CETA Edge: PowerClean 2026

by Diane M. Calabrese | Published May 2026

 

 

Learn, collaborate, and socialize. PowerClean^® 2026 will be held in Orlando, FL, October 8–11 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort—the annual meeting and tradeshow of CETA, the Cleaning Equipment Trade Association—and will leave attendees wanting for only one thing: more time.

“There’s no better opportunity to see what’s new from everyone in the industry,” says Delany Johnson, senior sales engineer at Wayne Combustion Systems in Fort Wayne, IN. “Come and see for yourself the best show for the pressure washer industry.”

Michayla Thomas, the sales supervisor at Pacific Bay Equipment in Modesto, CA, amplifies the attribute of being the best. “There’s just nothing better than seeing the latest equipment from top manufacturers when the equipment is running and performing in real time.”

With manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and contractors interacting for three days of focused attention on the industry, the energy is kinetic. “The meeting gives dealers an early look at where the industry is headed and a great opportunity to build connections so they can bring the best solutions back to their customers,” says Thomas.

As for what she most looks forward to this year, Thomas cites the outdoor training, which she expects to be a “standout” highlight in 2026. Still, she anticipates that ranking highlights will not be easy.

“The benchmarking session is one of our more valuable sessions,” says Thomas. “It gives companies a clear picture of how they stack up using real industry data—not guesswork—so they can see what top performers are doing and where they can improve.”

Thomas says that attending the benchmarking seminar provides an immediate boost to thinking and planning. “You walk away with practical tools and reports you can actually use to make smarter financial decisions, which is huge in today’s fast-moving environment.

“There’s something for everyone,” says Thomas, “You’ve got a full lineup of exhibits, training seminars, Women of CETA, and awards and giveaways.”

Then there’s the city of Orlando itself—a “relaxed setting where you can really take advantage of the networking and conversations,” says Thomas. Competitors talk and learn from one another.

In fact, with all there is to explore in and around Orlando, tacking a few extra days onto the trip and taking the family or traveling with a friend is a good option. So well-known is the Orange County, Orlando, FL, area that most people already have a list of places in the area they’d like to visit or revisit.

Yet how many ever took the time to play detective? To start, how did Orlando get its name?

There are at least four different viable theories from historians, and one of them brings William Shakespeare’s As You Like It (and the character Orlando) into the mix. Given the happy-all-around resolution of that play, a happy ending that hinges on the fortitude and creativeness of Orlando, we like that theory.

Fortitude and creativity are much needed now as they always have been. And they will be nourished in Orlando.

Whichever seminars, hands-on training, meetings, social events, and extras an attendee chooses across the days of PowerClean 2026, one thing is certain. “It’s a great mix of learning, relationship-building, and getting re-energized about where the industry is going,” says Thomas.

Make that where the industry is both going and innovating. “Last year introduced the new innovation award, and that’s going to be expanded this year to include multiple categories,” says Greg Sprunk, president of Superior Cleaning Equipment Inc. in Phoenix, AZ.

The innovation award competition encourages members of CETA to step forward and introduce the results of the continuous improvement to which they are all committed. The friendly competition among competitors is one of the many ways in which manufacturer and supplier members demonstrate that they collaborate even as they compete, all with the aim of making the industry stronger.

Seminars will cover a range of topics—all geared toward strengthening individual businesses. In 2025 Sprunk taught a class on CRM [customer relationship management] and marketing with AI.

The response to Sprunk’s session was excellent. Are you interested in a video of it? Sprunk explains a video of the session is available at the CETA website under CETA University: “I think that’s one of the many benefits of CETA, being able to see these panel seminars and share them with your staff.”

The repository of information from technical updates and the ties to fellow members available to CETA members is vitally important. Of course, a professional association keeps changing as it responds to members, and the easy give-and-take and brainstorming during PowerClean 2026 will be a great opportunity for members to share their ideas, not only with each other but also with current board members.

When Debbie Murray, managing director of CETA, anticipates PowerClean 2026, she is moved to superlatives. She says that it promises to be the most robust tradeshow and meeting yet.

How is that? It will be “bigger, bolder, and packed with opportunities to grow your business network, snag innovations, and level up like never before,” says Murray. The event should be a priority for anyone who wants to identify ways to realize the full promise of their company.

CETA is the only association dedicated to our industry. With the separation from PWNA in 2025, CETA is better positioned to focus on manufacturers, suppliers, dealers/distributors, and associate member relationships, reducing conflicts and allowing us to move forward more effectively.

Deeply involved in planning alongside fellow board members, Murray reminds us of the dedication each planner gives to CETA and to the industry. For starters, the planners evaluate past events to identify, retain, and amplify the best among them.

“The education lineup is always a highlight,” says Murray. “Think powerhouse seminars, hands-on equipment training, expert panels on cutting-edge techniques, business growth strategies, safety innovations, emerging tech, and real-world tactics that deliver immediate return on investment.”

The team of planners wants each attendee to leave the meeting and tradeshow with the confidence that he or she takes away some experience or knowledge that is new, useful, and inspiring–experience and/or knowledge that can be tapped to elevate operations or production or any facet of a business.

Being immersed in the wonder of spring, as we are in this month of May, it may be a little hard to recall that sometimes the advent of autumn is a different, slower time. But it need not be, not at all.

By partaking in the events of PowerClean 2026, an attendee recaptures the promise of spring, which is laden with fresh ideas for changes and new ventures. If the end of summer has caused any slowing of momentum, it will be quickly restored.

Murray explains that both the formal and informal sessions have a way of fueling each other and the attendees. Being able to connect with top manufacturers in the industry, watch demonstrations, and even test gear is a great opportunity.

Moreover, the opportunity is compounded by the diversity of sessions. There will be “epic giveaways—from tools to gamechangers—non-stop networking with passionate pros, golf outings, receptions, Women of CETA, and benchmarking sessions,” says Murray.

And Murray adds there will also be “that electric Orlando vibe in October”—an indefinable but recognizable phenomenon. Think of Shakespeare’s Orlando writing poems and slaying a lion. It will be nothing like that (save for poets quietly among us), but it will actually be a lot like that in recapturing the potent energy of spring.

Take time today to register for PowerClean 2026 at the CETA.org website. Not yet a member? Join via the website.