NRCC convention in Atlantic City

[pitzerwm]

I hope that there is a good turn out. I'm driving from the Western Show in Vegas to this show. It will be too much to set up a party there, but if some of you want to have dinner together one of the nights, I've game.

http://www.nrccshow.com/

 

[rph9168]

I will be there on Monday and Tuesday night.

 

[washnvac]

My business partner and myself are going. It will be interesting to see what kind of turn out there is. I am going to guess it will be light. I noticed they extended the early sign up last week.

 

[rph9168]

The NE Show is usually one of the better attended Shows. It certainly was last year.

 

[Uncle Sam]

I'm getting in late Monday night, but I will be there for a Tuesday night dinner of forum people.

Uncle Sam

 

[rph9168]

Sounds good to me. I will see you at your booth.

 

[pitzerwm]

Traveling back home.

After the NE Show, I'll be wandering back to WA, anyone just goofing off and want to visit? I imagine thatg I'll be going back 80 and 90.

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

Looking forward to seeing you here in PA wednesday.

 

[pitzerwm]

Me too, anyone else have a little time to mess around?

 

[MikeV]

If you are coming thru Houston, stop by and visit a while.

 

[pitzerwm]

NE Car Wash Convention

As usual Suzanne and gang have put on a good show. Day one, started with the Ritz Carlson's Learning Center guy, going over the Ritz Carlson way how they hire to reading their credo every morning, to keep the employees motivated and educated to give the best service possible.

The welcome get together was also very well executed and attended.

Suzanne said that they had 10% more exhibitors and were ahead of last years pre-registration. Final numbers will be known later.

The Early Bird session was well attended also.

 

[pitzerwm]

The earlybird session was about using Social Media the moderator, said that he would send me the PowerPoint, so we can all see it.

The keynote speaker was the handlers of Theodor a rescue dog. the handler and another NY firefighter were at the World Trade Center, during 9/11 and they had a video of some of it. I was thinking, in light of the fact that some people believed that GW blew up the buildings for some political reason, how long would it be before someone started saying that it never happened.

We had a good lunch and then the showroom opened. Most of our sponsors said that they were happy with the traffic and the quality of the traffic.

Picture thanks to Elena

The major problem with this convention/location is that I still couldn't win at poker, no matter how much I tried.

 

[Uncle Sam]

Northeast Regional Car Wash Report

The Northeast Car Wash in Atlantic City was a new experience for me and a loonnngggg plane ride from California. The closest big airport is in Philadelphia, so a long shuttle ride was made to Atlantic city. My exhibit vendor arrived as scheduled and it took less than an hour to get ready. The first day's (Tuesday) expo opened at 1:30 PM and was kinda slow for me. Traffic was there (1400 registered for the day) and most exhibitors seemed very pleased. The second day started at 10:30 AM and was much better for ShurVend. Said hello to or solved a few problems for existing customers, met some new prospects, and chatted with distributors and other exhibitors about business in general. So I have signed up for a booth next year at the Trump Taj.

Here are my overall impressions of the way this show is run and may be a good model for other regional shows to follow:
1. The show management (Julie) is enthusiastic and wants to assist exhibitors in any way she can to make us happy. Always wanting feedback from exhibitors. Now isn't that a refreshing idea!!!
2. There was a rest area with a full service no-host bar in the middle of the show floor where attendees could chat, relax, or grab a free munchie; a big pretzel, cookie or brownies to snack on with a bottle of water or???. I grabbed a pretzel myself during the second day.
3. The cost to register for the 2 day Expo was $20 per person!! How refreshing!! Just enough to keep the looky-lou's out of the way.
4. Lastly, but certainly appreciated by ShurVend is the cost of booth space wash the most reasonable of any show where I have exhibited.

There were some exhibitors I talked with who had been to the WCA and were now at the Northeast. All said the WCA show was very bad and they were doing much better at this show. I didn't want to skip the WCA show, but it looks like it was a wise decision.

We'll be at the ICA World Expo in Las Vegas next year, so hope to see many of you there.

Uncle Sam

 

[pitzerwm]

The Early Bird and Investors seminars were well worth the time. Learned that Count up is the best for Credit Cards for one thing. Also use of social media, Facebook and Twitter, were worth the time that it takes. FaceBook more than Twitter. It was suggested that you have someone, preferably younger than you to keep it current.

Like Jim, most of my clients that I talked with thought that the show was good for them and better than the Western.

Personally I think that the Taj Mahal is a dump, but that's just me.

I've been on the road all day and can't think so will add more later.

 

[pitzerwm]

Mike V, Houston was a little out of the way, however, I'm sure that Houston might have been a better route back. I'm in Bismark, ND it is snowing up a storm, with a 50 mph wind from the West.

I really enjoyed spending a few days with Paul & Jamie and their two sons Paul and Ryan. Paul & I pretty much goofed off and he showed me around Kutztown. Paul Jr. shot his first deer of the season with a 50 something cal. musket and I witnessed my first gutting and whatever else you call it after you shot one.

I then visited John Good (Bubbles) near Flint he has a nice operation with a cement slab roof, which a few days before a couple of nitwits spent half the night with a sledge hammer busting a hole in the roof to get inside. They made a mess, but quit when they broke their sledge hammer. What is really bizaar is that he has a 3' glass door to the equipment room.

Then dropped by AOK in Minneapolis and then on to Fargo, to goof off with John Lynn (Whale) he has 5 washes and other things in his life to keep himself busy. Then off to Bismark to Mike Walsh. Mike has spent a lot of time, building some cool things for his laundromats and the car washes. Including a dogwash that raises and lowers with a foot switch. Of course there are a lot of other high tech gadgets in it too.

Driving here with the 50mph headwind and the blizzard was fun it cut my mileage in half. That was a bit strange watching the gas gage, drop like a rock.

 

[MikeV]

Bill, glad you are having a fun trip...sorry about the snow. Should have come thru Houston...in the 80s here. Have a safe and fun trip.

 

[pitzerwm]

Finally made it

Well, this was a great adventure. Started by going to the WCA convention in Vegas, and then to the NRCC show in Atlantic City, wandering back visiting a number of you on the way. Sitting out a blizzard with 50-60mph winds in Bismarck, wasn't planned, but at least I was in a warm hotel with the Internet, not in a ditch somewhere in ND. I also didn't know that you could drive from Bismarck to the Tri_Cities, WA in 14 hours, in spite of some snow & ice.

Here is a picture of John (Whale) and I in front of one of his 5 Shurvends. This was just before it started snowing and blowing at 50-60 mph. Those people in ND are tough. 200 miles at 50-60mph headwinds cut my gas mileage in half.

 

[pitzerwm]

Promotional Ideas

Here are a couple of promotional ideas that I picked up on my trip.

http://autocareforum.com/NRCC promotional ideas.html

 

[packerscw]

Did they have anything new out at this show? Didnt have time this year to go.

 

[Whale of a Wash]

It was fun to have you stop by Bill. Had a great time showing you around. I know making you go to all five washes in wild 50mph winds was exciting. But chicago bested us with 80 mph winds those days . You should buy a last minute ticket and see us all again at kleen rite on the 10th. Its a fun time!!