A full calendar of events for 2008
For drycleaners in 2008, there’s no business like the trade show business.
In fact, the industry already has more than 50 conventions, expositions and
seminars on this year’s calendar of events.
Many of the major trade shows and expos will take place early in the year, and
some of them will take place in sunnier climates, which is an excellent reason
to get away for a long weekend.
First up is the National Cleaners Association’s “Brainstorming With the Best” conference Jan. 17-20 at the Grand Velas Resort and Spa in Nuevo Vallarta,
Mexico. NCA has enlisted guest speakers from several industries to give
cleaners a fresh perspective on how to run their business more effectively.
From Feb. 9-10, Steiner-Atlantic has lined up its Miami Expo ’08 event, which will feature 60,000 square feet of exhibit space with live
equipment demonstrations. (See story.)
Mexico and Florida won’t be the only warmer setting for February escapes. The Drycleaning & Laundry Institute will host its Five-Star Marketing and Management Conference from Feb. 22-23 in
New Orleans, LA, and the Federation of Korean Drycleaners Association will host
its Cleaners & Launderers Expo in Atlanta, GA, from Feb. 22-24.
DLI’s conference will take place at the Royal Sonesta Hotel. An all-star list of
speakers will touch on subjects ranging from solvent options to innovations
leading to increased production. (See the full article.)
CLEXPO will be held at the Cobb Galleria Centre where there will be free admission to
the exhibit floor for all three days. There will be free educational seminars,
as well.
Also in February, the Wisconsin Fabricare Institute hosts its annual convention and tabletop trade show at the Radisson Hotel in
Green Bay from Feb. 22-24.
Seminars will cover hi-tech fabrics, solvents options, cash flow and the state’s WDNR-DERF remediation and redevelopment program. (See story.)
This April, there will be a Texas two-step of industry events.
First will be the Southwest Drycleaners Association’s Cleaners Showcase ’08, which will roll into the Arlington Convention Center from April 4-6. Later
in the month, the Textile Care Allied Trades Association will start its annual conference on April 30 at the Lost Pines Resort in Austin.
When summer rolls around, cleaners will have opportunities to get out of their
hot plants and into interesting locales.
Texcare International, which runs from May 31 through June 4, will be held at Frankfurt am Main in
Germany. About 13,000 trade visitors are expected to attend. Those who make the
trip can expect around 250 exhibitors to present their latest products and
technologies.
In July, the South Eastern Fabricare Association will sponsor its Southern Drycleaners Show from July 26 to 27. The event will be
held at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center.
A month later and more than 2,400 miles west of the Savannah show will be the California Cleaners Association’s Fabricare 2008 from Aug. 22-24 at the Long Beach Convention Center and Long
Beach Hyatt Regency. CCA anticipates over 3,000 drycleaners from more than 30
states and countries will attend.
Even when temperatures cool off later in the year, the conventions and trade
shows will keep coming.
The International Drycleaners Congress will host its annual convention at Chateau Laurier in Ottawa, Canada from Sept.
26-28. On October 25-26, the Pennsylvania and Delaware Cleaners Association will sponsor its Drycleaning and Laundry Expo at the Atlantic City Convention
Center in NJ.
In addition to the exhibitions and conventions, drycleaners will have dozens of
seminar opportunities through 2008.
DLI and NCA will each host numerous courses at their drycleaning schools,
headquartered in Laurel, MD, and New York, NY, respectively.
For information about DLI’s educational programs, call (800) 638-2627, ext. 1603 or visit www.ifi.org.
In addition to its New York School programs, NCA has also scheduled 11 webinars
throughout the year so cleaners can virtually attend from the comforts of their
home or plant.
For more information on any of NCA’s upcoming programs, visit www.nca-i.com, or call (212) 967-3002.
Another educational highlight of 2008 will be two leather cleaning sessions at
the Royaltone Academy in Tulsa, OK on Feb. 7 and 8, and Sept. 11 and 12. Visit www.royaltone.com for
details.
Managers and plant owners seeking to improve their own leadership skills can
take part in the Michigan Institute of Laundering and Drycleaning’s four-part management series. Each segment will take place on a different date:
Feb. 2, March 15, April 5 and May 3 at the MILD office in Lansing.
