Educational Programs and Events

Led by America's #1 Oriental Rug Expert, Ellen Amirkhan, CRS, you can't afford to miss the industry's premier instructional/hands-on seminar.

Stop leaving money on the floor! The Oriental & Specialty Rug Seminar teaches your team to recognize rugs AND opportunity! Sign up now for your last chance in 2006 to take this exclusive seminar designed to give you the background needed to safely, confidently and profitably clean fine rugs. Industry experts take and re-take this course to keep their teams sharp and learn invaluable skills needed to operate a successful rug cleaning plant. The course features "hands-on" training for the most commonly found rugs with special emphasis given to commonly encountered soils and damage, as well as "problem" rugs, with real solutions for cleaning. On Day 3, you'll tour Rug Renovating Co.'s plant where you'll learn how they've successfully cleaned Oriental/Specialty rugs for 100 years.

At the OSR seminar participants will learn the essential, basic product skills:

• How to identify rugs by country of origin
• Essential knowledge for handling different types of rugs and dyes
• Repair assessment and potential
• Special needs rugs, antiques and rarities
• Rug valuation and risk assessment
• Business tactics for OSR cleaning operations.

• What to look for during an inspection
• How to answer customer's questions confidently
• Appropriate terminology and real solutions for cleaning commonly encountered and problem rugs.
• About fringe cleaning and rug blocking
• Rug cleaning with a variety of techniques
• How to remove fugitive dyes
• Cleaning chemistry
• Cleaning considerations
• All about Oriental, specialty and problem rugs!

"I sent my driver to the OSR seminar and the results have been amazing. Thanks to the course, he has generated additional sales just by understanding what he sees when he enters a customer's home."

"I have attended [three] times, and always came back with something new!"

"The OSR Seminar is an essential step in helping you sell your services to your customers and to keep them coming back! Don't leave sales "lying on your customers' floors"!

• Estimators
• Delivery Drivers
• Counter Attendants
• Customer Service & Sales Reps
• Rug Room Personnel
• Business Owners!
• Carpet Cleaners considering going into the high margin OSR cleaning business!
• Restoration contractors and contents restorers!
• Everyone with customer contact responsibilities

Thursday, Oct. 12 (8:00 am - 5:00 pm) *

• Fibers, yarns, dyes
• Cleaning chemistry
• Machine-made rugs
• Cleaning methods/processes
• Drying/grooming
• Special treatments
• Wrapping/storage
• Plant layout/workflow

Friday, Oct. 13 (8:00 am - 5:00 pm)

• Plant operations/procedures
• Oriental rugs "101"
• Specialty and Problem rugs
• Cleaning considerations
• Pre-inspection
• Cleaning process/methods

Saturday, Oct. 14 (9:00 am - 5:00 pm)

• Plant Tour - Rug Renovating Company
• Demonstrations/Hands-On
• Pre-inspection
• Rug identification
• Fringe correction
• Blocking
• Fugitive dye removal
• Written/Identification Test

* Aaron Groseclose, CRS, will offer an optional Wool Care Specialist certification course at the end of Day 1 for only $95. Successful completion of this course will put the student's and company's name on the Wools of New Zealand website as a qualified wool care specialist.

INSTRUCTORS

Ellen Amirkhan, CRS, is a 3rd generation specialist in the art of Oriental/Specialty rug cleaning, restoration and appraisal. She is a certified member of the International Society of Appraisers and recognized authority on Oriental rugs.

Aaron Groseclose, CRS, is the president of MasterBlend. He has over 30 years experience in the cleaning industry, is a frequent speaker in the United States and Europe, and has authored numerous articles and manuals.

$ 950 per person/RIA members
$1,150 per person/non-members

Seminar is a prerequisite for the Certified Rug Specialist School (CRS), Jan 22-27, 2007

Wool Care Specialist Course $95 (first person) / $45 each additional from the same company (Optional)

Holiday Inn Harmon Meadow
300 Plaza Drive, Secaucus, NJ 07094
Phone: 201-348-2000

Room rate: $109 single/double
Rate guarantee cut-off: Sept. 22, 2006
Mention RIA Rug School for this rate.

Written cancellation received 30 days or more before the class date will be granted a full refund; those received with less than 30 days notice will be subject to a $100 per attendee processing fee. Substitutions are accepted at no additional charge. No shows are not refundable.

In accordance with the ADA, if you need special assistance, please list your needs on the registration form.

RIA International
9810 Patuxent Woods Dr. Suite K,
Columbia MD 21046-1595
Phone 443-878-1000
Fax 443-878-1010

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ON-LINE

Or contact RIA at: (800) 272-7012 or cmullaly@restorationindustry.org