Interclean Amsterdam 2020 goes virtual

RAI Amsterdam EVP exhibition & sales Bas Dalm said: “This decision is disappointing for all of us, especially as RAI Amsterdam is ready to organise Interclean Amsterdam COVID-secure and fully in line with all health and safety guidelines. RAI Amsterdam has worked tirelessly to adapt all its facilities and protocols to enable events to be held in a safe, responsible and hospitable manner.

“But as the situation COVID-19 continues to evolve, and many of our international exhibitors and visitors have been forced to cancel their plans to participate at Interclean due to market conditions and continued travel restrictions, we feel that the show can no longer deliver the quality expected of Interclean as the largest global cleaning and hygiene platform and therefore will move forward to a virtual experience for 2020.

“For more than 50 years, Interclean has provided the most complete meeting place for the global cleaning and hygiene industry. By organising the virtual event from 3-6 November, we plan to continue to play a vital role in supporting the industry to get back on track, wherever we are able. Online educational sessions with different themes will complement each other and are available for everybody throughout the day as well as the possibility to visit companies, plan meetings and socialise with peers.

“This year’s Interclean Amsterdam in May would have been the largest ever, postponing the event to 2022 will result again in a strong, value adding event for the industry with high benefits for all parties. Due to the consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak, our mission cannot be accomplished successfully now, thus we believe it is the right decision to hold on and come back even stronger together in 2022. Our confidence in the future is strengthened by the commitment shown from the many stakeholders already reconfirming their participation in the 2022 event.

“In a time when the subject of hygiene is one of the most discussed in the world, we want to bring the expertise of all the major cleaning and (environmental) hygiene suppliers together to connect with those who are searching the best solutions to open up their facilities again. Going completely virtual this year allows us to still provide a place for the industry to gather, share knowledge and connect with other industries who are in need of expertise. It also opens the doors for interaction and collaboration with industry representatives who may have been unable to travel to our event in the past.”

Interclean Amsterdam is the ultimate platform for industry leaders and cleaning professionals to network and discover the latest innovations, services, and technologies. The show is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the market and the latest trends and developments, featuring a wide array of events.

One such event is The Amsterdam Innovation Award, which offers an opportunity to receive attention from international media. All exhibitors can participate in this competition, and the AIA Jury is on the lookout for clever solutions that challenge the status quo to deliver obvious improvements for cleaning.

Elsewhere, The Facility Inspiration Event provides an opportunity for facility and hospitality managers to participate. This event is organised by Interclean and consultancy company Atir. In a bid to explore new ways of more efficient and environmentally-friendly cleaning solutions, the daylong seminar programme will be led by various keynote speakers. In three days, multiple segments will be covered, including: leisure, retail & petrol and real estate & corporate.

Improving sustainability in the cleaning and hygiene industry

With less than 12 years to avert a climate catastrophe, providers in the professional cleaning and hygiene industry have a responsibility to build sustainability into everything they do. Every product, solution and system they develop needs work in a way that minimises the consumption of resources and generates a positive impact on our fragile planet.

Interclean Amsterdam 2020 will bring sustainability to the forefront of this year’s show, demonstrating how the Circular Economy will touch on every area of the professional cleaning and hygiene industry.

The amount of companies that are actively trying to become more eco-friendly is still rising, which is not surprising considering the positive impact it has on the environment and the companies themselves. A good way to recognise a company that is eco-friendly is its eco-label. An eco-label identifies products or services proven to be environmentally preferable overall.

Ecolabelling has emerged as an essential way for companies to differentiate between the products with the backing of industry experts and those that don’t. The show will feature a range of companies and sustainability initiatives that demonstrate how exhibitors and visitors alike can take their place at the forefront of eco-friendly operations in the professional cleaning and hygiene industry. 

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Interclean focuses mainly on the topics where the cleaning and hygiene industry can make a difference.

Good health & wellbeing

Interclean supports Amref and shares news to inform many countries on new sanitation project and tools to improve the health and well-being of humans. The special Healthcare Cleaning Forum contributes to informing different parties about the importance of cleaning and hygiene and how it helps to prevent diseases and infections.

Clean water & sanitation

Interclean has approximately 200 online exhibitors who provide sanitation solutions. Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water and adequate treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage. Preventing human contact with faeces is part of sanitation, as is handwashing with soap.

Innovation & Infrastructure

The Amsterdam Innovation Award highlights the most innovative solutions around. The knowledge program fuels innovation and the presentations give an overview of the industry which supports its professionalism and innovation capabilities.

Boosting digitalisation and attracting new talent 

Interclean will welcome 10 teams of five members from all over the world to come to demonstrate their problem-solving skills during Interclean Amsterdam 2020. The challenge that the teams will take revolves around the development of an application concept for cleaning personnel, based on a real daily issue. The Hackathon will take place on 12 May 2020. 

While digitalisation is set to transform the industry, its rapid growth has highlighted a key issue: the digital skills gap that exists in professional cleaning. It’s a challenge for other industries as well, with the European Commission estimating that more than 750,000 ICT-related jobs will go unfilled by 2020.

If professional cleaning and hygiene companies don’t solve this issue, it’s hard to see where future generations of digital solutions will come from. So, companies need to attract new talent – whether in-house or via digital start-ups that deliver the software and apps that continue to drive improvement.

Hospital environment hygiene 

Effective cleaning practices and proper disinfecting products are directly responsible for reduced rates of healthcare-acquired infections. The Healthcare Cleaning Forum aims to raise the profile of the importance of hygiene in the healthcare sector, for the benefit of both patients and hospitals.

During the Healthcare Cleaning Forum 2020, Didier Pittet, Alexandra Peters and Pierre Parneix will share their views on infection prevention in relation to clean environments. Better consideration for hospital environmental hygiene will lower rates of healthcare-associated infections, reduce antimicrobial resistance, and protect hospital staff.

The programme will address implementation issues and questions such as how to calculate cleaning measure quality.

For more information, visit www.intercleanshow.com