On May 9-11, the car care industry came together in Nashville, Tennessee, for The Car Wash Show™ 2016, hosted by the International Carwash Association (ICA) in partnership with the Automotive Oil Change Association (AOCA) and the Western Carwash Association (WCA).

According to ICA’s preliminary, unaudited numbers:

• Total attendance for the first day of the show (May 9) was over 7,600 attendees — ICA’s largest show since 2007
• More than 1,800 attendees signed up for an All Access Pass
• Over 9,500 carwash locations were represented at this year’s event (reported after only the first day of the show).

During the State of the Industry Breakfast/Presentation and Keynote Presentation on Tuesday Morning, Eric Wulf, ICA’s CEO, and Fred O’Neill, ICA’s current president, addressed a full crowd of members and attendees.

During the presentation, ICA discussed its new five strategic goals for the coming year:

• Events: Produce the best events for carwash professionals.
• Association partnerships: Support the work of partner associations.
• Advocacy: Represent the interests of professional carwashing.
• Research: Produce important industry information.
• Resources: Manage ICA’s resources effectively.

Be sure to check out ICA’s website, www.carwash.org, for more information on the association’s strategic goals as well as highlights from this year’s show.

Additionally, two members of the professional carwashing industry were honored during the presentation.

Tom D’Eri, chief operating officer and co-founder of Rising Tide Car Wash, received the Community Service Leadership award, and Bob Hodge was entered into ICA’s Car Wash Hall of Fame.

Stay tuned for the Professional Carwashing & Detailing’s June issue for a more in-depth look into The Car Wash Show 2016.

We hope to see you in Las Vegas for next year’s show, which is scheduled to take place April 4-6 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.