CHICAGO — More than half (53.5%) of drycleaners responding to American Drycleaner’s most recent Wire survey say they plan to attend this year’s Clean Show, set for June 18-21 in New Orleans — almost exactly the same percentage as planned to attend the show when surveyed prior to Clean ’07 in Las Vegas (53.6%). That’s a promising sign for the show in the current economic climate, especially since the last Clean Show attracted nearly 15,000 attendees.
Only about one-third (36.4%) of readers definitely do not have plans to attend, and 10.1% say they aren’t yet sure. Among those who won’t attend, 73.0% say they can’t afford the cost right now, while 12.5% say they can’t spare the time. A few respondents say they will skip Clean ’09 because they don’t need any new equipment (8.3%), have other plans (4.2%) or prefer a different venue (4.2%).
Asked to choose the biggest factor in favor of a visit to New Orleans for the show, 29.0% named exhibits of equipment and supplies as the biggest draw, followed by the opportunity to combine business and pleasure (6.5%), networking and socializing (4.3%), and educational opportunities (1.1%). But most respondents (59.1%) pointed to the show’s multifaceted appeal, answering “All of The Above.”
“It’s hard to afford, but worth it to go,” one operator says. “When my competitors don’t go to the Clean Show, it makes it easier for me to take away their customers,” says another. A third operator reports that he will be attending, “and I’m taking 10 employees.”
Subscribers to American Drycleaner’s Wire e-mails — distributed weekly — are invited to participate in an industry survey each month. The survey is conducted online via a partner website. Each survey is developed so it can be completed in 10 minutes or less. Readers are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define operator opinions and industry trends. While the American Drycleaner Wire survey presents a snapshot of readers’ viewpoints at a particular moment, it should not be considered scientific.
Click here and follow the menu instructions to sign up for the free e-mail service.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].