The Car Wash Show™ 2024, the premier gathering of owners, operators, investors, and decision-makers, made its return to Music City in Nashville, Tennessee. The Show was met with unprecedented excitement, mirroring the growth and opportunity that the car wash industry boasts as a whole.
The record-breaking event showcased more than 420 vendors, including over 100 new companies, on a sold-out trade show floor covering 190,000 square feet – the largest in its history. Alongside these exhibiting companies were 9,600+ attendees — an all-time high! — roaming the floor seeking the endless solutions and education that The Show had to offer.
“Seeing the industry come together in one spot always reminds me of the amazing opportunity it is to create an experience that keeps our attendees and exhibitors at the forefront of the industry,” said Kim Vinciguerra, chief experience officer at International Carwash Association (ICA). “I say this every year – but it’s over 9,000 of our closest friends gathering for three days.”
One of the hottest destinations in the Music City Center was Innovation Alley, featuring more than 40 first- or second-year exhibitors showcasing the latest innovations from 3D signage to preventative maintenance technology.
“Innovation Alley was designed as a ‘can’t-miss’ destination,” said Kendra Johnson, vice president of business development at ICA. “It’s a big deal for any new company to select The Car Wash Show as their destination – so it’s our job is to create a space that allows them to flourish.”
With more than 60 hours of training delivered by experts in and outside of the industry, The Car Wash Show’s education sessions were cutting-edge and top-of-class. Between education sessions and PITCH product presentations, attendees could listen to operators discussing brand new training models to tech experts unveiling the latest digital competencies, to industry-led panels discussing trends and movement in the car wash industry.
One of the many standing-room-only sessions addressed the state of today’s car wash industry. Eric Wulf, chief executive officer at ICA, Marcus Kittrell of Mammoth Holdings, and Tom Hoffman Jr. of innovateIT Car Wash Equipment, guided attendees through the intricacies of gathering and analyzing the research that is most relevant to the success of those in the car wash industry.
“When ICA first started our research in the ’90s, the most telling piece of data was the percentage of people using home versus professional washes,” Wulf said. “We’ve now shifted most of our focus with our Pulse research to what we believe is one of the most important dynamics in the industry, the subscription model, and membership.”
Another feature at The Show this year was a podcast studio. CAR WASH The Podcast set up shop so attendees could listen to and share stories of impact from around the car wash industry.
“This year was all about the people who make the industry what it is,” said Claire Moore, chief learning officer at ICA. “There’s a story at the corner of every booth on the show floor. We wanted to use our platform(s) to help share these amazing stories of success.”
After business hours, attendees took part in a multitude of activities. From the largest car wash party of the year at The Big Bash, to The Car Wash Show After Dark taking on Downtown Nashville, to the Car Wash Hall of Fame Celebration. This year’s inductee, Lamar Beck of Goo Goo Car Wash, was honored posthumously with the industry’s most prestigious award.
Success was a word thrown around frequently during The Car Wash Show – including a few booth awards that were given on-site. Different than in years’ past, booths were judged by professional consultants considering the booth’s layout involvement in their customer’s journey and their respective team’s role throughout the process.
Congratulations to:
When The Show wrapped up on May 15, it was far from over. In addition to all the new connections made that live on well after The Show, a new option was added this year to extend the availability of the education portion. Called Digital Week, all of The Show’s breakout education sessions that were featured at The Car Wash Show 2024 were made available on-demand. The digital sessions were available to attendees for free to attendees and non-attendees at a $199 price point May 20-24.
International Carwash Association also announced a brand new event, ROADMAP, debuting in December 2024 in Austin, Texas. ICA is excited to invite everyone back to The Car Wash Show next year in Las Vegas, April 26-28, 2025.
More on The Car Wash Show 2024:
The 2024 Car Wash Hall of Fame Inductee