The Southwest Car Wash Association’s Annual Convention and Car Wash Expo for 2023 took place at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, TX Wednesday, February 22 through Friday, February 24. Holding true to its claim to fame as the first big car wash show of the year, the event turned out another record-setting attendance of 2,592. This compares to last year’s number of just north of 2,200.
Jose Costa, CEO of Magnolia Holdings was the featured speaker at the CEO Forum, the opening session on Wednesday. Magnolia Wash Holdings operates 100 Express Wash locations throughout Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Ohio, and Tennessee. In a presentation titled “Finding Your Leadership Skills,” Costa offered attendees insights into critical business operations. Costa has a proven track record of leading large multi-unit retail organizations across multiple end-markets. Among other positions, Costa has held c-suite executive roles at leading brands in the quick-service restaurant (“QSR”) and optical retail markets, managing thousands of locations across the globe for Bojangles, Burger King, and GrandVision.
The highlight of the General Session on Thursday was the inspirational message from renowned sports broadcaster, Dick Vitale, the event’s keynote speaker. Vitale called ESPN’s first-ever major NCAA basketball game — and since then over one thousand games. A wide array of national magazines, ranging from Sports Illustrated, Sport and The Sporting News to People, and Travel & Leisure have highlighted his career and life achievements.
The educational program ran the gamut from fast-track table discussions to idea exchanges to quick talks on the expo floor to more formal presentations during Friday’s SCWA Car Wash Academy.
The SCWA 2024 Convention and Car Wash Expo is scheduled for February 28-March 1 at the Fort Worth Convention Center. For further information, visit www.swcarwash.org or call the Southwest Car Wash Association at (800) 440-0644.
*Photo courtesy of the Southwest Car Wash Association.