LAS VEGAS — The Drycleaning and Laundry (DL) Expo West, held Oct. 4-6 in Las Vegas, brought out drycleaning company owners and operators, equipment manufacturers, industry experts and others. The event, which drew about 1,200 attendees, topped organizers’ expectations, ensuring it will continue in the future.
DL Expo West — along with its sister show, DL Expo East, held in Kissimmee, Florida in June — was created by the California Cleaners Association (CCA), the Southwest Drycleaners Association (SDA), the South Eastern Fabricare Association (SEFA) and the Pennsylvania Delaware Cleaners Association (PDCA). The organizations came together to co-brand and organize the shows, which took the place of separate smaller regional shows.
By bringing together groups for these two shows, rather than several regional shows, organizers believe that a “critical mass” of attendees and exhibitors could be achieved, making the event more valuable and worthwhile for all concerned.
“DL Expo West was an unqualified success,” says CCA President Toran Brown. “It exceeded everybody’s expectations, and went well beyond the expected number of attendees and exhibitors.”
“We were very encouraged and gratified by the attendance numbers at the DL Expo West,” says SDA Expo Committee Chair and Director Jess Culpepper. “There was an array of top-tier vendors, speakers and educational sessions to offer beneficial information and content to all who were in attendance.”
“We had outstanding attendance and feedback from attendees and exhibitors,” says Allan Cripe, a member of the SDA Expo Committee and an SDA director. “Were there any surprises? There are always little issues that crop up in these shows, most of them logistical. However, overall, I feel like the show was executed by our management team to perfection.”
Surprises and Objectives
One of the surprises, organizers say, was the attitude of attendees.
“The industry has had a head wind of issues in recent years, so witnessing the excitement, energy and overall positive outlook from those in attendance and the vendors was an uplifting experience,” Culpepper says.
“People have been more down in the dumps previously because of COVID, but in this show and in the DL Expo East show, there’s been more of a feeling of, ‘OK, we’ve got opportunities in front of us.’ There are still challenges ahead, of course, but there’s a sense that there’s a path forward. It was refreshing.”
The DL Expos were designed to take economic realities into account and bring dry cleaners and exhibitors together.
For years, the joint state associations (JSAs) were having equipment shows and tabletop shows and educational sessions, Brown says. “The allied trades for our industry have gone above and beyond in their support. They either sent people to the shows, or sent equipment or sponsored them. It’s a symbiotic relationship.”
Over the years, however, the old model became more difficult to sustain. “They have to spend a lot of money to exhibit at these shows in the manner we are accustomed to seeing,” Cripe says.
“As the industry has changed,” Brown says, “and particularly during COVID, it became clear that it was becoming increasingly difficult to be able to continue to provide that financial support and still be in a position to hold their pricing down so that people can afford to buy their product.”
“The main objectives of combining the regional shows,” Culpepper says, “were to decrease the burden placed on our vendors of the expense of traveling and exhibiting at four to five different shows in one year, and to boost the number of attendees that attend the regional shows. I would say without question our first go out of the gate we succeeded at those ambitions.”
Taking Stock and Planning for the Future
“We’re going to go through a debrief meeting in the next couple days,” Brown says, “and I know there are some things that we’re going to want to fine tune before we do another one. But having said that, I would say that, as a whole, both shows went off better than anybody expected, both for vendors and attendees.”
The concept of the DL Expo shows was to run during off-Clean-Show years, and their success means new offerings in 2026.
“For DL Expo West we will be in Irving, Texas in 2026 and it will once again be a collaboration between SDA and CCA,” says Cripe. “I can’t yet speak for the DL Expo East with certainty, but all indications are that they will also be having their show in 2026. Based on the results and feedback from the shows this year, it looks to be a solid model going forward and we are happy and blessed to be a part of it.”
“I’m a third-generation dry cleaner. I don’t do things the way my grandfather did,” Brown says. “It’s a different industry, they’re different players and it’s a different customer. We all have to be not only open to change, but we need to be looking for those changes and making those changes happen so that, as an industry, we can be the best we can be.”
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