Members Applaud TRSA Healthcare Conference
TRSA operators and suppliers who attended TRSA’s Nov. 17-18 Healthcare Conference in East Brunswick, NJ, offered up rave reviews for the program that drew a record-setting turnout of more than 200 industry executives for two days of education, networking and tours of two cutting-edge plants operated by Unitex Textile Rental Services in nearby New Brunswick, NJ.
“This was a super conference!” said Johanna Ames, president of Ames Linen, Cortland, NY. “Those who missed it lost out on an opportunity for significant take-home value, capped off by the generosity and leadership of the Potack family (Unitex) as they shared their philosophies on plant design, layout and productivity. Every year the Healthcare Conference gets better. This year’s theme of innovation was well supported in each session.”
Other attendees cited the benefits of sharing knowledge of industry challenges as a key benefit of the Healthcare Conference. “There’s immeasurable value when operators from across the country get together to discuss common concerns, goals and ideas,” said Jacob Zahler, Clean Tex Services, Linden, NJ. “The Healthcare Conference provides us with that unique opportunity. Additionally, the various speakers, panelists and break-out sessions provide tremendous insight into where our industry is headed as a whole. As fast-paced of a world that we live in, there are certain things better accomplished the old-fashioned way. The conference is a perfect example of that.”
The benefits of networking – coupled with plant tours – resonated with other members as well. “I know of no other program that brings together such a large majority of the healthcare textile rental industry in one place at one time,” said Doug Waldman, president of Superior Linen Service, Tulsa, OK. “The extensive networking opportunities alone make this a ‘must-attend event.’ The keynote speakers were very informative, and the plant tours were some of the best I have ever been on.”
For some attendees, the vigorous questioning of presenters by members of the audience provided extra value by getting speakers to address issues beyond their PowerPoint summaries. “This year's Healthcare Conference was a well-balanced event with opportunities for both education and networking,” said Ed Kwasnick, director of business development for ARCO/Murray, Downers Grove, IL. “I was impressed not only with the quantity of industry representatives in attendance, but also the level of engagement of those individuals. Whether it was the various speaker Q&A sessions, breakout sessions or plant tours, attendees were asking questions and digging into the finer points of our industry. This conference had a great vibe!”
Next year’s TRSA Healthcare Conference will be held Nov. 30-Dec. 1 at the Omni Nashville Hotel, Nashville, TN. Click here for details.