NCA Brainstorm to hit Mexico
NCA is putting together another in its series of Brainstorming with the Best
conferences, this one to be held in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Jan 16-20.
The programs are designed to inspire, motivate and demonstrate to cleaners how
to notch up their operations to grow and prosper.
Angie Charnes of Westbank Cleaners in Austin, TX, told NCA she has been looking
forward to this conference for months.
“We take advantage of a lot of educational opportunities in the industry,” she reports, “and over the years we’ve found the NCA Brainstorming Conference to be consistently the best. The
speakers bring something new to the table that you
’re not going to hear about anywhere else, which means we get to do something our
competition just isn
’t doing.
The NCA staff, she added, has “always made us feel welcome and special guests. It’s not only a great conference, it’s a great time.”
The fact that the presenters often come from other industries with a strong
message that
’s applicable to drycleaners appeals to Mark Scott of Bakker’s Cleaners in Washington. “If you want to Brainstorm with the Best, the Ritz Carlton organization certainly
qualifies as one of the best service providers in the world,
” Scott said.
Ann Hargrove, NCA’s director of special projects, said that the upcoming Brainstorming Conference,
the fifth sponsored by NCA, should exceed participants
’ expectations.
On Friday morning, Jeff Hargett, corporate director of Learning and Content
Delivery for the Ritz Carlton, will be back with a new topic. Last year
’s Brainstormers will not be surprised to learn that he and the Ritz-Carlton
leadership training team was named the number-one training company by Training
Magazine in 2007.
This time around, Hargett will share the Ritz secret weapon: “Radar On; Antennae Up!” Participants will learn about the performance management cycle and how Ritz
Carlton supervisors and managers consistently apply it to create exceptional
memories for high net worth customers who are often hard to impress.
He will discuss how “Wow” service does not have to cost a lot; the three critical steps of service; how
to recognize service opportunities, Olympic gold vs. silver, leads to
forgiveness, tips to connect, consistency as the key, and more.
On Saturday morning, David Meerman Scott, author of The New Rules of Marketing
and PR, will tell how the Internet has revolutionized marketing by making it
easier to directly communicate with customers and targeted audiences. He
’ll show why it’s imperative to dramatically alter your marketing and public relations strategy
to maximize the effectiveness of the Web, a direct consumer-communication
channel.
According to Scott, the old rules don’t apply on the Web, and he’s going to show how to leverage the potential that Web-based communication
offers professional cleaners. He
’ll lay out a step-by-step plan for harnessing the power of the new rules of
marketing and PR, showing how to identify audiences, create compelling
messages, and get those messages to the most targeted customers and prospects
possible.
On Sunday morning, Joe Hallak of Hallak Cleaners and Trudy Adams of Cleaners
Supply will present
“Packaging for Profits: What’s True and What’s New in the World of Packaging.”
Their presentation will show how a little bit of the right presentation can “wow” customers, let you charge more and yield results on the bottom line. They’ll have affordable ideas for everyone, from the stratosphere-priced couture
cleaner to the
“better” mass priced cleaner in an educational session full of “take aways” and tips on making more money.
NCA has planned a Welcome Cocktail reception on Thursday night; all participants
and spouses are invited.
The Conference will be held at the five-star all inclusive Grand Velas Resort
and Spa, (www.grandvelas.com) where every room is a 1,000 square foot ocean
view suite with open air terrace. All food, drink, amenities, gratuities and
even taxes are included.
The negotiated rate for Brainstormers is almost 50 percent off the regular
season room rates.
For participants who do not patronize all-inclusive hotels, transportation has
been arranged between the Grand Velas and the neighboring Marriott Casa Magna.
For more information or to register, contact Hargrove at NCA, (800) 888-1622.
