan: A Family Business Primer” on 8 a.m. Tuesday.

The session will explore family business topics, such as how to cultivate future leaders within the family, and how to create a strategy for succession

On Tuesday, A two-hour program on “Luxury Linen: How to Capitalize on a Trend” is scheduled from 8 to 10 a.m. Operators of hotel and textile service laundries who are dealing with increasing numbers of high-end bedding and restaurant textiles should attend this session to learn how to purchase these goods properly.

Finally, “Keeping Tabs: The Need for Production Management Systems” will be the topic of discussion from 8 to 10 a.m. on Wednesday.

For more information on the educational programs offered at Clean ’07, visit www.cleanshow.com and click on the “Educational Sessions” link from the home page.

Also available on the show’s web site is assistance with registration, hotel and travel reservations and a list of exhibitors.

Pre-registration fees until May 11 are $50 a person. The fee includes all educational sessions and access to the exhibit hall on all show days. After May 11 attendees can register at the show for $85. Children 17 and under are admitted free but they must register and receive a “Child” badge.

The exhibit hall will open formally with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. on Monday, June 11 after the first round of association-sponsored seminars. The hall will open for distributors only at 8 a.m. on that day.

Exhibit hours on subsequent days will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, the last day of the show.

For more information, visit Clean Show web site or contact Riddle & Associates, Suite 360-C, 1874 Piedmont Road, Atlanta, GA 30324, phone (404) 876-1988, fax (404) 876-5121. E-mail inquiries may be addressed to info@cleanshow.com.