It was great to catch up with many of you in Las Vegas this past April for The Car Wash Show™. I’ll confess to not having yet experienced any lackluster shows, but this past edition really was outstanding. We set another record in educational session attendance, and the keynote speech from Magic Johnson was a highlight that we’ll not soon forget. But, perhaps the best thing about the show was the sense of optimism and excitement. The aisles and hallways were packed, and the conversations amongst and between operators and suppliers were powerful. I hope this energy will set the tone for another year of growth for the car wash industry.

If you missed the show this year, visit www.TheCarWashShow.com to watch video highlights and exclusive interviews. You’ll also want to mark your calendar for March 31, when we open The Car Wash Show 2014 in Chicago!

Speaking of planning, I hope you’ll also consider joining us for some of our special member events coming up this fall. I mentioned that interest in our educational sessions has never been greater, and these events will bring you the same invaluable perspectives, information and networking opportunities that you’ve enjoyed at The Car Wash Show. See the flier that came with this mailing for details, dates and registration information or visit www.carwash.org.

Inside this edition of CAR WASH Magazine, you’ll find several articles that should inform and provoke thinking. For example, the U.K. car wash market has been besieged by unregistered hand car washes, a phenomenon not totally foreign to other markets — but one that has been particularly devastating for British car wash professionals. What prevents this from occurring elsewhere and what can you do? We’re also taking a look at the accelerating trend of consolidation, amongst suppliers as well as operators. What does this mean for your business, and what has it meant for other industries when it has occurred? You’ll also find our usual array of industry information, professional profiles and another marketing missive from our friend Champ Savage.

As always, if there is something you’d like to see covered that we haven’t already or if you have a suggestion for how we can make this publication more valuable, please don’t hesitate to contact me or any member of our staff. Until next time, I wish you blue skies, dirty cars and long lines!