National Clothesline

Most people do not need ulterior motives to visit a place dubbed Paradise Island. However, cleaners will have an excellent secondary reason to make such a trip early next year to attend the National Cleaners Association’s Brainstorming Conference from Jan. 15 to 18.

The event will be held at The Atlantis, located just off Nassau in the Bahamas.

There will be no shortage of fun activities to partake in: parasailing, snorkeling, jetskiing, swimming with the dolphins, beach volleyball and Black Jack tables, to name a few.

The area is host to the 34-acre Atlantis Waterscape, which includes the world’s largest tropical marine habitat that is home to 50,000 fish and sea animals.

There is also a local Mayan Temple Waterslide that passes through a shark tank for more adventurous travelers.

Along with fun and relaxation, there will be opportunities to network with other cleaners and attend the educational program.

On Friday morning, NCA will present a program by Janet Crutchfield, vice president of the Ritz Carlton Hotel Co. She will share some of the secrets the Ritz has employed in order to become a two-time winner of the coveted Malcolm Baldridge Award.

Ritz’s strategies are designed to ensure that the company’s staff, morale and commitment remain at an excellent level. In fact, those legendary principles of performance are the subject of the best-selling book “The New Gold Standard” by author Joseph Michelli.

On the following morning, Lois Geller will lead a session that focuses on “Building Your Relationships and Your Brand on the Internet.” Geller, aka The Direct Marketing Diva, appeared at NCA’s first Brainstorming conference.

Her clientele list is quite impressive, including top companies such as American Express, Ford Motor Car, and Fairmount Hotels.

She has been featured in Fortune Small Business magazine and is the founder and president of Mason and Geller, an advertising agency based in Hollywood, FL. She has authored four books on direct marketing, including Sold! Direct Marketing for the Real Estate Pro.

Since she spoke to drycleaners at the first conference six years ago, she has been following the industry closely online and has some definite ideas about what cleaners are doing wrong and what they are doing right — and how what they are doing right can be done even better. She will offer some online marketing ideas that promise to be both creative and practical.

On the final day of the educational programming, NCA Executive Director Nora Nealis will moderate a panel discussion that will cover a variety of topics: green marketing, private label product sales, website development, and valet services, to name a few.

Many “home run” and “strikeout” ideas will be dissected and discussed by drycleaners who have tried them and can speak from direct experience.

With the economy struggling, now is a good time for cleaners to gain insight into valuable lessons without having to go through a costly and painful learning curve of their own.

All three sessions will begin at 9 a.m. on their respective days.

There will also be a Thursday evening welcome reception prior to the educational programs so cleaners can meet and greet each other in a fun festive atmosphere of drinks, food and island music.

As for lodging options, NCA has reserved rooms in three of the Atlantis Hotel towers — The Coral, The Royal and The Cove.

The cost per night is as follows: The Coral, $285 for two people; The Royal, $310 for two people; and The Cove, $420 for two people in a suite.

There is limited availability so making reservations as soon as possible is highly recommended.

Those booking flights to Nassau will have numerous airlines to choose from, including: JetBlue, US Airways, United, Bahamasair, Continental, Delta and American Airlines.

All passengers will need passports in order to fly into the Nassau Airport (code NAS), which is also known as Lynden Pindling International Airport.

For more information, including how to register for the Brainstorming Conference, contact Ann Hargrove at NCA by calling (800) 888-1622, ext. 219 or 202.






						NCA making plans for brainstorm in Bahamas


	NOVEMBER 2008 This Issue Back Issues Classified Ads Dateline Resources Allied Trades Associations Instruction ABOUT US Home
						Most people do not need ulterior motives to visit a place dubbed Paradise Island. However, cleaners will have an excellent secondary reason to make such a trip early next year to attend the National Cleaners Association’s Brainstorming Conference from Jan. 15 to 18. The event will be held at The Atlantis, located just off Nassau in the Bahamas. There will be no shortage of fun activities to partake in: parasailing, snorkeling, jetskiing, swimming with the dolphins, beach volleyball and Black Jack tables, to name a few. The area is host to the 34-acre Atlantis Waterscape, which includes the world’s largest tropical marine habitat that is home to 50,000 fish and sea animals. There is also a local Mayan Temple Waterslide that passes through a shark tank for more adventurous travelers. Along with fun and relaxation, there will be opportunities to network with other cleaners and attend the educational program. On Friday morning, NCA will present a program by Janet Crutchfield, vice president of the Ritz Carlton Hotel Co. She will share some of the secrets the Ritz has employed in order to become a two-time winner of the coveted Malcolm Baldridge Award. Ritz’s strategies are designed to ensure that the company’s staff, morale and commitment remain at an excellent level. In fact, those legendary principles of performance are the subject of the best-selling book “The New Gold Standard” by author Joseph Michelli. On the following morning, Lois Geller will lead a session that focuses on “Building Your Relationships and Your Brand on the Internet.” Geller, aka The Direct Marketing Diva, appeared at NCA’s first Brainstorming conference. Her clientele list is quite impressive, including top companies such as American Express, Ford Motor Car, and Fairmount Hotels. She has been featured in Fortune Small Business magazine and is the founder and president of Mason and Geller, an advertising agency based in Hollywood, FL. She has authored four books on direct marketing, including Sold! Direct Marketing for the Real Estate Pro. Since she spoke to drycleaners at the first conference six years ago, she has been following the industry closely online and has some definite ideas about what cleaners are doing wrong and what they are doing right — and how what they are doing right can be done even better. She will offer some online marketing ideas that promise to be both creative and practical. On the final day of the educational programming, NCA Executive Director Nora Nealis will moderate a panel discussion that will cover a variety of topics: green marketing, private label product sales, website development, and valet services, to name a few. Many “home run” and “strikeout” ideas will be dissected and discussed by drycleaners who have tried them and can speak from direct experience. With the economy struggling, now is a good time for cleaners to gain insight into valuable lessons without having to go through a costly and painful learning curve of their own. All three sessions will begin at 9 a.m. on their respective days. There will also be a Thursday evening welcome reception prior to the educational programs so cleaners can meet and greet each other in a fun festive atmosphere of drinks, food and island music. As for lodging options, NCA has reserved rooms in three of the Atlantis Hotel towers — The Coral, The Royal and The Cove. The cost per night is as follows: The Coral, $285 for two people; The Royal, $310 for two people; and The Cove, $420 for two people in a suite. There is limited availability so making reservations as soon as possible is highly recommended. Those booking flights to Nassau will have numerous airlines to choose from, including: JetBlue, US Airways, United, Bahamasair, Continental, Delta and American Airlines. All passengers will need passports in order to fly into the Nassau Airport (code NAS), which is also known as Lynden Pindling International Airport. For more information, including how to register for the Brainstorming Conference, contact Ann Hargrove at NCA by calling (800) 888-1622, ext. 219 or 202.