LOUISVILLE, Ky. — America’s Best Cleaners (ABC), a national certification agency and consulting firm for the drycleaning and textile care industry, recently hosted a Live Accelerator Meeting on in Louisville, Kentucky, with the theme of the meeting being “Convenience.” During the meeting, held on March 29-32, 2023, affiliates explored strategies and tools to drive business growth and enhance the client experience.
The three-day event was hosted by ABC affiliate Nu-Yale Cleaners and provided attendees with the opportunity to reconnect and share challenges and successes.
“There is nothing better than when our affiliates get together in person and are able to experience a business application, concept and specific technology that enhance the level of service we can provide to our clients,” says ABC Executive Director Chris White. “We appreciate the team at Nu-Yale Cleaners for providing us access to see how their 24/7 kiosks have had a positive impact on their business. There were productive discussions amongst affiliates and partners on how we can make our businesses more convenient for our clients, team members, and leaders.”
In addition to its monthly virtual Accelerator call, ABC hosts a Live Accelerator Meeting twice a year — once in the spring and once in the fall.
The event kicked off on Wednesday with an opening reception at Overdrive where affiliates had the chance to participate in ax throwing, a virtual reality rage room, and a racing simulation. Organizers say that the laid-back setting encouraged affiliates to connect and get to know each other.
“The visit to Nu-Yale was very informative,” says Jan Barlow, owner of Jan’s Professional Dry Cleaners and a new ABC affiliate. “They were one of the first adapters of kiosks, and learning about their historical experience with this type of technology was invaluable. From sharing best practices, to exploring new AI technologies, the meetings were very helpful. The diversity of affiliates and attendees, as well as our facilitator Chris White, made for a very meaningful experience. I came home with a list of actionable takeaways for my business. This was my first meeting, and the time was very well spent!”
On Thursday, affiliates learned about the benefits of 24/7 kiosk technology, delivery services and participated in a tour and critique of the Nu-Yale production facility. The afternoon included a panel discussion on “Conveniences of the Future.” The panel speakers were Tom Beidle of Spot by Xplor, Nathaniel Dubasik of Metalprogetti, Mark Albrecht of The Route Pros, Dave Troemel of BeCreative360, and Jeff Quail of Sankosha.
“By bringing together the best minds in the industry, including the leaders at Spot, Sankosha, Metalprogetti, Kreussler, The Route Pros, and BeCreative360, we enhanced the level of engagement and thought leadership we strive to provide at our events. We thank these sponsoring partners for taking part in a very forward-thinking panel discussion on how we can improve our businesses and better serve our clients. There was an optimistic energy in the room as we discussed our successes and what the future holds,” White shared.
The day ended with an affiliate dinner and bourbon tasting at the 21c Museum Hotel Louisville. Day 2 of the Accelerator consisted of affiliate-only workshops and a masterminding session, followed by an AI Hackathon in which affiliate teams were provided with several complex business challenges that required them to use AI tools to craft solutions, strategies, and actionable applications to enhance productivity.
Gary Maloney, the owner of Nu-Yale Cleaners, shared, “The Louisville Accelerator meeting was very exciting and provided a ton of information. It was an overall great experience.”
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