Messe Frankfurt has announced that the 2021 edition of The Clean Show will be postponed due to the continued global impact of COVID-19. The next edition will be held July 30-August 2, 2022, in Atlanta.
After months of strategic conversations with Messe Frankfurt’s global leadership, partner associations and representatives from the show’s key exhibiting groups, the team has decided that rescheduling the show and its subsequent edition is in the best interest of the industry as a whole.
The decision will affect at least the next two editions, with Clean 2023 also being moved to now take place in August 2024.
“Although this has been a tough decision to make, we are confident that moving The Clean Show will allow us to provide the quality experience and return on investment our exhibitors and visitors have come to expect from Clean,” said Greg Jira, show director for The Clean Show.
Show management reports that the decision to reschedule the event has been met with a positive response from exhibitors.
“I have been very pleased with the response from Messe Frankfurt to understand the issues the exhibitors face in light of the world-changing event of COVID-19,” stated Jeff Frushtick, chairman and CEO of Leonard Automatics. “I feel that Messe has been very open with their conversations and very understanding of the exhibitors’ issues in this very troubling time.”
Engelbert Heinz, managing director for Kannegiesser, served as an advisor during the decision-making process and endorsed the move to 2022.
“We have always valued our relationship with The Clean Show and are proud to have established such a prominent role in the event,” he explained. “While postponing the show is regrettable, we believe it is in the industry’s best interest. Our entire company will look forward to the opportunity to meet face-to-face again in Atlanta in 2022.”
Another key exhibitor representing the industry, Jesper Munch Jensen, CEO of JENSEN-GROUP, also showed his company’s support for the postponement.
“The Clean Show has traditionally been a very important platform that allows us to showcase and demonstrate our industries’ leading automation equipment,” Jensen noted. “We appreciate Messe Frankfurt taking the global scheduling concerns of the manufacturing sector into consideration, and we stand behind Clean in their decision to move the next show to 2022.”
As the show pivots to its new dates, the team will release communication around important changes and deadlines for exhibiting companies and individuals planning to attend. In addition, Jira advised all to “stay tuned,” as the team is working on alternative opportunities for the industry to do business until meeting in person again in 2022.
The Clean Show is recognized as the largest exposition for laundering, drycleaning, textile-care services, supplies and equipment in North America. In addition, the event offers educational seminars on the latest technology, business management, sustainability and more.
The show is organized in collaboration with five industry-leading associations: the Coin Laundry Association, the Association for Linen Management, the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute, the Textile Care Allied Trades Association and the Textile Rental Services Association of America.
Apart from The Clean Show, Messe Frankfurt organizes trade shows and conferences for the textile-care sector throughout the world.
CLA Responds to the Rescheduling of The Clean Show
Like most within the textile-care industries, the Coin Laundry Association has received the news of Clean 2021’s postponement with a mix of disappointment, unwavering support for the decision, and true excitement with regard to the future of the laundromat business.
“With news that Clean 2021 has been rescheduled for the summer of 2022, we already miss our favorite opportunity to meet with our peers,” said Coin Laundry Association President and CEO Brian Wallace. “The CLA is solidly behind Messe Frankfurt’s decision to postpone next year’s show. My thanks extend to Messe Frankfurt, my peers on the Clean Advisory Council and our friends in Atlanta who have worked so diligently to guide the decision-making for next year and beyond, while putting the health and safety of our attendees and exhibitors first.
“I appreciate the ongoing support from our exhibitor members during such an uncertain time. It is my hope that this news, while disappointing in the moment, will help all of our member companies to better plan for next year.”
The CLA will continue to serve the market with virtual events each and every month in the interim, Wallace noted, encouraging all laundromat owners to use the association as a resource of information, best practices and the professional services needed to thrive in the industry.
“I believe Clean 2022 will be a force for the further re-ignition of our industry post-COVID,” Wallace continued. “I’m floored by how our stakeholders have risen to the challenge – continuing to grow and innovate as the pandemic lingers. The flow of new product from our manufacturer members continues to impress, while I see a tremendous interest from first-time laundromat owners looking to invest in essential businesses. Our current laundry professionals continue to retool and add locations with the support of their trusted distributor partners – all raising the level of service to the millions of families who rely on us for clean clothes every week.”
“Obviously, we’re all disappointed by the news,” added CLA Chairman Brian Grell. “However, at the CLA, we certainly understand Messe Frankfurt’s decision to postpone the show, and we fully support it.
“With that said, anyone who knows me knows that there is no one who wants in-person, face-to-face meetings more than me. I can’t wait to get back to see everyone again – and the moment registration opens for Clean 2022, I’ll be the first person in line.”
