ISSA/INTERCLEAN 2006
ISSA/INTERCLEAN 2006 Chicago, IL
I like the ISSA/INTERCLEAN Show; it’s the biggest and best thing going of its kind in the USA. This year’s event was well done; I have to give show management and staff credit for doing a great job. There was a lot to see and do at the show and it’s a considerable improvement of shows of just a couple of years ago. Stages dotted the exhibit hall, many booths had food and drink, and there was a contest for innovative products and train in the exhibit hall in case you couldn’t walk any further.
Oh, I did make it to one party. Spartan Chemicals, which always has one of the best parties at the show out did themselves this year on their 50th Anniversary. Great people, great products and one hell of a party. Thank you Steve and everyone at Spartan. I’d have to be dead to miss the Spartan Party.
It appeared to me that maybe 25% of the exhibitors were not the normal ISSA/INTERCLEAN Show group; you had everything from shoe sole inserts to video cameras displayed and being sold on the show floor. Overall the booths seemed to be smaller and the aisles wider this year. Some exhibitors were grumbling that the Saturday and Sunday required overtime of already excessive labor costs for booth breakdown and shipping, especially for the big players. Others were unhappy to have the show on a Friday and Saturday as show attendance went down hill after the first day with basically only exhibitors in the hall on Saturday morning.
ISSA management was supportive and cordial and I think are trying hard and doing a good job, but they just haven’t quite figuring out how to draw greater numbers to the show. In my opinion there should be at least 35,000 at the show and that’s not even on show management’s radar or wish list. As for attendance, I would guess that the true numbers were around 12,000, but I would expect that show management will report more like 15,782. Again, these are just my guesses. I couldn’t get any estimates, guesses or accurate numbers out of the ISSA staff.
Quite frankly, it’s next to impossible to ever get accurate numbers on trade show attendance. Show sponsors want to report growing attendance so they include everybody in their count from exhibitors and booth staff to the janitors assigned to vacuum the show carpeting. I don’ think any association reports truly accurate numbers when it comes to attendance. One person could show up and they would report that thousands were in attendance.
I had a good time. I taught a Carpet Cleaning Technician Certification course sponsored by the ISSA and we had 29 students with a good cross section from hospitals, schools, universities, contractors, airports and others facilities. We did as much hands on practice as we could, the students were great and the evaluations came in pretty good, so over all I think it was a successful educational event.
There appeared to be greater numbers of non-distributor/supplier/manufacturer attendees. FSP’s, as the ISSA likes to call them, end users as we used to call them, but not enough yet to fill the aisles with the number of legitimate buyers that the exhibitors would like to see.
I was impressed that at the end of the show, ISSA management staff was at the exit doors applauding attendees and exhibitors as they left the show hall for the last time. It was a nice gesture on their part and the first time I’ve seen it done.
If you missed this year’s ISSA Show, you’re not out of luck totally; you can join me for a video tour of the exhibit hall which will give you some idea of what you missed. Visit: www.cleaningconsultants.com and click on the video tours button/banner in the upper left hand corner of the home page and it will take you to a page where you can choose from this years ISSA show or other video tours I’ve done in the past.
Next year’s 2007 ISSA/INTERCLEAN Show is scheduled for October 23-26 in Orlando, FL. And if you have a flavor for international shows, don’t overlook, Pulire Asia, Singapore, Feb 6-8, The Cleaning Show, Birmingham, UK, March 13-15, Pulire 2007 in Verona, Italy, June 5-8, Eastern Europe 2007 in Warsaw, Poland, June 20 –22. For more info on any of these shows visit: www.issa.com or call 800-225-4772 or email: info@issa.com
Even though there are never enough attendees to please all the exhibitors, the ISSA/INTERCLEAN Show is the biggest and best event of its kind going in the USA and the only thing that would make it better is if you were there.
I like Chicago. It’s big and there are many places to eat, visit and play. This year I was busy teaching a carpet cleaning class, monitoring the ICAN booth and coming down with a cold all in the same week, so I didn’t get to spend as much time on the show floor as I normally would.
If you missed it this year don’t make the same mistake next year. Plan ahead and be there with thousands of other industry professionals from around the world. See you there.
Dri-Eaz Symposium, Las Vegas, NV
Bill Bruders, President of Dri-Eaz opened the symposium with a challenge to attendees and all stakeholders of the restoration industry to put aside their differences and to partner, innovate and collaborate together in preparation for the future.
Quoting Jack Welch, of GE fame, Bruders encouraged attendees to change before they have to because it gives you better choices than being forced to change according to someone else’s timetable, plan and agenda.
The Dri-Eaz Symposium, which is held every two years was held in conjunction with and immediately prior to the Connections 2006 Show this year. I’ve attended the symposium in the past and as before, Dri-Eaz put together an informative and balanced program. I’d estimate that approximately 400 people from around the country were in attendance.
The first Keynote Speaker was Stephen M.R. Covey, (Coveylink.com). His presentation The Speed of Trust dealt with the importance of and how to build and utilize trust in your business and personal life. Here are some of the key points from his talk:
| – | Nothing works as fast and profitable as trust in a relationship. |
| – | Work to win on a win win basis. |
| – | Exercise smart trust, or you could pay a high price. |
| – | Trust translates to confidence in yourself and others. |
| – | When trust is low all aspects of the relationship are taxed. |
| – | Build trust through character, competence and experience in dealing with others. |
| – | It takes 20 years to build a good reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it. |
| – | Deliver expected results Plus. |
| – | Make it right when you are wrong and you win a customer for life. |
| – | Face tough issue head on and quickly, don’t let them fester. |
| – | The price of freedom is performance. |
| – | Clarify expectation with dates, costs and deliverables before the work starts. |
| – | Develop a system to assure consistent quality and performance. |
| – | Keep your commitments |
| – | When things happen have a mirror and a window. When thing go right look out the window and recognize others, when things go wrong look in the mirror and accept responsibility. |
| – | For long term success in ones business your goal needs to be continuous improvement in all you do everyday. |
Covey ended with this thought:
The ability to establish, grow, extend and restore trust with all stakeholders, customers, suppliers, investors and coworkers is the key leadership competency of the new global economy.
Presentation Topics for Everyone:
As at past Dri-Eaz Symposiums there were many technical as well as management related presentations. I also attended a presentation on Job Costing by Xactware, Drying Science, Guerilla Marketing, a panel discussion on Keeping Pace with Change by a group of restoration contractors. Although most were excellent and informative, several tended to be not much more than a sales pitch on a specific line of products.
Lessons Learned
The other presentation that I really enjoyed was Lessons Learned by Jim Williamson, CEO of Advantage Marketing Sciences (www.advlearnsys.com).
Jim brought passion and humor to his focus on improving morale, changing attitudes and empowering employees. He touched on the common denominators of success and what separates high performers from the average achiever. Here are some of the key points from his talk:
| – | It costs five times more to get a new customer than it does to keep an existing customer happy. |
| – | >Everyone is in sales and service. |
| – | The customers perception is reality |
| – | It’s better to listen before you attempt to tell and sell. |
| – | There is only one boss and that is the customer and he can fire anyone from the CEO to the janitor by shopping elsewhere. |
| – | Changes taking place these days are almost too fast to follow. |
| – | It is not the fact that thing are changing that will kill you; it’s your failure to keep up with the rapid rate of change that will do you in. |
| – | You are either changing for the better or for the worse; you can’t simply stand still and survive in a world that is changing around you. |
| – | In times of change, learners inherit the earth while the learned find themselves beautifully prepared for a world that no longer exists. |
| – | When you are ripe you rot, when you are green you grow. |
| – | Develop and implement change though a program of continuous reinvention. |
| – | If you stay on the same path, you most likely miss the turn. |
| – | People will pay more for quality and service. |
| – | 10% better will get you 100% further. |
| – | Make every minute count. |
| – | Low performers dwell on past losses, High performers focus on the future. |
One other item worth noting was the publication and availability of a new technical manual by Dri-Eaz. The New Guide to Restorative Drying is an essential handbook for the professional restorer and includes a bonus CD with a restoration project manager documentation system and related business form. It is a great how to guide for the novice as well as the seasoned professional. It’s up to date and includes diagrams and photographs that make it easy to read, understand and apply. Hard bound, 225 pages, $149.00
For more information on this year’s event or future Dri-Eaz Symposiums, visit: www.dri-eaz.com or call-1-800-932-3030.
Connections Las Vegas, NV
Now this was a good show. It was refreshing and encouraging to see almost 3000 attendees at an educational event and trade show for carpet cleaning and restoration contractors. Over the last 15 years local association conventions and trade shows in the carpet side of the cleaning industry have basically dried up, so it is good to see that someone has figured out how to put life back in the show format in a way that works for everyone. And Connections does that. They do two shows a year, one on the East and one on the West coast.
The E-Myth Revolution: Transforming Your Company and Your Life.
Michael Gerber, the author of the E-Myth and other business books was the key note speaker and although he made some good points, his talk seemed to ramble a bit and was in my opinion not nearly as good as the second key note speaker, Dennis Deaton.
Here are some of the key points from Gerber’s presentation:
It’s always a buyers market with a small business.
| – | Go to work on your business, not in it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Set up a system that can operate without you being a part of it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Get out of the way and let it happen. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | A company without a vision and person without a dream have no purpose and little chance of success. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Build a prototype for 10,000 more. My business is my franchise prototype. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | You must have a system to operate your business and you must continually strive to make it better. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | I don’t, my people do. It works so I don’t have to. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Build your business to sell it. Ask yourself these questions? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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– | The biggest problem with most small businesses is that they don’t have a plan. | – | What you sell is not your brand, what you sell and how you deliver it, is your brand. | – | There is only one thing that you can truly master. Find your one thing, focus on it and do it better than anyone else in the world. | – | You need to visualize, create and run your business from a distance; it needs to be able to run without you. | – | Conceive, design, build, test, validate, refine, grow and sell it. Document the system and sell it. | – | You need a better idea for selling something that everybody else is selling. Starbucks, McDonalds, Southwest Airlines, and Wal-Mart are classic examples. | – | Create something so inspirational that you never want to stop working on it. | – | Your biggest single problem is your biggest single opportunity. | – | Education is the answer. | – | The better it gets, the harder it becomes and the more valuable it is. | – | You create a business to get a life and lose your life in the process. | – | Constantly pursue the best way to do things and work to make it better each day. | – | Be in continuous pursuit of the impossible. |
For more information on Mike Gerber’s programs and publications visit: www.e-myth.com or call 800-221-0266.
The Ownership Spirit
Dennis Deaton, CEO, Quma Learning System
This was a great presentation. If I had to describe it in one word, my choice would be “Powerful.” Deaton’s presentation was a combination of useful information that any person can use intertwined with real life stories of individuals who faced some of life’s toughest battles and faced them head on with a positive thought process to reach their goals and personal success.
You know it’s a good talk when the speaker can bring the crowd to their feet, with tears in their eyes. It was that kind of talk and I can’t do it justice here, but let me review some of the high points of the talk and at the end I will tell you where you can purchase a CD of the presentation. I was so impressed that I bought the speakers books and cd and have already read it and now I am working on applying his concepts to my life and business.
| – | An organization resembles the person at the top. | ||||||||||||||||
| – | Take what you have and make it better. | ||||||||||||||||
| – | Realize that you have choices and are in control. Don’t let circumstances, thoughts or others take it away from you. | ||||||||||||||||
| – | Move forward in the most positive way possible. | ||||||||||||||||
| – | If you think positive thoughts you get positive results. | ||||||||||||||||
| – | If you think negative thought, you get negative results. What do you think? | ||||||||||||||||
| – | Learn to control your thoughts and make them positive. If your thoughts become negative get rid of them immediately. | ||||||||||||||||
| – | Slow down and think before you act. | ||||||||||||||||
| – | Take the time to let your mind hear and see before you speak or act. | ||||||||||||||||
| – | Welcome the winds, gales and breezes of life | ||||||||||||||||
| – | Every challenge is good news, every obstacle is a gift, and every conflict is an opportunity to exert, access power and gain strength. | ||||||||||||||||
| – | When you can be grateful for your adversities when they are happening it unleashes unknown powers to help you overcome any challenges that you face. | ||||||||||||||||
| – | We can think about thinking even when we are thinking. | ||||||||||||||||
| – | Your mind controls your body, your actions and your future. | ||||||||||||||||
| – | The mind has the unique ability to see what you are looking for. | ||||||||||||||||
| – | The difference between winners (success) and losers (failure) is a combination of: |
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Take ownership of your life and your future.
Owners:
| – | See themselves in control |
| – | Look for and make their future what they want it to be |
| – | Learn from every experience, both good and bad |
| – | Let go of the past so they can move on to the future. |
| – | Use life to the fullest |
| – | Seldom take offense |
| – | Create the mindset and moment they want |
| – | Accept and welcome responsibility |
| – | Take control and look for ways to get things done |
Victims
| – | Just get by and are waiting for the future |
| – | Are easily offended |
| – | Blame others |
| – | Are out of control |
| – | Believe that things just happen and that there is nothing they can do about it. |
| – | Are dependent on circumstances |
| – | Think they need a reason to be happy |
| – | See everything that can go wrong |
To be successful you need tough-minded ownership
| – | Don’t be intimidated by adversity |
| – | Realize that all living thing are strengthened by struggle |
| – | Be a thoughtful creative problem solver. |
For more information on Dennis Deaton or to purchase his Ownership Spirit CD and or his Book on Mind Management call: 1-800-622-6463 or visit: www.quma.net
The Connections Trade Show
Over 200 booths filled the convention hall. If it had to do with carpet cleaning or restoration it was on display at this show. Outside the show hall in the parking lot, truck mounts, dryers and other large equipment was set up for display and hand on use. Overall Connections was a great event. No carpet cleaner or restoration professional that wants to be at the top of his or her game should miss this show.
Other Observations
Nice to see the ladies in attendance. It used to be that carpet cleaning was a man’s game, not anymore; at least 25% of the attendees were women.
Sales Pitch Seminars
Far too many of the seminars were nothing more than a sales pitch for a line of products. I can see and hear that on the show floor and don’t want to listen to it for an hour and a half when I came to hear non-commercial educational information. I’m sure it’s cheaper for show promoters to use exhibitors to conduct the seminars, but I don’t think it is what attendees who pay good money to attend expect when they plunk down there fees and in the long run I think it could kill an otherwise good show.
One more chance to attend the 2006 Connections Show in Las Vegas: Join me for a video tour of the show floor and parking lot, visit: www.cleaningconsultants.com and click on the convention show tour button in the upper left hand corner of the home page. And next year see it in person. For more info on the Connections East Coast Show in Orlando on May 3, 4 & 5, 2007 visit: www.connectionsconvention.org or call 1-888-881-1001
IICRC Hold Fall Meetings
The IICRC held its Fall Board and Certification Council meeting in Las Vegas immediately following the Connections show. Ruth Travis was elected President of the IICRC. Committee break out meetings were held. I participated in the FCT/RFMT/Hard Surface Division meeting. A decision was made to require at least 40% hands on instruction in future FCT and all future Hard Surface Specialty courses. Other changes included reducing the number of exam question from 160 to 60-80 to allow more time for hands on practice during future courses. The committee recommended Dane Gregory for the Chair of the Commercial Division and recommended the following policy changes regarding all present and future hard surface flooring courses:
| 1. | Not more than 25% of the questions on specialty courses can be repeat questions used in the FCT or other hard surface courses. |
| 2. | The FCT course is to be a prerequisite for all specialty hard surface classes. (SMT is exempt from the requirement until it is revised to meet other policy changes) |
| 3. | Reduce the number of question on the FCT and all hard surface specialty courses to not less than 60 and not more than 80 to allow more time for hands on practice. |
| 4. | Require a minimum of 5 hours of hand on practice during the FCT and all specialty courses. |
| 5. | Establish a FCT continuity committee with members of the FCT committee serving on specialty course committees. |
These are major changes and were agreed upon to deal with and eliminate structural problems with the way the hard surface division has been organized up to this point.
Future IICRC meetings for 2007 are scheduled as follows:
| – | Certification Council, Clearwater FL, May 6 |
| – | Board Meeting, Clearwater FL, May 7 & 8 |
| – | Instructors Symposium, Vanc, WA, Oct. 17 & 18 |
| – | Certification Council, Vanc, WA, Oct. 19 |
| – | Board Meeting, Vanc, WA, Oct. 20 & 21 |
