More meetings in more places for more people.
This is the goal of the reinvented affiliate program and the new meeting concept that the Coin Laundry Association is excited to launch.
In the May 2018 issue of PlanetLaundry, CLA President and CEO Brian Wallace wrote the article, “A New Look for Local CLA Meetings,” which shared the highlights of a new plan to rework the affiliate program and how it will benefit the association’s members. As part of this plan, I was added to the CLA team to take a fresh look at this program and create more value and an enhanced experience for members.
I want to share some of the exciting changes we have put into action.
Building off the success of the CLA Connect online forum, we have branded our new meeting concept CLA Connect LIVE. CLA Connect online provides a forum for industry professionals to network and share best practices virtually. The same opportunities will be provided at our Connect LIVE events, with the added benefit of being face to face. For those of you who have attended your local affiliate meetings, we want to preserve the aspects you found most beneficial and build on that to provide more consistency and frequency.
The goal of CLA Connect LIVE is to bring together new and potential store owners, distributors and manufacturers to build a community of mutual interest, provide excellent customer service, and positively serve our communities. Events will vary in format and topics, such as education, advocacy, community service, networking, idea sharing, and visibility of key CLA initiatives.
The first CLA Connect LIVE event will take place in Atlanta on September 25, followed by meetings in New Jersey, New York and Washington, D.C./Maryland in October. We plan to hold events in various areas throughout the U.S., including: Delaware Valley (Philadelphia), Denver, Detroit, Florida, Georgia, Los Angeles/Southern California, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri (Kansas City and St. Louis), New England, Ohio, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco/Northern California, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. Ultimately, we would like to see every CLA member coast-to-coast with a “local”meeting to attend nearby.
Some of the new features of CLA Connect LIVE are opportunities for members to serve as speakers and sponsors of these events. We want to tap into the expertise of our members and provide a forum for them to share their knowledge and experience with their peers. These opportunities will be available for the 2019 events, and more information will be provided in fall 2018.
All industry professionals, both members and non-members, are invited to attend an upcoming event. More information can be found at www.coinlaundry.org/cla-connect-live.
I encourage you to experience the new CLA Connect LIVE concept for more opportunities to connect, learn and grow.
