As 2013 draws to a close, the IICRC is celebrating several milestones achieved throughout the year. With a goal of continually enhancing the resources available to registrants, Certified Firms, instructors and schools, the Institute has launched several new initiatives to enhance its value. These include the development of The Journal, a peer-reviewed technical magazine, new e-newsletters and the establishment of a new Global Resource Center in Las Vegas.
“This has been a banner year for the Institute,” said Tony Wheelwright, Chairman of the IICRC. “Our leadership is filled with numerous individuals who have worked tirelessly on behalf of our registrants and stakeholders to enhance the value of the Institute and make it an even better resource for them. Many of these individuals donate their time, and we couldn’t be more appreciative of their efforts.”
Advancements in the first half of the year included the appointment of a new global marketing and communications firm to oversee the IICRC’s public relations programs. In addition to promoting the IICRC in the press, the firm has also developed the IICRC’s new e-newsletter and an e-newsletter written specifically for Certified Firms.
The IICRC’s search engine optimization firm has substantially enhanced the visibility of the IICRC website, leading to an increase in 52,000 unique page views a month. The IICRC will soon host a webinar series for Certified Firms so they can learn best practices for enhancing the SEO of their website.
In addition, a new social media agency has substantially grown the IICRC’s followers on Facebook and Twitter. It held its first live “Twitter Chat” this summer where people could “tweet” questions related to spot removal.
In July, the Institute announced the purchase of a property in Las Vegas that will serve as its Global Resource Center, a decision that has been included in the Institute’s long range plan for the last 10 years. Conveniently located between the Las Vegas strip and McCarran International Airport, the facility is outfitted for a number of potential uses, including meetings, conferences, video production, laboratory space, storage and documenting the history of the industry with a library or museum. The IICRC is planning for its official opening this January in conjunction with the Surfaces show and invites the industry to join us in this celebration.
This fall, the Institute finalized plans for its new technical magazine, The Journal of Cleaning, Restoration & Inspection (The Journal). The publication will provide in-depth technical articles focusing on the four disciplines represented by the IICRC: hard-surface cleaning, textile cleaning, disaster restoration and inspection. It will be available to registrants, Certified Firms, schools and instructors in print and online versions in early 2014.
In addition, the IICRC is working closely with the IICRCA to enhance the benefits available to Certified Firms. It has developed a program for 2014 that would save an average participating business with approximately $1.5 million in sales and 10 employees an estimated $12,450 per year in discounts. The organizations now affiliated with IICRCA total 29,000 firms from its industry partners across many disciplines.
For more information about the IICRC, visit www.iicrc.org.
