To simply say that the keynote speaker at this year’s 16th Annual Northeast Regional Carwash Convention (NRCC), October 17-19 at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, knows good customer service would be an understatement. JoAnna Brandi, renowned customer care expert and president of JoAnna Brandi & Company, is known as “The Customer Care Lady” for a reason. She knows great customer service and how to achieve it. Her keynote, “15 Ways to Keep ‘Em Happy, Keep ’Em Loyal and Keep ’Em Coming Back” will prove that without a doubt. In her lively and energetic session, Tuesday, October 18, you will walk away with practical and easy-to-implement ideas to set your company ablaze with customer consciousness!

Brandi, who has toured with last year’s keynoter, Mel Kleiman, is the author of Winning at Customer Retention: 101 Ways to Keep ’Em Happy, Keep ’Em Loyal, and Keep ’Em Coming Back, Simple Choices — 54 Ways to Stay Positive in a Changing, Challenging and Sometimes Negative World and out this year, 101 Affirmations for Winning Customer Retention. She also publishes a quarterly Customer Care Bulletin. To learn more about JoAnna and her services log onto www.customercarecoach.com.

In addition to this outstanding speaker, this year’s NRCC, “Image Is Everything,” will feel a little BIGGER! Exhibits have been expanded into all the educational rooms adjacent to the show floor, in addition to the xxx-square-foot main hall, moving all educational programming to the mix or the Music Box on the main level of the casino. “By moving our educational programming to venues on the first floor, we are able to accommodate more vendors and make the seating for our seminars nicer and increase the size of each seminar,” said NRCC Chairman Dennis O’Shaughnessy, president of the New York State Car Wash Association, this year’s host association. “It’s a win-win for everyone.”

Another enticement this year is the expanded “New Investor Seminar” which is slated for Monday, October 17, prior to the Opening Night Reception. “The participation we received last year for our first seminar geared toward the new investor was standing-room only,” recalled O’Shaughnessy. “We decided to expand the program to include two panels of industry experts to answer all the questions our new investor and first-time operators may have. It’s a must-see for anyone contemplating getting into this industry, or anyone thinking about branching out into another segment of the industry.”

Other programming includes a marketing seminar on the development, implementation and follow through of a marketing plan to grow your business by Northeast Carwasher columnist and former PDQ Manufacturing Marketing Manager Dan Udvig. Another appealing program, “Believe It or Not: Carwash Insurance Tales,” on how to better keep your employees and customers safe and claims down, as well as a program on express exterior washing and the traditional early bird panels will round out the seminars.

The 2004 show was the convention’s largest to date. O’Shaughnessy anticipates an attendance at this year’s show to hit 2,000. The exhibit floor is already sold out at just over 200 exhibits. “What we have been able to put together after 16 years is a first-rate show featuring state-of-the-art exhibits and educational programming,” he said. “The knowledge you can gain from attending this show is well worth the time away from your business and your expense to attend.”

A waiting list for exhibit space is available by contacting Julie Station

at the NRCC office at 800/868-8590 today. To learn more about the NRCC show log onto www.nrccshow.com. You can also call 800/868-8590 for additional information.