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Conventions & Trade Shows

Places to See, People to Meet

By Ken Galo 

Pick up any of the good trade magazines,  CMM, Contracting Profits, Services, and you will find listings of a large variety of trade shows, conventions, meetings, training seminars and the like that are all scheduled for different times, different places throughout 2005.

BSCAI hosts an annual trade show and convention.  If you have never been to one, you need to go.  The experience of the trade show itself is worth it.

The ISSA also hosts a convention and trade show and again, if you are able, GO!

Why?  You are given an opportunity to meet other contractors, manufacturers, and attend informative presentations.  The networking available to you thru these is invaluable to the serious service business owner.  Remember, back in the days before the internet, these were the best places to see the new products and equipment that were going to be released to us.  These organizations were the pioneers of providing information and opportunity in our industry.

Because the cost to these shows and annual attendance can be a deterrent to small service business owners, it may not be financially possible for you to attend every year. However, I do suggest everyone go at least once to each during the course of their business life. 

Suggestions for more affordable options that you may want to attend on a regular basis: 

  • Regional or city wide meetings with your fellow contractor’s would be ideal but only a few organizations have even mentioned these.  I know that the ICA  has in it’s plans to set up regional meetings for the 2006 business year and it will be open to members and non-members alike the first year. 

  • There is also a convention of sorts hosted by OCIBR but if you are treated there like they treat new people on their forum pages, I wouldn’t go.  CMM also has a series of traveling classrooms offering certifications in a number of different services and those are both educational and a good place to meet fellow contractors from your region.  The prices for some of these courses can be steep so be prepared. 

  • Last year there was the first annual cleaner’s convention in Chicago.  Where a group of small service business owners met for the first time for a 2 day exchange of ideas and knowledge.   This year the convention has been proposed for Las Vegas in October by GCA / ICA  

Cleaning Peers and Advisors fully endorses the ICA/GCA convention since it is managed and orchestrated explicitly for small service business owners of both commercial cleaning and residential cleaning.  

We have agreed once again this year to provide regular updates and links to information about the ICA/GCA Cleaners Convention. The official Cleaner's Convention site can be logged onto at  http://www.cleanpeers.com/cleanersconvention/  Stay posted to Cleanpeers.com for more information....