The Western Carwash Association (WCA) has released the educational slate for its 29th annual Conference & Tradeshow. The expo will be held Oct. 11-13 at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
Educational sessions on Monday, Oct. 11, will kick off with a follow-up to last year’s well-received session presented by the Disney Institute. Titled "Disney's Approach to Leadership Excellence," the opening keynote will discuss the core principles that are central to Disney’s organizational strength. Operators will learn how to implement an action plan that complements vision, goals and leadership development, as well as employ strategies designed to make employees proactive toward change.
Following the Disney Institute presentation, attendees will be able to follow two tracks of workshops focused on either conveyor carwash issues or self-serve. Sessions will run concurrently.
The Conveyor Track will include workshops on labor issues, presented by the California Division of Labor and Standards Enforcement, and labor laws, with speaker Gary Bethel of Littler Mendelson, a law firm specializing in employment and labor law. The track also will include a panel discussion on the role of social media in the carwash industry. Brad Hooper of Rossmoor Car Wash will serve as moderator. Panelists include Ryan Carlson of WashCard Systems and Randy Cressall from the National Carwash Marketing Association.
The Self-Serve Track will include workshops on energy efficiency, credit card vending, video surveillance and pump maintenance. The track also will include an Open Forum for self-serve carwash operators to discuss operations and facility issues. Panelists for the Open Forum include Bob Cavalieri, Clearwater Car Wash; Scott Grey, Soapy's Auto Wash; Jerry Nix, Speedi Car Wash; Rick Diehl, Turbo Wash; and Doug Christ, Eagle Investments.
Events on Tuesday, Oct. 12, begin with the WCA’s Industry Awards Recognition and Business Update Breakfast. The breakfast will be followed by a general session featuring Jim Rees, chairman of the Nevada Restaurant Association and COO of RUN Restaurants LLC. Rees is a 30-year restaurant veteran who opened two Hash House a Go Go restaurants during the recession. His presentation is titled “Turn Survive into Thrive.”
Additional educational sessions will be presented on the expo floor Oct. 12-13 in a series of Nuts and Bolts presentations. These short courses will be designed for full-service and self-serve carwash operators. Session topics include mobile messaging, carwash valuation, efficient lighting and customer service.
The International Detailing Association also will sponsor 20-minute demonstrations on the expo floor. The sessions will include hands-on demonstrations and a question-and-answer period on products and techniques with various manufacturers.
In addition, WCA affinity partners will be available for one-on-one consultations on topics such as insurance, labor, human resources, marketing, bank cards and business practices.
For more information, visit www.wcwa.org.