CarwashCon East 2026 Recap
We just returned from Atlantic City for this year's CarwashCon East, formally known as NRCC! With just a few days between the end of that show and our next roadtrip out to Minneapolis for the Heartland CarWash Association's Roadshow, we're trying to squeeze in as much as we can with our very limited time.
Speaking of squeezing…
Our First Tandem Talk (Yes, There Were Rubber Chickens)
Mel and I (Mike here) were invited to speak in tandem this year for the first time, which was a blast! We rolled into the show floor with a suitcase full of rubber chickens and fanny-packs (or, as they say in more civilized portions of the world, "Bum Bags") and talked about some of the benefits and losses that we've seen in regards to AI implementation in the carwash world, from operators to vendors to ourselves.
We themed our talk around the life-cycle of a rubber chicken, from hatching to the dinner plate, and replaced raising hands in the audience with rubber chicken honks. Initially, we were a little trepidatious about whether or not this would work, but it was a big success! Kept people engaged and interested throughout the program.
AI in the Carwash: Wins, Losses, and Fixes
As far as the content went, we broke things out into wins, losses, and fixes in regards to implementing AI into operator workflows, from admin to public-facing content. Obviously, it's a hot subject right now. The novelty of this tech has long since worn off and public sentiment is starting to impede its use for customer-facing creative. Ultimately, we're excited about some of the opportunities it's offering small businesses in regards to competing with bigger outfits with more resources at hand. We're always looking to promote ways to level the playing field, and this might be it.
The word that we're using, though, is caution .
Whether you're implementing an interactive manual archive for your employees or are generating social media graphics, understanding how to use this tech in a responsible manner is important now, and will be even more important as things develop and regulations start passing.
A Bold Rebrand for the Show
Beyond our talk, we were also involved with the huge re-branding efforts for the show this year. We give a lot of props to the board for deciding on such a bold direction, and it looks like things paid off! Anecdotally, we saw a massive influx of engagement and excitement this year on socials in the lead-up to the show launch, and heard a lot of good feedback about foot traffic as well.
Meeting the Next Wave of the Industry
We had a busy booth and met a lot of great new operators and vendors who are just starting in the industry. There's a lot of young talent that's passionate about the industry and its history, and it's exciting to see!
Thank you to the show organizers and sponsors for putting on another great show in AC!
We love being able to support and attend these regional shows!
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