We had a wonderful time with many of you in Chicago earlier this spring at The Car Wash Show 2014. While this year’s event was down slightly in attendance (by 3 percent), we set a new record for car wash locations with more than 9,000 sites represented. We were also happy to see that one-third of all attendees were new to the show, which is our primary rationale for rotating show locations. That being said, we’re also looking forward to next year’s return to Las Vegas and our new show partnership with Western Carwash Association.

In the pages that follow, I hope you’ll pay particular attention to the article on The Car Wash Show Europe: how the concept was developed, what is changing in the European market and how the professional car washing industry can benefit. I also hope that you’ll consider joining us in Amsterdam for next year’s inaugural event. (In 2015, ICA members will receive complimentary passes to our events in both Las Vegas and Amsterdam.)

Our 100 Years of Car Wash theme continues in this edition, with a profile of our 2014 Car Wash Hall of Fame inductee, Leo Rousseau, and a timeline of industry highlights beginning early in the last century. If you have stories or photographs to share, please visit facebook.com/100YearsofCarWash.

Finally, I’d like to invite you to our E3 Series of events that will be happening this fall. In particular, our Wash Different Workshop on September 23 that will feature the results of our latest consumer study. This year’s study is focused on car wash differentiation, avoidance and value components. We’re also extending the agenda based on attendee feedback from last year.

As always, I invite you to reach out with any questions or comments. Thanks for your membership, and here’s to a great summer of washing cars!

Sincerely,
Eric Wulf