Cleaning Excellence Conference to bring industry leaders together

The full-day conference will bring together cleaning professionals, suppliers, industry leaders and other stakeholders for a programme focused on the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the sector.

Delegates will have access to a series of CPD seminars, networking opportunities and a table-top exhibition showcasing the latest products and services from across the cleaning industry.

The event is supported by several leading industry organisations, including the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc), British Pest Control Association (BPCA), Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners (WCEC) and Cleaning & Support Services Association (CSSA). It will also be co-located with the BICSc conference.

The conference programme will open with networking at 8.30am, before a series of sessions examining everything from industry representation and data to training, technology, sustainability and recruitment.

Making the case for membership and data

At 9.15am, Nick Thompson, Chair of the Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA), will open the seminar programme with ‘Active Membership Matters’.

Thompson will explore the role of trade associations at a time when businesses are facing rising operational costs and pressure on margins. His presentation will examine how collective industry action can help shape standards, tackle rogue trading, support members and encourage the next generation of talent.

Paul Ashton, Chairman of the Cleaning & Support Services Association (CSSA), will then examine the growing importance of data in ‘From Gut Feel to Growth Engine – Why Data Matters to the Future of Cleaning’.

The session will consider how better use of data can help businesses demonstrate value to clients, protect margins, improve workforce performance, meet ESG and compliance requirements and strengthen procurement decisions.

Training and technology take centre stage

Training will be another major theme, with Neil Spencer-Cook, Group Managing Director of BICSc, asking why professional development could become the industry's greatest competitive advantage.

His presentation, ‘The Future of Cleaning: Why Training Will Be the Industry’s Greatest Competitive Advantage’, will explore the impact of robotics, artificial intelligence, smart technologies, sustainability requirements and changing workforce expectations.

Drawing on BICSc’s Future of Cleaning Initiative, Spencer-Cook will argue that technology alone will not determine the success of the sector’s transformation, with engagement, leadership, change management and workforce training all playing a crucial role.

Technology will return to the agenda at 11.20am, when Lorraine Larman, Managing Director at Safety Solutions, presents ‘The Face of the Industry to Come: Robotics, Automation Software and AI’.

Larman will examine how emerging technologies could change the way cleaning services are delivered, while emphasising the continuing importance of people and the skills and professionalism of cleaning operatives.

The morning programme will also address the changing pest management landscape. John Horsley, Training and Professional Development Officer at BPCA, will discuss the impact of climate change, global trade, urbanisation, new pest species, technology and regulation on the sector.

Raising the profile of cleaning as a career

The conference will also tackle the long-standing issue of perceptions around cleaning as a profession.

At 12.20pm, Kevin Meighan, Master of the Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners, will present ‘Cleaning Up Perceptions: The Case for a Career in the Industry’.

Meighan will outline potential career pathways within the sector, from entry-level roles through to leadership and professional recognition. He will also discuss collaboration between WCEC, BICSc and other industry bodies, the route to Chartership and the WCEC’s Breaking Barriers Bursary, which supports young people from cleaning families into higher education.

Sustainability, automation and the future workplace

Following lunch, the afternoon programme will turn to cleaning products, sustainability and automation.

James Law, Director of 2Pure Products, will ask ‘Why Does It Take 15 Products to Clean One Building?’, challenging conventional approaches to product procurement, odour masking and sustainability.

His session will explore whether businesses should move away from product proliferation and instead focus on measurable hygiene, safer chemistry, total cost-in-use and genuine environmental performance.

Daniel Cross, European Marketing Manager for Robotics at Tennant Company, will then look at the relationship between technology and the cleaning workforce in ‘The Workplace We Haven’t Built Yet’.

Cross will argue that cleaning robots should not simply be viewed as a threat to employment. Instead, he will highlight the need for knowledge transfer and workforce development to ensure that the experience of established professionals is not lost as the industry changes.

Sustainability and cost efficiency will also feature in a presentation from Chris Warren, Managing Partner for Marketing & Product Management at Fenton Packaging Solutions.

His session, ‘Bag-in-Box: The Smart Choice for Sustainability, Savings and Performance’, will examine how alternative packaging formats could help cleaning businesses respond to rising disposal costs and changing environmental requirements, including Extended Producer Responsibility and Plastic Packaging Tax.

Panel to examine how cleaning can future-proof itself

The conference will conclude with a panel discussion on ‘Future-Proof Cleaning’, chaired by Neil Spencer-Cook.

Joining him will be Lorraine Larman, Paul Ashton and Daniel Cross, with the panel examining how the sector can respond proactively to rapid technological, regulatory and environmental change.

Topics will include robotics, AI, digital technologies, evolving client expectations and the development of the next generation of cleaning professionals.

The discussion will also consider how businesses can move from a reactive approach to one that anticipates change, combining investment in technology with investment in people to create a more resilient and adaptable industry.

The conference is scheduled to close at 4pm.

With CPD opportunities, industry networking, access to new products and services and a programme addressing some of the biggest issues facing cleaning today, organisers are encouraging professionals across the sector to attend.

Registration is free and is now open.

To register for this must-attend event visit https://coventry.cleaningconference.com/register

For more information, visit https://cleaningconference.com/