ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

ECJ correspondent in Scandinavia Lotte Printz reports from a new professional cleaning trade fair in Denmark - the first in the country since 2002.

There were no Usain Bolts on the list of contestants for the Danish championships in floor cleaning and window cleaning at the Cleaning Industry Fair held this October in Denmark. For sure, less prominent names would have done it even though they were to compete against time. But no one signed up for the floor cleaning championship whatsoever! While the floor cleaning was cancelled, 10 contestants had the chance to shine in the window cleaning competition. And did – Pudser-Huset (House of Polishers) taking first place.

Despite the poor turnout of contestants, Jørgen Kjeldsen from the company Hygiejnefokus, the fair organiser, is prepared to give the championships another go in future cleaning industry events. And he is confident that the actual fair will be back in two years’ time.

“This year’s fair was a ‘feeler’, but with 30 exhibitors and approximately 700 visitors, we have proven it can be done and I’m close to being proud of it,” Jørgen Kjeldsen said smiling when stalls, scrubbers and cleaning trolleys were being removed from the venue. “I’ve already announced the 2017 fair, which I think will be double the size. With some adjustments here and there, of course.”

This was the first official fair for the professional cleaning sector held in Denmark since 2002 and even though Jørgen Kjeldsen himself was sceptical at first, he thinks there is a need in Denmark for a forum where players can acquire and share knowledge.

“This industry’s main focus has always been on price. We wanted to create a forum where a networking and quality-oriented mindset could thrive.”

The exhibitors ECJ spoke to seemed pleased and networking and knowledge acquisition scored high when visitors were asked about reasons for going.

Robots take over!

Networking facilities were provided at the fair along with seminarss in hygiene consciousness and training in specific software for managing cleaning, for example. And if participants found their way to the conference room, there were various talks about work environment, cleaning quality and innovation.

“What will you do if robots have taken over your jobs in 10 years’ time?” Erik Hallgren of the Danish Technological Institute asked rhetorically in his talk about innovation – to shake up habitual thinking a bit. “Innovation is almost a no-go in the Danish cleaning industry as it takes a great deal of effort and is both money- and time-consuming,” he continued. Erik Hallgren then suggested that the trade takes a closer look not only at innovation budgets, but also at organisational forms, at customers and facility management among other things.

All three conference topics are likely to be on the agenda again for the 2017 fair as they are essential to the business and its future, the organiser believes.