ISSA/Interclean USA 2006, Oct. 4-7, started off strong at Chicago’s McCormick Place with the keynote speaker, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, keeping the attention of more than 4,200 people right to the very end of his presentation Thursday morning.

ISSA/Interclean USA 2006, Oct. 4-7, started off strong at Chicago’s McCormick Place with the keynote speaker, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, keeping the attention of more than 4,200 people right to the very end of his presentation Thursday morning. Overflowing seminars and almost 10,000 unique visitors made the tradeshow’s first day one for the record books. However, the strong start was followed by a drop-off in attendees heading into the weekend.

“Let’s cut to the chase,” said ISSA Executive Director John Garfinkel said. “While we achieved our highest-ever first-day attendance and the seminars were bursting at the seams the previous day, more attendees left earlier than usual due to the event’s unusual Saturday closing. This caused Friday afternoon and Saturday to be slower than normal for the final days of the convention, and tempered what was shaping up to be an otherwise excellent event.

“We believe ISSA/Interclean draws a solid crowd, with potential for an even larger attendance. At the same time, we have listened to our members and are investigating ways in which we can foster a more balanced participation throughout the length of the tradeshow next year,” Garfinkel said. “We are confident that those adjustments, combined with a return to the Tuesday-through-Friday lineup, will bode well for us in 2007.”