I'll let you decide... TMFest?

[bob vawter]

a cage match would be a great draw......
OR a jello wrestling match

 

[Mikey P]

at the Mc Funhouse?

 

[John Olson]

Yep admission fee. And hell yeah im going to tell you when your fixing' to **** up, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't? And as far as Rob and
tre..I would never hit a little girl.

 

[truckmount girl]

Unless MF is closed to tmf members, they should just attend like normal folks. Let whomever build their own brand with their own efforts. If the Allens come, ask whatshisface to wear that Jay Leno mask.

As to the privilege of a co-promotion, meh, tell him to take a Greyhound.

I'm with Connor.

Take care,
Lisa

 

[Mikey P]

Tre, have you talked to you Dad about this or was in just on impulse that you asked?


Lets here your ideas on how it will financially benefit us both if we dont have a cover charge ?

 

[dgargan]

Mike I can see your need to make some changes. I have no problem with adding Them as co sponsors of a fest. More attendes are needed but good luck getting this group to pay $125 to attend. I think it's fair if it brought in new vendors . The main reason most mikeyboarders don't attend is they can't afford the airfare or the time off the truck. Add a $125 fee and most will not attend. I say work with tre or plan on funding the event yourself.

 

[Jimmy L]

Why not just rename connections in vegas?

That's all it's turning out to be anyway.

Where everybody is trying to make a buck off the broke dick cleaners.

 

[hogjowl]

John:

The above post by mellon is the answer to your question about why he's considering it.

It's another reason to talk about himself.

 

[Brian R]

Considering the amount of time I put into putting on the events, I'd make more profit per hour being a sub for Corky on Groupon week

You got THAT right. 8)

 

[Mikey P]

Why not just rename connections in vegas?

That's all it's turning out to be anyway.

Where everybody is trying to make a buck off the broke dick cleaners.

Unlike you jimmy the cleaners who show up to MF actually have money to spend.

 

[NobleCarpetCleaners]

Don't know the Allens personally, just from their youtube clips and such. They seem (like so many others) to be really ate up with all the nuts and bolts of this craft of carpet cleaning. I don't have an opinion about them attending or in what capacity. Having attended the first MF and the most recent I personally can't justify traveling (plane or train and hotel) to one outside my town.

And so no big deal I'll say why. I've no love for the level of medicrety in the industry. Mike P has managed to keep together a rag tag grass roots gathering in an industry that is factionalized, aging and continues to attract a humorous amount of charactors. Some of em real retards. Keeping it together gotta be a royal PITA.

I've got 17 years left in my cleaning career as a true owner operator. I'm not interested in endless debates about hardware or sytems. I like the discussions but not the obsessive debates. Not interested in marketing "experts" that don't sweat for a living. For instance I don't listen to other master brewers who don't continue to brew. Are you kidding me?

There's two roads in this industry that keep getting squeezed together, true single truck and anything else. I really began to see this when I attended a Polish event over a year ago. I can't be bothered with info that doesn't apply to my situation. In fact I'm offended when the industry is continually cramming non applicable stuff my way.

So never mind the above crap, I won't travel for a fest because they just don't feed me. It would be nice to bond with fellow hard working schmucks like myself but I'm interested in business issues, real world data and trends. If there's spirited debates waiting around the corners it had better be about obtaining higher and more profitable jobs rates. I've no reason to share my successful daily/monthly moves when threads get hijacked by retards obsessed about hardware, trinkets or process.

Spend $1000-$1,500 to travel and hang around a group of carpet cleaners?, including the Allens? Holy sh.. why? To sit in a chilly wharehouse about spot cleaning by a guy who's obviously burt out on his teaching craft? Good thing I lived 30 min away. I would have been livid if I'd traveled.

Soooo much horse hocky and hot air is this nutty industry. Be nice to weed it out here, there and everywhere to so we all benefit in bigger and bigger bank deposits. Invite the Allens and all their friends it wont' matter in my opinion because they'll be to many walls up fueled by all the egos. To much bad ignorant blood and attitudes. Rubber boots should be manditory.

 

[LisaWagnerCRS]

Some numbers to consider.


the last 3 years, 2 in Nashville and this year in Sac have brought in 125 ( 50ish of which are BBr's) cleaners more or less. They pay only for their lunch and raffle tickets. This generates no more than $500. he vendors have paid between $250 to $1000 to be there. This past year I think I cleared about $8500, the year prior, $12,000 and about $9000 the year before that. The first 5 years I think I went into the hole.

Considering the amount of time I put into putting on the events, I'd make more profit per hour being a sub for Corky on Groupon week.

Unless I can figure out a way to bring in Connections level of attendance the vendors just wont pay more than a $1000 for the two days. Garage builders like Brevik and Duane will never pay anything close to that.

In Sac we had lots of folks sign up but then no showed. I believe a registration fee would help with that problem. its real hard to plan on how many chairs, tables and food to buy with out a legit head count. Lost of money was wasted in Sac
$125 and you get fed, drinks and a tshirt and more importantly, I make more money. :!:

It's a ton of work, I dont get to sit in the classes and to be honest, herding you fat cats aint much fun.


If Rob and Tre think there is any profit to share in this, they are dead wrong.

Unless they have an idea they have not yet shared. At best by having them promote MF on TMF I would expect an addition 30 to 40 cleaners to show. That would not justify an increased charge to the vendors IMO



and ACE off Olsen, I dont tell you how to run your business, now do I? All those big claims how you were going to kick Rob's ass @ Vegas and when that 96 year old security guard wagged his finger at you you folded like a house of cards.

The difference between vendors who do well in this industry, and those that flounder, are the ones who want "connections-level" attendance of looky-loo's versus one that would want to be in front of a group of 50 qualified buyers. Connections for most vendors is a huge loss of time and money for a pricey booth, sending a staff for multiple days of hotel and airfare, so have hordes of free attendees who swarm by spending 15 seconds per booth trying to get any free goodies along the way.

It's entertaining for the cleaners - and entirely at the expense of the vendors who most often get no trackable ROI on their expense. Some are there only because not being there might start up rumors that they are having trouble - so it's almost blackmail to be there. And, an excuse for some of the corporate suits to go to Vegas.

If you have a group of quality cleaners together anywhere, you can attract vendor support. But you have to earn it.

I think making MF free is a mistake, because people do not value what they get for free. And as you can see you get lots of 'yes's' but lots of no-shows because they were not invested in the 'yes' to begin with.

When we got together to set up the Cleaning College happening in Reno this June with CCINW and CFI, we had the conversation about this exactly. That you pack a program with quality speakers, not to give the typical Connections infomercials, but to teach tactical, usable content to put into their cleaning business now. You charge a fair price, and you specifically target lists of the more established cleaning company members in those regions to come - and have a curriculum that is designed for the owners so you have the decision makers coming. You pick a cool hotel and region so they can bring their family too.

The Cleaning College is a small regional event (we will only have 100 companies there) - but it will be a high quality audience, so there has been no challenge to sell the vendor tables because of that. We only have 25 tables anyway, but the point is, there is a difference between having lots of "bodies" at Connections versus having a smaller number of much-more-likely-buyers.

If you want to have an attendance that attracts vendor enthusiastic support, I would charge a fee for your event - and make it non-refundable if they do not show.

People will pay for quality whether it's a vendor getting to meet owners of good businesses, or cleaners paying to get some serious education, and have some fun.

I have not paid to attend the Connections educational program for 4 years now because it has sucked. I do what everyone else does, every other year go to the free trade show.

This industry is dying for solid education and training though. Jim Pemberton and I have been selling out every class we've had for a year now. And that is only because people are tired of going to "educational" events that end up being infomercials and they walk away with no notes at all.

I think you should charge. Then you can have some funds to bring in some new speakers and attract some new attendees. I don't think adding a co-sponsor with TMF will do anything at all to your bottom line except add more drama to it. You guys have way too much baggage to look past.

Lisa

 

[Desk Jockey]

This industry is dying for solid education and training though. Jim Pemberton and I have been selling out every class we've had for a year now. And that is only because people are tired of going to "educational" events that end up being infomercials and they walk away with no notes at all

As usual you're right Lisa, people are tired of "pay me for the opportunity to pay men again'. There needs to be some "meat on the bone" or what's the point.

Attendees want value for the time they invest, even a free program costs you if you don't pull anything of value out of it. :x

 

[Mikey P]

Thanks for your opinion Lisa.


I agree 100%

 

[bob vawter]

i dun have no problem filling MY hotel room up wit people.......

 

[Ken Snow]

I agree with Lisa as well. I only go to connections to get an uncle sam subsidized trip to vegas- no chance I would go otherwise and would never pay a nickle for what we get there.

 

[Jim Martin]

I agree with Lisa as well. I only go to connections to get an uncle sam subsidized trip to vegas- no chance I would go otherwise and would never pay a nickle for what we get there.

X2......

 

[Connor]

Well, that settles it, no TMF. Let 'em have their own McFest.


So, is the next MF in ATL? TCS in Norcross? Mill tour? Cleaner's Coach with Bruce D? Spotting contest at Crazy Horse?

Is there a post card campaign for MF?

 

[Loren Egland]

Has there been a TMF Fest? Or several TMF Fests? I may not have noticed.

I have been to a few Mikeyfests over the years. I am sure some who post on TMF were there.

 

[Art Kelley]

Don't know the Allens personally, just from their youtube clips and such. They seem (like so many others) to be really ate up with all the nuts and bolts of this craft of carpet cleaning. I don't have an opinion about them attending or in what capacity. Having attended the first MF and the most recent I personally can't justify traveling (plane or train and hotel) to one outside my town.

And so no big deal I'll say why. I've no love for the level of medicrety in the industry. Mike P has managed to keep together a rag tag grass roots gathering in an industry that is factionalized, aging and continues to attract a humorous amount of charactors. Some of em real retards. Keeping it together gotta be a royal PITA.

I've got 17 years left in my cleaning career as a true owner operator. I'm not interested in endless debates about hardware or sytems. I like the discussions but not the obsessive debates. Not interested in marketing "experts" that don't sweat for a living. For instance I don't listen to other master brewers who don't continue to brew. Are you kidding me?

There's two roads in this industry that keep getting squeezed together, true single truck and anything else. I really began to see this when I attended a Polish event over a year ago. I can't be bothered with info that doesn't apply to my situation. In fact I'm offended when the industry is continually cramming non applicable stuff my way.

So never mind the above crap, I won't travel for a fest because they just don't feed me. It would be nice to bond with fellow hard working schmucks like myself but I'm interested in business issues, real world data and trends. If there's spirited debates waiting around the corners it had better be about obtaining higher and more profitable jobs rates. I've no reason to share my successful daily/monthly moves when threads get hijacked by retards obsessed about hardware, trinkets or process.

Spend $1000-$1,500 to travel and hang around a group of carpet cleaners?, including the Allens? Holy sh.. why? To sit in a chilly wharehouse about spot cleaning by a guy who's obviously burt out on his teaching craft? Good thing I lived 30 min away. I would have been livid if I'd traveled.

Soooo much horse hocky and hot air is this nutty industry. Be nice to weed it out here, there and everywhere to so we all benefit in bigger and bigger bank deposits. Invite the Allens and all their friends it wont' matter in my opinion because they'll be to many walls up fueled by all the egos. To much bad ignorant blood and attitudes. Rubber boots should be manditory.

Good post dude. As O/O there really is no one out there championing our cause. We are told by gurus we are "just over broke" or other insulting nonsense so they can sell us programs that will "improve our companies and our lives". Maybe our's is not the most elegant way to make a living but it sure provides a steady reliable income while we help many people with their real problems. The Mikefest is as close as we get to having contact with others in our field. If Mikey is feeling burned out dealing with all these odd charactors (and who could blame him?) then maybe it would be good if he teamed up with the knuckleheads at TMF to help pick up the slack or "hold the hoses" as it were, to put on another get together.

 

[Shane Deubell]

If I were you mikey, i would say recruit and pay any fees to some speakers first. Someone that would draw well.

That would be a good deal, otherwise tmf is going to add 50 people or whatever and end up who cares event.
Should charge something to qualify people. Even $50

 

[Jimmy L]

OH I GOT MONEY MIKEY!

LAST TIME I LOOKED I HAD TWO DAMN QUARTERS IN MY POCKET!

MIKEY YOU'RE MAD AS HELL AND I FRANKLY AM NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!

:shock:




PS Scott NoBlE, Git off your high horse and just stick to that joe polish BS.

 

[dgargan]

owner operators

Art there is one guy out there for you O/O guys. Steve Marsh has a great program that will make you very profitable. Maybe not so much if you have been around for a few years but just starting out I wish I had his program.

 

[ruff]

Unless the fest brings in some very unique classes, it is more for Mikey's board bonding.

Most of the knowledge (which make this place unique) can be acquired through the board. People here are very generous and helpful with their advise.

The classes that were offered, at least through the last Mikey fest (that I attended) were nice, too short for real knowledge, in other words-nothing special.
No offense meant, but I could have had much better classes through other venues (yes, I would have had to pay for them, and if they were good, I would have happily done so.)

So for me it is was more about meeting some people I know through their posts here. Putting a face to the posts- Nice.

For it to attract me away from CA, it will have to offer something unique that is not readily available through the IICRC or vendor classes. If it is good and unique I'll be happy to pay for it.

And YES what Scott says- For heavens sake, cater to the majority of your board's members: Single truck, truck mount hot water extraction, owner operators.

 

[Mikey P]

No offense meant, but I could have had much better classes through other venues (yes, I would have had to pay for them, and if they were good, I would have happily done so.)

I agree with you and Scott.


Most of the classes sucked.


Look for just a few longer, more in depth presentations from this point on.

 

[Dolly Llama]

maybe it would be good if he teamed up with the knuckleheads at TMF to help pick up the slack or "hold the hoses" as it were

more like "hold your noses".....when you walk by their booth :roll:


..L.T.A.

 

[Mikey P]

Re: owner operators

Art there is one guy out there for you O/O guys. Steve Marsh has a great program that will make you very profitable. Maybe not so much if you have been around for a few years but just starting out I wish I had his program.

are you speaking from proven experience David?

 

[sam miller]

I really wanted to go to Sac just to see Mike! I really dont party, so visiting my uncle and cousin would have been cool, I tried to talk my other cousin into going. Then I thought my chimps cant live with out me yet!

Remember the bag of hammers??? !dork!

What is it they say Location Location Location.

If there's anyone spot where the bulk of Your board members live??? Thats where I would do it.

Kens house!

 

[Luis Gomez]

I attended MF in San Diego (thank you Mytee). I think you charged about $150.00, I bought
the stainless steel repair kit and Ron's vacuum cleaner, spend about $800.00. Also went to Lisa's
rug symposium in Vegas paid $350.00 and did not buy nothing at the show,
but I now own a dryeaz rover and a SS upholstery tool and thinking of buying a SS pto.
After both shows I still have not bought monkey or spinergy pads but maybe one day I will.
Both shows where good, but Lisa's made me think of the future and that it is time to stop being a carpet cleaner and
become a business owner. It cost me more to learn this... not
much more but the attitude of the people in the show was different.
It is not about the freebies, it is about the quality of the show and people.
Luis
P.S. Let them in as a booth, not as a partner.

 

[cucu]

we had this talk already...go to prochem,or butler,or jondon,or interlink Or Go back to Mytee (that one was great)... tell them to host, charge 125 or a buck 50
(that way marty and coco will never show)
have some real classes , not on tile or fooking monkey pads, But on how to grow your biz , get of the truck ..how to invest for the future of your company etc

get one or two on the new iicrc board to come and explain the new vision and how they are working for the cleaner now and not cleaning out the cleaner
get that fitz guy to have his master debate on the iicrc Vs icra (or what ever its name is)

most of the people here know how to clean except (applepie and taco and ken...oh and brian...) what they really want/need is to learn how to put more money in the wifes pocket and get out of the bdcc frame of mind

DONT MIX IT UP WITH TMF it will suck ,

or put another way
WHAT LISA and LISA said