SHURVEND-- The Car Wash Show 2014 Report

As previously posted I went to the Chicago Show with little enthusiasm and not expecting much. The compelling reason for me was to show our new ShurVend VendPro-iG4EE which is designed to be installed in the free vacuum area of the Express Exterior car wash model. Many of the new EE washes are being built without any consideration for vending operations of any kind. EE business plans are sold with the idea of marketing the free vacuums to get the customers in and then washing as many cars as you can as fast as you can to cover the costs of the wash. Nothing sells “like free”!

The Show opened at 12 noon Monday and, since we were in the back half of the show floor, it took an hour or so for attendees to make their way to our booth. Once they started coming the traffic was reasonably steady until 6 PM when the show closed. Tuesday was a repeat of Monday with traffic being good from 12-6 PM. Of course Wednesday was slow as usual.

ShurVend exhibited the new VendPro-iG4EE to show and educate EE operators that revenue can be generated in the free vacuum area of an EE wash site and that security concerns have been addressed. What is unique about the iG4EE is a second door that can be opened by the attendants when the wash opens and then closed by the attendants at night. When the iG4EE is locked up, the window and all the openings are covered with a steel door protecting the vendor from vandalism or theft during the hours the wash is closed. Many of the attendees were EE owners and liked what they saw in the iG4EE vendor. We are encouraged that the EE segment of the wash industry is taking a new look at vending as a viable way to generate revenue in the free vacuum area and not have any vandalism or security concerns.
Cont'd

Earl Weiss (Forum poster) has already commented on the show floor being quite a hike (which it was) from the parking area, but Earl did take the time to come by the booth and say Hi which I appreciated. Many long-time customers, who we hadn’t seen in Las Vegas for a few years, came by to see us to say Hi and tell us that their ShurVend machine was still working very well for them.

The bottom line for ShurVend is that we had a much better show than I had expected, so I am a happy camper!! The attendees were mostly from the mid-west (who won’t go to Las Vegas), so we did meet many new people. Canadians were there in good numbers; maybe because it was comparatively warm! I also met a man from Sweden and a Ukrainian who wanted his picture taken with Uncle Sam. I don’t know what attendance numbers are going to be reported, but I am sure it will make the show managers look good! I’m not going to want to go back to Chicago any time soon, but, when you get lemons handed to you, you had better decide to make good lemonade!! AaaaHHHHH for the good old days when this show had 10-12000 people attending because you got into the show free!!!! Again nothing sells like free!!!

Uncle Sam

Most of what I heard was that even though the attendance wasn't that good there were buyers showing up. I hope this convinces the ICA not to go back to Chicago. Actually the way attendance has declined so much I think they might be better off trying some smaller venues and smaller cities like Austin, Boise, Denver, Omaha, Louisville, Birmingham, Charlotte and other cities where it wouldn't cost so much to travel to, exhibit and for reasonable lodging and meals.

rph9168 said:

Most of what I heard was that even though the attendance wasn't that good there were buyers showing up. I hope this convinces the ICA not to go back to Chicago. Actually the way attendance has declined so much I think they might be better off trying some smaller venues and smaller cities like Austin, Boise, Denver, Omaha, Louisville, Birmingham, Charlotte and other cities where it wouldn't cost so much to travel to, exhibit and for reasonable lodging and meals.

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Well said. I agree.

Reports from ICA this past week state that "more than 5600" were in attendance at the recent Car Wash Show 2014 in Chicago. The exhibitors that I have talked to this past week indicated they had a good show with good leads or they thought it was a very slow show for them.

I still would like to see that attendance number increased by 50% for the next show in 2015. It could be with some adjustments in the fees charged to get onto the show floor.

Uncle Sam

I received the following PM about a week ago from Eric Wulf; my answer follows.

Eric Wulf said:

Hello "Uncle Sam",

I'm glad to see that you had a good experience at The Car Wash Show in Chicago. I just wanted to follow-up on your comment about show attendance costs, and hope you don't mind me sharing the following:

1. Every ICA member company gets two free passes to the show - which equates to more than 4,000 free passes.
2. Every exhibiting company gets an additional allotment of 1 pass per 10x10 booth, plus additional "bulk" passes based on size beginning at booths of 700 square feet and higher. So, exhibiting companies can have anywhere from 3 to 85 passes. In total, more than 2,000 free passes were available from exhibitors.

That's 6,000+ complimentary passes... and we had 5,600+ attendees.

Also, we offered a special day pass rate of as low as $54 for operators in the adjoining states (IL, WI, MI, etc.).

We look at pricing every year, and every time we evaluate the cost to attend we come back to the conclusion that it isn't the cost of the registration fee that is the barrier. So, we instead focus on adding value for the attendee - from education, to social events, to - this year - car wash tours and networking dinners.

Thanks for letting me share some thoughts, and thanks again for your support of the show.

Sincerely,

Eric Wulf
CEO / ICA
ewulf@carwash.org / 312.673-4721

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Eric,

Thanks for the PM on my show comments. I going to answer your points as an exhibitor with just one booth space of 100 square feet.

Point #1---It is fine if 2 free passes are given to ICA members as part of their membership. However there are thousands of operators out there who don't join ICA for whatever reason; these are the people (customers) that the show must attract to keep exhibitors like me participating in the show and people we would like to see in our booth. We then have a chance to make them our customers which is the object of renting booth space and makes us very happy.

Point #2---As an exhibitor and ICA member I get 3 passes for my booth which is usually used up just with my staff who work the booth during the show. I have no passes to give to potential customers for my product which might entice them to come to the show and buy. We used to get 5-10 passes to give out to customers. The exhibitors who have large booths get plenty of passes to hand out, but that does me no good at all. Why not just give 10 passes to every exhibitor with some provision for the large exhibitors to get more if they want them.

Point #3---You say were 6000+ passes given out, but only 5600+ used them. So I think getting a free pass does not necessarily mean an operator will attend the show. The majority of operators have travel, hotel, eating, and time costs that far exceed getting a free pass. These costs are what keep many people from attending the show.

Point #4----Why should those who live in states close to the show get special rates and not everybody?? Not very logical thinking.

Point #5---Your conclusion that the registration fee is not a barrier to people attending the show may be true, but most operators do not come to the show to be educated, be entertained, socialize, do car wash tours, or attend a networking dinner. (Which you call "adding value") They come to attend the show to see new technology, new equipment, and new ideas from those who do the innovating and building, the EXHIBITORS!! They won't waste money on registration because they see no value in what it gets them; they just want to see new ideas and equipment that they can buy and will do networking with each other before the show opens or after the closes. A free pass to the show floor would be a nice enticement especially from an exhibitor whose product you would like to see.

Uncle Sam

Anyone who wants to chime in on this thread, feel free!

I certainly would be more enticed to attend if a no/low cost floor show pass was available. 30 years ago the floor show was free to attend. Later a small ( 20 bucks or so) fee. Then the fee began to rise to it's current level. All the while attendance trended downward. I think there is a direct correlation.

Update

An update from the few exhibitors I have had contact with since the Chicago show is that we all have had a surge in business for which we are all grateful. I'm not sure it had anything to do with the show, but more likely the beginning of spring and warmer weather for all those east of the Rockies. Yeeaah for springtime!!!

Uncle Sam