In 1997, after a year of strategic planning, the ISSA Board of Directors recognized the need to open its annual exhibition to all cleaning professionals to help bring the channel partners in the cleaning industry more closely together. The decision was made for a biennial format so that the traditional ISSA show for members is held in even-numbered years and the ISSA/INTERCLEAN® event open to distributors and their customers is held in odd-numbered years.
At a recent meeting, the Board reviewed the attendance and the participant surveys from the first ISSA/INTERCLEAN® event held in Chicago, IL, in 1999 and from the traditional ISSA Convention held in Atlanta, GA, last year. The following determinations were made:
1. There is still some confusion in the industry regarding the change in name and rules of the show from year to year. It was determined that a consistent format each year is preferable.
2. Both distributors and manufacturers indicated a preference for a portion of the show to be set aside for private meetings between distributors and their suppliers without end users present. With this consideration in mind, the ISSA Convention needs to maintain a venue for distributors to meet in an affordable and efficient way with multiple suppliers.
3. Distributors preferred that time be set aside for seminars focused specifically on distributor issues and where they might take advantage of networking with other distributors without end users present.
4. ISSA needs to embrace all channel partners in the industry. An "open," industry-wide format provides distributors the opportunity to invite customers and to solidify the added value that a distributor provides for its customers and suppliers.
As a result of these evaluations, the Board has determined to change the format of the show beginning 2002 in Las Vegas, and in each year thereafter, as follows:
Please note that regarding the format for the 2001 show in Orlando, FL, October 16-19, nothing has been changed.
ISSA is confident that by creating this new format, the association is providing a venue to satisfy the expressed needs of our distributor and manufacturer members as well creating an opportunity to bring all of the channel partners together to work more closely toward greater efficiency and customer value.
The ISSA represents more than 4,600 member companies worldwide that manufacture, market, and distribute the cleaning and maintenance products, equipment, and chemicals used in hospitals and other healthcare facilities, schools, factories, food service establishments, commercial businesses, and the vast array of other industrial/institutional facilities.