Attendees Give Clean ’09 High Marks

By PlanetLaundry staff | Feb 12, 2010

From the outset, Clean ’09 was touted as the industry’s opportunity to “Look, Learn, Listen,” and in the end, the show exceeded those expectations. In a post-show survey of those who attended Clean ’09 in New Orleans, more than 94 percent of respondents indicated that they found the products they were looking for at the show. The same respondents went on to say that more than 80 percent found new products for their businesses and an incredible 74.4 percent reported that they bought or planned to buy equipment or products seen at Clean ’09.

These are among the highlights of the recently completed post-show survey of Clean ’09 attendees, commissioned by the Clean Executive Committee and conducted independently by Microtab, Incorporated.

“The CEC is thrilled by the positive feedback received from attendees of Clean ’09. Like all business owners, we are constantly seeking feedback from our customers on ways in which we can improve the attendee experience and make each Clean Show better than the last,” said Jim Thacker, executive director of the Association for Linen Management and chair of Clean ’11, which will be held June 6-9, 2011, in Las Vegas.

The most valuable information gleaned from the survey was the insight into the most important reasons why people come to the show. The overwhelming majority of respondents (70 percent) indicated that the opportunity to see new equipment and technology was their primary reason for attending Clean ’09. The next three factors, in order of importance, were the exhibits, the opportunity to network with peers and the educational sessions offered at the Clean Show. As with prior attendee surveys, the show’s destination and time of year ranked last in importance.

The survey also revealed that 50 percent of attendees took advantage of the educational sessions offered during Clean ’09. Of those who attended seminars, 96 percent found the sessions to be valuable, and 95 percent asked that future Clean Shows offer either the same number or additional hours of educational sessions.

As for the date and destination of the Clean Show, June continues to be the month favored by the plurality of attendees at 34 percent of respondents, while Las Vegas continues to be the favored destination with 51.5 percent of first-place votes, followed by New Orleans and Orlando.

As the CEC looks toward the future, it has selected “The Show That Works” as its theme for Clean ’11 in Las Vegas. This theme was not a difficult choice considering that 97 percent of Clean ’09 attendees surveyed reported that seeing working equipment and live demonstrations were important reasons for attending the show.

Five industry trade associations comprise the Clean Executive Committee that owns the Clean Show: the Coin Laundry Association, the Association for Linen Management, the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute, the Textile Care Allied Trades Association and the Textile Rental Services Association of America.

Exhibit sales for Clean ’11 will begin in May 2010. For more information, contact Riddle & Associates, 3091 Maple Drive, Suite 305, Atlanta, Ga. 30305, phone (404) 876-1988, fax (404) 876-5121, e-mail info@cleanshow.com, or visit cleanshow.com.