The International Sweeper Summit and Equipment Expo was held at the JW Marriott Resort & Spa, October 24th– 26th in Las Vegas, and was another sweeping success! A big thank you to Schwarze Industries our Title Sponsor for the third consecutive year. Their support of the Sweeper Summit over the years has been greatly appreciated.
The Summit kicked off on Tuesday with the 3rd Annual Golf Outing at Angel Park Golf Course. Attendees and exhibitors enjoyed a beautiful day on the links. A new activity added this year for non-golfers was a trip to Speed Vegas for exotic car racing. Everyone had a great time and made some exciting memories! The day concluded with an Exhibitor Welcome Reception, sponsored by Keystone Plastics. Attendees and vendors socialized with one another while enjoying cocktails and light fare. The event gave them the opportunity to reconnect and share what was new within their companies.
On Wednesday morning, we were back in the Exhibitor Area with breakfast sponsored by TYMCO, and a Bloody Mary & Mimosa Bar sponsored by Kimball-Midwest. Made-to-order omelets and other breakfast fare were available to attendees with an additional opportunity to visit the 26 exhibitors that were on display.
The educational programming this year focused on various aspects of running your business; technology in the workplace, company culture, training, hiring, and how to better manage your business as an owner. Schwarze’s Joe Hendrickson started the day off with a presentation on using AI to become more efficient in our work. He was followed by the keynote speaker, Al Curnow of CultureWise. Curnow spoke about the importance of company culture and how it affects many aspects of a business, such as productivity, efficiency, and improving teamwork within organizations. NAPSA presented two sessions this year; Train the Trainer and a Fleet Basics Certification from Sweeper School. It was the first year the Sweeper Summit and NAPSA have worked together on bringing educational sessions to our attendees. In support of NAPSA and Sweeper School, the Sweeper Summit recognized the importance of a continued partnership between our organizations and presented Sweeper School with a $2,500 donation to help continue the development of educational resources for the power-sweeping industry.
Additional roundtable discussions that were part of the programming included; Hiring Versatile Leadership, Working ON Your Business Not IN It, and a Manufacturers Panel. New this year were two outdoor Lunch & Learn sessions in the equipment expo area during an extended 2-hour lunch. Nick Bruhn of Schwarze Industries presented Hydraulic Troubleshooting & Preventative Maintenance, while Suburban Propane presented the cost benefits and ease of converting gas-powered vehicles to propane. Both were well-received and informative.
The International Sweeper Summit & Equipment Expo continues to attract attendees not only from across the US, but other countries as well. Participants from Qatar, Canada, and Germany were also in attendance!
The Summit will be back at the JW Marriott Resort & Spa in Las Vegas, October 22-24, 2024. Mark your calendars and look for updates on registration and programming coming soon at sweepersummit.com.