Welllll, since you asked
IMHO, CETA is an organization that is treading on thin ice. I have seen the show drop in both the number of booths and attendees.
Any association should advocate on behalf of it's members, in this case the manufacturers. It is not liable to the ultimate user but their end user, the distributors. When they were a mere carbuncle on the side of the ISSA show there was a wee bit of spill over but never enough to worry about. On their own they have chosen locations NOT based on common sense; by that I mean the convenience of the maximum number of attendees. In our case every flight from here to Reno went via Las Vegas, hmmm.
In a perfect world CETA would be combined with PWNA with both working together. However, what the PWNA and it's members need to understand is that their business is a small percentage of our business. The reasons are many but one is that we are not as widely distributed as I would like. For some manufacturers contract cleaners are a much larger percentage of their overall business and as such they should be more responsive to their needs. We, honestly, are still learning.
I feel that both organizations should join together and have a show. The first day exclusively for the manufacturers and the distributors. They do have legitimate business reasons for a closed show that is NOT to cause you grief but to possibly reduce it.
The remainder (maximum 2 days) for the end users to attend so that all groups can get together and learn from each other. Forums should be put on by either group for the benefit of the whole. Money can be pooled for education, scholarship and mutual benefit. Sites should be chosen for the convenience of the majority. Timing should be for the least upset to the most people (I don't know, like WINTER!).
In our case we are still a small company and the principals of it are not likely to spend the money unless they received a tangible benefit. Our growth in the last several years has been to the point where we are stretched thin and are striving to catch up.
Here in Canada we have mandatory Government mandated safety issues that we have to address when we build a product. CETA or any other Association should NEVER set itself up as an accrediting authority. Their interests must be self-serving by their very nature, this is why around the world third parties are the only accreditation granting agents.
Case in point there is the Pressure Washer Manufacturers Association which has as it's members the suppliers to the mass merchandisers yet strangely not even Landa or Hotsy (long arms and deep pockets); so what can you derive from that?
If in my power I would join the PWNA/CETA as a merged entity. I feel that overall contract cleaners as a group represent a large percentage of all of the pressure washers sold by manufacturers through distributors. Distributors need to learn how to be professional as much as contract cleaners do. There is money to be made in the industry for all parties if the adversarial nature STOPS RIGHT NOW!
As tempting as it may be to comment negatively on a competitors product I never have. I do have opinions about their eqiupment but I try and keep them to myself. I have always attempted to be generic in my response and advice and will continue to do so.
I have started an association in the past because I needed to help the greatest number of people. Any association that does anything other than that needs to be fixed.
At one point Andy Gale was the president of CETA and each month CETA requests our sales numbers. We, of course, would not give those numbers to them because Mr. Gale being the President of Landa (now C-Tech) is our competitor and we felt that the information would not be used in a manner it was intended. Any Association MUST be above reproach and be responsive only to the group. Rules must be universal and plainly understood. There does not need to be a vague statement that can be interpreted but a clear direction to give the memebers confidence that their money is well spent.
You asked and I have answered. No we are not memebers of CETA, PWMA or PWNA. At some point we may be able to assist with a donation/membership but are unable to at this time. This does not mean that I do not support them, as I will continue to do what I have done on these boards for several years now...the best I can.
Hope this helps? Cheers.
