ATLANTA — Professionals from all facets of textile care will convene once again April 16-19 for the biennial World Educational Congress for Laundering and Drycleaning—better known by most in the industry as the Clean Show.
“I’m anxious to see what this time slot in April will do,” says John Riddle, president of Riddle & Associates, the Clean Show’s management company.
“Atlanta is a good city [and] I think people are going to find out a lot of positive things are going on around here.”
NETWORKING & EDUCATION
Riddle & Associates explains that, according to Clean Show surveys, 94% of attendees are either business owners, executives or managers, with the largest share being business owners.
“Exhibitors can meet people who are planning to expand or re-equip their businesses, and distributors seeking to expand or enhance product lines they carry,” the company says.
At press time, 425 companies were listed as exhibitors on the show’s site.
The biennial show not only provides an arena for networking and business opportunities, but also presents professionals in the industry this year with 30-plus hours of educational sessions, which all have a focus on “technical information, trends, business management, and environmental and regulatory issues.”
For Riddle, the show’s various educational opportunities provide a key benefit for attending the Clean Show.
“Education is key to the success of anything,” he says. “If you’re in this business, there’s a need for you to be here if you want to be in this business and want to grow.”
Educational opportunities don’t just occur at the show’s classroom sessions, but on the show floor, as well.
“The largest classroom in this industry is the exhibit floor. You can see things work. You don’t just don’t come up and look at pictures ... You can compare [equipment],” says Riddle.
“Being able to compare equipment and think about buying it is absolutely [important] in somebody’s decision-making process.”
With plenty of exhibits and activities to do, managing one’s time at the Clean Show can be quite daunting.
To help with this, Riddle & Associates is again offering a Clean Show app for use on all smartphones, “allowing attendees to virtually connect with exhibitors, organize their day and navigate the show floor.”
Those without smartphones can instead create an account on the “My Briefcase” feature on the show’s website. Attendees can view and print the show’s floor plan, as well as browse the show’s list of exhibitors and select which companies they’d like to include in their itinerary.
Riddle & Associates acknowledges how the show has “moved with the times technologically,” and has once again established a “Cyber Café” at this year’s venue where attendees can check their e-mails.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Attendees can pre-register for the show online and take advantage of the $99 per person pre-registration fee until March 31.
After that date, it will be necessary to register on-site at the Georgia World Congress Center for a fee of $149 per person.
On-site registration hours will be 1-5 p.m. Wednesday, April 15; 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 16; 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 17; 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 18; and 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, April 19.
For full registration and show information, visit www.cleanshow.com.
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