Articles

360 Degrees of Cleaning

Categories: Business Management, Cleaning Best Practices, Cleaning for Health & Safety, Distribution & Supply Chain, Innovations, Trends & Technology, Sustainability & ESG

Welcome to the ISSA Show North America 2018—and Dallas. Wow, what a great city! In the decades since the ISSA Show has been here (two to be exact), Dallas has experienced a renaissance with its rich restaurant scene, public parks with outdoor art, and nightlife with live music in “undiscovered” small venues.

The city provides the perfect backdrop for this year’s amazing show, crafted for 360 immersion—in education, in innovation, in networking, and yes, in fun! Below are just a few of the one-of-a-kind opportunities to take advantage of during ISSA Show North America 2018 week.

Front & Center
As you will see, this year’s exhibit hall is nothing short of eye-popping. Be sure to allow enough time to explore the offerings of the more than 700 exhibitors ready to surround you with the latest and greatest products, services, and technologies available. With such a vast show floor, you will need to take a break. So be sure to stop by the ISSA Sports Bar, sponsored by Spartan Chemical Co., Inc., as well as the Slurpee^® Truck, sponsored by CarrollClean, for a refreshing beverage conveniently located on the show floor.

360 Degrees of Education
The ISSA education and certification team worked hard to prepare full lineups of educational sessions for all types of members—distributors, building-service contractors, in-house service providers, residential cleaners. Even if you are a manufacturer, you can benefit from sitting in on these insightful sessions. Everyone with a show badge can take advantage of the education being offered right on the show floor in the ISSA Education Theater, Booth 1051, and the Connection Corner in the ISSA Resource Center, Booth 1553. Better yet, if you registered for the Seminar Pass or All-Access Pass (best deal), you can choose from 90-plus sessions being offered this week covering everything from leadership and hands-on how to’s to customer service and general business growth. Several workshops/certifications are also available à la carte for an additional fee. (See this year’s full education schedule and details starting on page 23.)

Part of this year’s educational program comes from ISSA’s friends at the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), which is sponsoring three sessions in the ISSA Education Theater, and ISSA’s new alliance partner, the National Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors (NORMI), which is conducting a mold workshop. And of course, the lineup also includes educational offerings from ISSA’s residential division, ARCSI, and healthcare and hospitality division, IEHA, as well as from our long-time co-location partner, the Building Service Contractors Association International (BSCAI), and other industry leaders (see page 40).

Lunch & Learn
Traditionally, the Lunch & Learn has been one of the most popular education sessions at ISSA Show North America, and this year promises to be no exception. The lunch (Monday, October 29, 11:45 a.m.–1:00 p.m., C Ballrooms) features an Essendant-sponsored State of the Industry Panel—a lively session wherein you’ll receive finely tuned viewpoints from five industry leaders. They’ll converse and debate, all the while offering their assessments on what’s in store for the industry.

Top-Notch Headliners
Adding to the impressive lineup of informative speakers and trainers, ISSA has scheduled one Spotlight and two mesmerizing Keynote speakers. Kick off your week on Monday morning, October 29, with the inspirational David Goggins, a retired U.S. Navy SEAL and Guinness World Record holder. Wednesday, October 31, success mentor Darren Hardy whittles his own extraordinary journey to success down to the core principles every achiever needs to know. And of course, you won’t want to miss when former U.S. President George W. Bush engages in an insightful fireside chat with ISSA Executive Director John Barrett (see page 44).

Good & Fun
Past attendees spoke—wanting more show-related evening opportunities—and ISSA listened. In fact, there’s something for everyone-every night! Check out the new social events below!

Party for a Purpose. After a full day of education, it’s time for a little well-deserved socializing in a relaxed setting. We are talking about the first Party for a Purpose at Topgolf Dallas, benefitting ISSA Charities. Enjoy food, drink, networking, fun—even some friendly competition if you are a golf enthusiast—all in support of great causes: Cleaning for a Reason, the ISSA Scholars, and other ISSA Charities programs. It’s the place to be Monday, October 29, 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. (Topgolf Dallas is located at 8787 Park Lane in Dallas).

Team ISSA Welcome Reception. The (Monday) night is young! So immediately following Party for a Purpose, head over to Team ISSA Welcome Reception—hosted by ARCSI, IEHA, and ISSA Canada. This friendly mixer provides an ideal setting to meet with your peers and enjoy complimentary snacks and beverages. The reception is 7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. at the Fairmont Dallas Hotel.

Round Tables. The exciting roundtables Tuesday—7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. at the Fairmont Dallas Hotel—offer the chance to sit down and share your ideas and challenges with peers in an illuminating brainstorming session.

ISSA Backlot Bash (and we mean bash!) Another new event this year is the first all-industry-inclusive ISSA Backlot Bash. The City of Dallas is closing off the street outside the Convention Center so we can host the block party of the year, Wednesday, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Enjoy food, drink, and live musical entertainment from the Chris Watson Band, a blend of funk, Motown, and blue-eyed soul; and charismatic country singer Jack Ingram. Also among the guests will be the original Butt-Sketch artist—and the world-famous Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders! The Backlot Bash is included free for those with the All-Access Pass but is also available à la carte. So if you forgot to sign up, you can do so on-site as this is one bash you don’t want to miss! In addition to a great time, the proceeds from the event benefit ISSA Charities!

Innovation Leaders
ISSA hopes you voted online. Now see these industry marvels in person. Visit the ISSA Innovation Marketplace, Booth 3405, to experience the newest products that may change the way you run your cleaning business. The 2018 ISSA Innovation Category Award winners will be announced at the Team ISSA Welcome Reception; but the top dog, the prestigious 2018 ISSA Innovation of the Year Award, will be announced ThurSTAY at 1:00 p.m. in the ISSA Innovation Marketplace Booth. (See page 19.)

Specialty Areas
Visit the many pavilions on the show floor, which are set up to gather exhibitors with specific specialties. This year, joining the International, First-Time Exhibitor, and Residential pavilions are the new Pressure Washing and Startup pavilions. Meanwhile, the new Restoration Pavilion is offering live, hands on demonstrations throughout the exhibition for specialty cleaning and restoration services, covering everything from water damage and drying processes to the hottest floor care trends and best practices for carpet, upholstery, and rug cleaning.

That’s the Plan
With a show this size and so many moving parts, it helps to have a strategy. For this reason, ISSA has brought back My Show Planner to help you organize your schedule to be as productive as possible. Don’t forget to synch your plans with the ISSA Show Mobile App, sponsored by R3 Reliable Redistribution Resource, so you’ll have your itinerary at your fingertips wherever you go. The app even provides you with access to the digital edition of this directory right from the show floor!

At Your Service
ISSA staff is here to help you maximize your show experience (look for the ISSA Show staff badge). Your first encounter with us will probably be at Registration, but we’ll also be at the educational sessions and evening events and, on the show floor, in the ISSA Meeting Hub, Booth 300; the ISSA Education Theater, Booth 1051; ISSA Innovation Marketplace, Booth 3405; and the ISSA Resource Center and Connection Corner, Booth 1553. Be sure to catch one of us to find out more about ISSA, the show, or just to put a face with a name. We’re here because you are!

No Post-Show Letdown
After ISSA Show North America 2018 wraps up ThurSTAY afternoon, take a tour of AT&T Stadium, the Dallas Cowboys’ home turf, including the field, pressroom, luxury locker room, and other areas that are off limits to the public. If you forgot to sign up for this interesting tour (US$25) when you registered, you can do so on-site at Registration outside the entrance to exhibit hall F. 

Don’t Forget to Be Social
What’s more social than the entire industry coming together at a trade show? Share your experiences at ISSA Show North America 2018 on social media. Use the hashtags #ISSAShow18, #Texas, #Dallas, #Cleaning (or #clean), and #Show to maximum exposure. This will help ISSA staff share your posts on ISSA’s various brand platforms—including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.  

Enjoy!
The ISSA Show North America provides the cleaning industry worldwide a magnificent opportunity to come together to share ideas and best practices, to learn, to get certified, and to see exciting speakers in one place, all in one amazing week. It’s an opportunity that comes only once a year. We welcome you and encourage you to make the most of it.

About the Author.

Joan Weis is the Senior Marketing Communications Specialist for ISSA. She can be reached at [email protected].