Keynote Speakers

Ridiculously Easy to Do Business With™ - Better serving a new generation of customer wants, needs and expectations.

David Avrin

How, when and where we buy has changed dramatically in recent years. Winning today is often determined by those who can respond faster, simplify their process and are more convenient for their customers and clients. In this revealing, thought-provoking and very entertaining presentation, popular Customer Experience expert David Avrin, CSP, GSF shines a bright light on the profound shift in customer expectations, while showing your team everyone’s role in eliminating friction in the buying process, responding to prospects and customers, and creating Customer Experiences worth sharing.

About David:

One of the most in-demand and charismatic Customer Experience speakers and consultants in the world today, David Avrin, CSP, GSF has shared his content-rich, very entertaining and actionable presentations with enthusiastic audiences and organizations across North America and in over countries around the world. Recent presentations include Singapore, Bangkok, Melbourne, Brisbane, Antwerp, Buenos Aires, Bogota, Mumbai, Sri Lanka, Abu Dhabi, Manila, Rotterdam, Barcelona, Monte Carlo, London, New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, Johannesburg, and Dubai. David helps organizations better understand and serve their changing customers and clients to help future-proof their businesses by becoming ridiculously easy to do business with.

David's business insights have been featured on thousands of media outlets around the world. He is also the author of five books published in multiple languages including the acclaimed: It's Not Who You Know, It's Who Knows You!, Why Customers Leave (and How to Win Them Back) and his newest book: Ridiculously Easy to Do Business With: A practical guide to giving customers what they want—when and how they want it

AI Right NOW: Real-Time Tools You Can Use Today or AI Right NOW: Practical AI Tools to Grow Your Business

Chris Cheetham-West

Artificial intelligence is no longer just for technology companies. Independent businesses across every industry are using AI to improve productivity, strengthen customer relationships, enhance communication, streamline operations, and uncover new growth opportunities. This keynote goes beyond explaining what AI is. Instead, attendees will see practical ways AI can support the work they do every day, regardless of their role. Through real-world examples and live demonstrations, Chris shares tools and workflows that leaders and employees can begin using immediately. Whether you oversee operations, HR, sales, customer service, finance, or marketing, you'll leave with practical ideas to help your business work smarter while maintaining the personal relationships that set independent companies apart.

About Chris: Chris Cheetham-West, MBA, is an international keynote speaker, author, and founder of LR Training Solutions. A former Google team member, Chris helped introduce emerging technologies to large and complex organizations. Throughout his career, he has delivered presentations and training programs across 48 U.S. states and internationally for organizations in Australia, Canada, Germany, and Serbia. Today, Chris helps organizations embrace the future of business by combining practical AI strategies with customer experience, marketing, sales, and operational excellence.

His keynote presentations focus on helping leaders and teams increase productivity, improve communication, strengthen customer relationships, and identify new opportunities for business growth through technology and innovation. Chris has worked with organizations including Microsoft, Mercedes-Benz, Charles Schwab, Tractor Supply Company, and numerous businesses across manufacturing, distribution, professional services, and service industries. His practical approach helps attendees move beyond theory by providing real-world ideas they can implement immediately to improve efficiency, generate revenue, and create memorable customer experiences.

Recognized by Forbes Travel Guide as one of the "thought leaders elevating service, innovation, and human experience," Chris delivers engaging, interactive presentations filled with actionable takeaways. He is the author of two books, Leading in a Virtual World and Digital Marketing for Results, and is known for helping organizations confidently prepare for the future while keeping people and customer relationships at the center of every strategy.

Breakout Sessions

Wednesday

10:00am - 11:00am

The Future of Energy: What Every CSCNetwork Member Should Know About Natural Gas & the Market Ahead

Brandon Fong, Principal, Constellation

Energy costs are one of the most unpredictable line items on any business's budget and the market is changing faster than ever. From surging electricity demand driven by data centers and AI, to shifting natural gas supply dynamics and new policy at the federal and state level, the decisions members make today about how they buy energy will shape their bottom line for years to come. In this session, Brandon Fong of Constellation breaks down the forces reshaping the energy market in plain language. He'll focus on what's happening with natural gas, the fuel that still sets the price for much of the power grid, and what it means for the future of energy pricing, reliability, and procurement. Members will walk away understanding the "why" behind their energy bills and, more importantly, how to make smarter, more confident purchasing decisions through the CSCNetwork Energy program. Whether you're renewing a contract this year or simply want to stop leaving money on the table, this is the market intelligence you need to plan.

The Data You Already Have: Practical AI for Laundry Operations

Daniel Bandy, Senior Account Executive, LinenTech & Leslie Farmer, Senior Product Advisor, LinenTech

Most laundries are sitting on years of operational data they have never looked at. Revenue by customer, invoice aging, route times, pounds processed, labor hours by department; the management system has been recording all of it, and almost none of it reaches the people making decisions.

This session is about closing that gap, whatever platform you run. It starts with what your system is already collecting and why so little of it gets used. It then works through five operational questions that change decisions week to week: which customers are growing and which are quietly shrinking, what is genuinely overdue, which routes are running long and why, which departments are losing productivity, and how this year compares with last.

For each, we look at where the answer already lives, how to get to it today, and where AI shortens the work from a day to a minute. We close on the honest limits: what AI cannot tell you about your laundry, and what still needs a person on the floor.

Attendees leave with a one-page checklist of the questions and where to find each one in a typical system.

11:15am - 12:15pm

Industry Opportunities and Advocacy: Collaborating with Independent Operators

Joe Ricci, President and CEO, TRSA & Kevin Schwab, Vice President of Government Relations, TRSA

This session will explore how advocacy, industry research and greater engagement with independent operators can strengthen the linen, uniform and facility services industry. Speakers will discuss key federal and state government-relations priorities and how operators can help shape policy, amplify the industry’s voice and support a more favorable business environment. The session will also highlight research conducted with Natter, an AI-based intelligence platform, drawing on conversations with industry CEOs and senior executives. The findings identify key challenges and opportunities related to workforce development, technology, market consolidation, data and company culture. Attendees will gain practical insights to help independent operators remain competitive and support the industry’s long-term growth.

From the Boiler Room to the Newsroom: Managing a Crisis Before It Manages You (Because the Court of Public Opinion Is Always in Session)

Bruce Hennes, President, Hennes Crisis Communications

Catastrophic fire or explosion at a laundry facility…employee fatality or serious workplace injury…chemical spill, leak, or toxic release…environmental contamination or wastewater violation…contaminated linens or uniforms reach customers…major delivery-vehicle accident…cyberattack or ransomware shuts down operations…massive service failure affecting major customers…employee allegations of unsafe or abusive working conditions…hidden-camera or social-media crisis It’s a simple fact: controversies today are often tried in the Court of Public Opinion before they are ever addressed in the Court of Law. News frequently breaks first on social media, with traditional media monitoring X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for leads. In that environment, a hot-button issue can spread in moments. Since it takes years to build a reputation and only seconds to damage one, managing the message is an essential skill for executives in our industry – and for the attorneys that we hire. This fast-paced session by veteran crisis management and communications specialist Bruce Hennes focuses on a strategic approach to communicating during a wide range of crises. Participants will learn practical methods for maintaining control of the message during a sudden onslaught from traditional or social media.

Attendee List

Available beginning on February 20, 2027.