Just thought I would add my piece. I attended last year because I wanted to learn. Nothing more nothing less, and to meet some of the faces behind the posts so to speak.
There was a wealth of experienced carpet cleaners all happy to share their tips and tricks. I was one of the few guys there that was using a portable. OK so I got a bit of friendly stick, but it opened my eyes to the fact that despite all the banter the guys attending wanted to help anyone that was there. Prices were freely discussed, tips on how to do this or that. No questions that I posed were off limits. I think the reason was simple...Derek and everyone there were trying to improve standards and the fact that everyone was honest with their advice was the fact that because everyone was from a different area meant that most people did not feel threatened in the fact that in passing on nuggets of information would not lose them their customers.
Its not about not being democratic, it about like minded people getting together and sharing information. A bit like this forum only it's better in the fact that there are not 100 people looking on and not "contributing".
In addition I don't know about you all but sometimes it is lonely out there. How can you clean it better? Can you do it faster without losing the quality? Am I advertising in the right places? How can I get that stain out more productively? How do I get better results. You can go on training courses and call suppliers, or call a friendly carpet cleaner 100 miles away.
It doesn't mean that if you don't go you're no good. It doesn't mean that if you go you're being undemocratic, it just means that you want to go to chat to like-minded people and to come away with one good idea makes it totally worth it.
My one good idea was to make the jump to a Truckmount. So in return for what I learned I would be happy to share my tips and tricks I have had to learn to use a Truckmount and how it makes me more productive.
So come along what have you got to lose..............no one wants to argue, they just want to learn.