TRSA’s 110th Annual Conference was held this Oct. 10-12 at The Ritz-Carlton Tiburon Golf Resort Hotel in Naples, FL. The conference connected key linen, uniform and facility services industry leaders, allowing an opportunity to mix professional development and
industry updates with several networking opportunities.
The conference’s agenda offered a wide range of general and breakout sessions, including a pair of keynote speakers. Walter Bond, a former NBA player who is now a motivational speaker, who talked about using motivation to overcome obstacles that stand in your way, allowing your business to generate momentum toward winning. The second keynoter, Andrew Davis, CEO, Monumental, a mainstay on global marketing influencer lists, discussed how some threats help spark creativity and innovation.
In addition to a global panel focusing on industry growth from a global and local perspective and general sessions including Artificial Intellegence, four breakout sessions at the conference included the following topics: • Hiring and retention |• A panel of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) experts | • Economic and Industry Update from the Robert W. Baird Facility & Industrial Services Research Team and Andrew Wittmann CFA, director, senior research analyst |• Intelligent business growth
Attendees saw the re-election of three board members – Brian Herington, PureStar Group, Las Vegas; Liz Remillong, Crothall Laundry Services, Huntersville, NC; and Steve Sintros, UniFirst Corp., Wilmington, MA – as well as the election of new board members Theresa Garcia, Division Laundry and Cleaners, San Antonio; and Josh Wildman, Wildman Uniform and Linen, Warsaw, IN.
During the meeting, attendees also gained insight into the development of TRSA certification programs, in-person and virtual events, information-sharing opportunities and industry-specific training.
The Conference also offered Industry Awards recognition, including the Operator and Supplier Partner Lifetime Achievement Awards. Jim Vaudreuil, president, Huebsch Services, Eau Claire, WI, accepted the Operator Award, while Jeff Belcher, the former president and owner of Alliant Systems, Irving, TX, was selected as the MaglinBiggie Lifetime Achievement Award honoree for supplier-partner executives.
Next year, the 111th Annual Conference will take place Sept. 24-26 at the Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, CO.
