Car Wash Show to Chicago in 2014.

[mjc3333]

I stopped going to the Vegas show years ago. It ends up being too difficult to get to from the east coast on a regular basis. I already have three different shows in Vegas for different businesses, one to move out of Vegas would be a great change. I was at the 89 and 91 ICA conventions that were held in Chicago and felt it was a more centralized setup for most operators.

Better yet, having the show in different cities every other year, as was done in the past, was better. If you did not want to go to Vegas one year, it was held somewhere else the next and visa versa the following year. To me, the ICA needs a change. I feel that is why most of the regional wash conventions have grown over the years as the ICA convention has shrunk as far as attendees.

 

[Randy]

We’ve been to the ICA Convention in Chicago twice over the years. We were not impressed. It’s an expensive to stay. It’s hard to get to and from the Airport. We’ll never go back. Las Vegas works well for us and we enjoy going there.

 

[rph9168]

I think a combination of a struggling economy, the weather and decreasing volumes have a lot to do with shrinking attendance at all of the shows. While I am not a big fan of Vegas it probably has more pluses than any other venue especially those with tight union rules. I thought it was a good plan to rotate every other year in Vegas and the other years in another venue. Maybe that is the plan but until they announce future sites we will not know.

 

[Earl Weiss]

We’ve been to the ICA Convention in Chicago twice over the years. We were not impressed. It’s an expensive to stay. It’s hard to get to and from the Airport. We’ll never go back. Las Vegas works well for us and we enjoy going there.

It will be intersting to see exactly which venue is booked. LAast time it was in "Chicago" it was actualy Rosement which is a stone's throw from the airport. Even if it's in the City, it's like vegas, lines of Cabs waiting to take you anywhere. There is also a public transit train from the airport to the heart of the City, so I'm curios why you found it hard to get to and from the airport.

If it's in Rosemont there are lots of inexpensive motels a short cab ride away. If it's McCormick olace then the choice is more difficult since Hotels in the heart of the City aren't budget friendly.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

According to that PCD article it will be at McCormick. That's where the last Chicago ICA show was back in 2002.

 

[pitzerwm]

Earl, I think it was like 93-94 that it was at Rosement. I went to that one. In 2002 I went to that one. It was the first time that I had been to Chicago, so I spent another week there and saw the sites. It was nice, but all I heard from my clients were how they were getting screwed by the unions. The odds of that changing is zero, especially with their guy in power.

 

[my2cents]

The last time it was at Rosemont was when OJ whacked his wife. Shrinking volumes, high gas prices, expensive food and hotels plus the biggest factor- "The Internet" will keep people from spending money to go to shows. Chicago is a great town but it wont draw people from the warm weather southern states and the southwest where there is more carwash construction due to less saturation.

 

[rph9168]

Supposedly the unions have made some concessions to allow companies to put up their own booth but I find that hard to believe. If that is true they will probably jack up the prices on the other services like electrical and using forklifts.

I was at both of the Chicago Shows. It cost our company almost double to exhibit there as opposed to Vegas and some other shows. They even had union guys watching you so you would not try to do something on your own. You felt like you were in a police state. They threatened to kick out the exhibitor across from us because he had worked on his booth during the union lunch hour. They made him take down what he had set up and wait for a union guy to put it back up.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Earl, I think it was like 93-94 that it was at Rosement. I went to that one. In 2002 I went to that one. It was the first time that I had been to Chicago, so I spent another week there and saw the sites. It was nice, but all I heard from my clients were how they were getting screwed by the unions. The odds of that changing is zero, especially with their guy in power.

Yep, I agree hard to believe that change will happen. But, plenty of shows skipped Chicago and we have seen change. Will it be real? I know one thing for certain "Time will tell"

Interesting that you consider Rahm Emanuel to be a "Union Guy". Not my perception so far.

 

[Ric]

My first ICA show was in 1984...Washington, DC I think. I liked having the show move around. I got to see some different country and carwashes in the area. I'm tired of Vegas. The last show I went to was in 2006.

 

[Earl Weiss]

My first ICA show was in 1984...Washington, DC I think. I liked having the show move around. I got to see some different country and carwashes in the area. I'm tired of Vegas. The last show I went to was in 2006.

Not sure of the exact year, but I think my first show was in Chicago in 1965 or so. Went with my father. I kid Dan Pecora / Erie Brush that I think the size of his booth now is the size of the entire show then.

A few years later recall seeing a radical blower by a company I think was called "Fuji Imo" it had seperate blower motors / impellers on an arch (No huge cabinet and ducting) and a curtain dryer.

 

[smokun]

Fuji Imo!

Your comment brought me back, Earl... and Fuji also matched it up with the first chamois drying system.

Back then, showgirls and glitz were popular at ICA... and the year prior to Fuji showing up, there were dozens of Japanese businessmen snapping pictures of just about every technology concept used in the U.S. Didn't take long for Hanna to copy the chamois concept either. "Back to the future" Sonny's has seen fit to revisit the chamois drying idea, apparently never got the feedback that consumers never liked things being dragged over their freshly washed vehicle... often creating streaks or fabric strips getting caught on stuff.

J.R. at Pico seems to like fabric/foam on their polishing system. It seems to have gained attention in Europe. I'm curious about your thoughts on it?

 

[Kevin James]

We’ve talked to a lot of car wash operators about the car wash business and when we mention going to the car wash conventions very few of them have never been or haven’t been in years. With that being said we see little value in going to any of the car wash trade shows. WHY go? You can do just about everything you need to do on the internet. WHY join any of the car wash associations? They don’t do anything for the membership? The only purpose of the associations trade show is to make more money for the management firm that runs the car wash association.

 

[Washmee]

I stopped going when the ICA board shifted to the "Industry Based Model" that seemed to be all about the manufacturers instead of the operators. Supposedly they have seen the error of their ways and are now going to go back to what they were when I first got into this business. Time will tell.

 

[Earl Weiss]

J.R. at Pico seems to like fabric/foam on their polishing system. It seems to have gained attention in Europe. I'm curious about your thoughts on it?

I have only seen on line videos and magazine stories, so I do not have enough knowledge to form an opinion as to how well it works.

The units I hav seen are seperate tunnels used after the car goes through the regular tunnel. Some apply the polish with hand held sprayers. It seems like a sizeable capital investment in Land, Physical plant, equipment and labor. Generating sales to recoup that investment and expenses as always is thelinchpin.

 

[Greg Pack]

We’ve talked to a lot of car wash operators about the car wash business and when we mention going to the car wash conventions very few of them have never been or haven’t been in years. With that being said we see little value in going to any of the car wash trade shows. WHY go? You can do just about everything you need to do on the internet. WHY join any of the car wash associations? They don’t do anything for the membership? The only purpose of the associations trade show is to make more money for the management firm that runs the car wash association.

I can't speak for all, but know SECWA is not set up that way. They also put on excellent road shows that are very informative and the best bang for buck and time.

 

[jprb]

I'd like to see a show in St. Louis, Memphis, or Branson, MO. I could easily drive to any of those locations.

 

[buda]

Speaking of sites, the National Auto Dealers Association (NADA) has a 4 year alternative:

Las Vegas
New Orleans
San Francisco
Orlando

I could pass on Orlando, San Antonio or Chicago would work, but this makes for a nice variation.

Bud Abraham

 

[rph9168]

Orlando has become pretty pricey lately but there are a lot of other activities there. I like the idea of a Midwest site because it is centralized. I think places like Indianapolis, Minneapolis or Milwaukee as well as St Louis would be different.

 

[buda]

Ron:

Don't know that Orlando as a city is anymore expensive than any other city, but it is expensive for air travel and it takes all day to travel for some on the West Coast or Mountain area.

And, as an exhibitor, it is expensive to ship your display materials to and from Orlando as well as your equipment, if you are not able to sell it at the Expo.

Even when the unions were extremely strong in Chicago, it was still a great city in which to exhibit. Glad the ICA Board is looking at Chicago, either McCormack Place or Rosemont, again.

Regards
Bud Abraham