SECAUCUS, N.J. — The Meadowlands Expo Center will be the site of the 2015 TexCare Dry Cleaning & Laundry Show here on Oct. 17-18. The biennial exhibition and conference is sponsored by the National Cleaners Association (NCA).
“TexCare has always been a very well-attended event,” says Ann Hargrove, NCA’s special projects director. “In 2013, we had over 3,000 cleaners come through our doors, and the feedback we received from the exhibitors was that the show was a great success for almost all of them.”
There is no fee for professional cleaners to attend, and more than 40 companies have registered to exhibit during the weekend show.
“It’s just one more reason there is so much enthusiasm and support for TexCare from both the drycleaning and exhibiting allied trade communities, and we’re not about to change that,” Hargrove says.
But she warns the free-admission policy doesn’t apply to allied tradespeople who are not exhibiting.
TexCare is also known for its educational seminars. This year, free programs in English and Korean will be offered, plus a limited number of cleaners will have the opportunity to take part in a special “Uber Conference on World Class Customer Service.”
Free show seminars will include Understanding Online Reputation Management, to be presented 8 a.m. Oct. 17 by NCA Digital Marketing Manager Dawn Avery; Problem Garments 2015, 9 a.m. Oct. 17, by NCA Director of Technical Services Alan Spielvogel; a panel discussion with various New York City agencies, including the Fire Department, Department of Consumer Affairs, Department of Environmental Protection, and Department of Buildings, at 9 a.m. Oct. 18.; and a Korean-language session, Must-Have Technology for Dry Cleaners, at 10 a.m. Oct. 18.
The Uber Conference, which is separate from the free conference and starts a day earlier, will feature Disney trainer and consultant Dennis Snow (appearing 10 a.m. Oct. 16), Jason Loeb of Sudsies.com (9 a.m. Oct. 17), and customer service guru and author John DiJulius (9 a.m. Oct. 18). All will share insights and strategies into “creating the world-class culture vital to supporting a world-class customer experience,” NCA says. Seating is limited; contact Hargrove for pricing.
DiJulius has appeared for NCA at several Brainstorming events over the past decade, giving him special insight into the industry’s concerns. Snow’s many years of experience with the Disney organization, both as a front-line employee and a Disney University instructor, as well as his consultancy serving small and big business, also make him a centerpiece.
“We are seriously elevating the caliber of the speakers this year, because we want this kind of high-level message delivered in a location that is accessible not only to owners, but middle management and CSRs as well,” says NCA Executive Director Nora Nealis.
“With midtown Manhattan just minutes away from the Meadowlands convention center where the [show] is being held, and virtually every major player in the drycleaning industry being represented on the show floor, TexCare is a wonderful opportunity for cleaners who missed the Clean Show to get up to speed, and for cleaners who attended the show to follow up on things that caught their eye there,” Hargrove says.
To register or to learn more, contact Hargrove at 800-888-1622, [email protected].
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].