Carwash Con East rebrands as show returns to Atlantic City in October

The long-running East Coast trade event formerly known by another name will return to the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey, from Oct. 5 to 7 under a new identity: Carwash Con East. Organizers Dave DuGoff and Mike Ashley outlined the rebrand and this year's program in a preview interview, according to reporting from Professional Carwashing & Detailing.

DuGoff said the name change was driven by how operators and prospective owners now search for industry information online. The rebrand comes with new signage, a new logo and a rebuilt website at carwashconeast.com, developed with marketing partner OhmCo.

What is new this year

The show is broadening several parts of its program. The Monday virtual tour offering, previously limited to full-package registrants, will now be available to every attendee. Organizers are also running simultaneous education tracks for managers, self-serve operators and tunnel operators, so both owners and their staff can find sessions matched to their business model.

A new welcome reception will move to the show floor on Tuesday evening, giving attendees more time to meet exhibitors over food and drinks. The event is also introducing its first Giving Back Award. Keynote speaker Ken Schmidt, a former Harley-Davidson communications leader, will focus on building consistent brand messaging across a carwash team.

Three decades of growth

DuGoff and Ashley traced the event's history from its early days in a hotel ballroom to a current footprint of 100,000 square feet and 420 exhibitors this year. For first-time attendees, both encouraged a focus on building relationships with fellow operators and vendors. For those still weighing whether to attend, they pointed to the educational sessions, which they said deliver useful takeaways even for experienced operators.

Why it matters for operators

Regional trade shows remain one of the few settings where operators can compare equipment, chemistry and technology from hundreds of vendors in a single visit, then pressure-test ideas with peers who run similar sites. The expanded, role-specific education tracks make it more practical to bring managers and frontline staff, not just ownership, and split them across sessions that address their day-to-day responsibilities. Opening the Monday virtual tours to all attendees lowers the cost of learning from real sites, which is valuable for anyone planning a build or a retrofit.

The move to a show-floor welcome reception is a small scheduling change with real value: more unstructured time with exhibitors often surfaces the vendor conversations that lead to purchasing decisions. Operators deciding whether to make the trip should weigh the education calendar against their current priorities, whether that is membership growth, labor, or equipment replacement, and plan which team members to send accordingly. With the event just weeks away, registration and session details are posted at carwashconeast.com.