Splash 2016! made waves in the car wash industry this past October when it drew more than 700 people to the newest event put on by International Carwash Association (ICA) and Western Carwash Association (WCA).
Touted as the un-tradeshow and an event to bring the car wash community together, the event lived up to its hype.
“I liked the one-on-one opportunities you’re able to get with exhibitors,” said Doug Wiebelhaus of Mega Wash Car Wash in South Dakota. “At the big trade shows, sometimes there are a lot of people standing around waiting to get a conversation with someone in a booth.”
Doug and his wife Jeanne hadn’t been to The Car Wash Show in several years, and were drawn because of the chance to meet other car wash professionals… and learn a little bit along the way. “It was the opportunity to meet others in our profession and have discussions with them and exchange ideas,” Jeanne said. “The education talks were a draw.”
The event featured 56 sponsor companies and nearly 750 attendees in its first year. The format featured three different types of booths and very little equipment, creating a different style of vendor-operator interaction.
“We do lots of tradeshows… maybe 15−20 a year,” said Hank Richard, director of New Business Development for Simoniz. “This is a little different. It’s a little more casual with smaller exhibits and a lot more interaction on a personal level. It was inexpensive for us with quick setup and tear down and all concentrated in a 24-hour period.”
While networking was a key component, Splash! also featured a series of Wash Talks, which lasted 15 minutes and were on different stages around the ballroom. “A lot of the talks were good,” said Matt Bromeier, general manager of Wild Blue Car Wash in Colorado. “I liked the quick facts and wide spread of topics.”
For ICA and WCA, this event was really about creating an opportunity to bring the car wash community together. “One of the important functions of any Association is bringing the people in its industry together,” said ICA CEO Eric Wulf. “But rather than do another traditional trade show, we wanted to do something different… we wanted to create the kind of car wash event you’d host for your friends.”
The power of Splash! is in the more intimate setting. “It’s a fun way to learn. You’re right here with other operators and vendors,” said Ken Litrell of Clean Sweep Car Wash in Kentucky. “The close proximity with speakers being close together gives you time to talk with the speakers as well. I saw a lot of new operators asking questions and trying to learn more, and the new operators I talked to really enjoyed the ease of getting information.”
And, with a Las Vegas location, Splash! also provided a convenient opportunity to bring people in the industry in the western half of the United States together in a year when the larger The Car Wash Show was held in Nashville.
“The Car Wash Show is always great,” said WCA Executive Director Kristy Babb. “Sometimes, though, people just aren’t able to get away from their business for an extended time. Having Splash! in Las Vegas, in a condensed format, provided a great opportunity for people to come in for a day, talk to other car wash professionals, sit in on a few Wash Talks and take something back to their business.”
“It’s always fun to come to something like this,” said Jack Anthony of 7 Flags Car Wash in California. “It was a lot lower key than you’re used to coming to and gave you more of a chance to talk to different operators and vendors. Even though there were a lot of people here, there wasn’t that feeling of being rushed or pressed for time.”
The event also featured a 50/50 Raffle to benefit the Williams Syndrome Association in honor of Brian Campbell, car washing's number one fan. More than $1,000 was donated to the Association.
