Education, engagement & innovation

ISSA is to stage its most comprehensive, wide-ranging, and topical educational programme to date at the 26th edition of the ISSA/INTERCLEAN exhibition being held in Amsterdam from 10-13 May 2016.  

The programme is described as an engaging combination of in-depth seminars and discussions held in the RAI Amsterdam’s Elicium building and quick-fire, lunch and learn sessions in the InnovationLab area which can be found on the show floor in Hall 9. 

The Elicium seminars

In the Elicium, sessions that are likely to be of particular interest to readers of Cleaning Matters visiting the show include: 

Tuesday 10 May (9:00)
The Supply Chain Shake-Up: How will you survive and thrive?
Room D 407 Elicium building

This panel discussion with industry leaders such as Luc Bresseleers, CEO, Boma N.V.; Paul Kelly, commercial director, Rubbermaid Commercial Products; Andrew Dunning, UK distribution manager, Numatic; and Alan Tomblin, sales manager North America P&G Professional will cover the topic of manufacturer and distributor relationships in a time of rapid shifts within the supply chain. What challenges do online ordering, big-box retail and vertical-market competition present, and how are companies addressing these challenges? Plus, what partnerships and divisions of responsibility are leading to success?

Wednesday 11 May (09:00)
Lease vs. Buy: Harnessing Untapped Potential
Room D 201-202, Elicium building

When cash flow is unpredictable, customers constantly want the newest technology and you need to keep up with the competition. Could leasing cleaning equipment provide a solution? This panel of industry experts will address that question, as well as provide the business case for leasing versus buying equipment for cleaning companies and in-house organisations. Distributors looking for new ways to capture market share also will find this session interesting as they discuss what it takes to offer both services to customers.

Wednesday 11 May (14:00)
Does Drying Hands Risk Spreading Infection?
Speaker: Professor Mark Wilcox, University of Leeds and Leeds Teaching Hospitals. Sponsored by the European Tissue Symposium

Hear about the latest scientific studies conducted in health care environments regarding hand drying and the potential spread of infection. Find out what methods had the most impact and what you can do to reduce spread of infection in your washrooms.

Thursday 12 May (14:00)
Redefining Innovation – Opportunities of the EU Circular Economy package for the professional cleaning industry 

Sponsored by Werner & Mertz Professional

Here attendees can learn from a top Brussels insider – Dr. Hugo-Maria Schally, head of unit eco-innovation and circular economy, directorate general for the environment, directorate green economy of the European Commission – regarding the opportunities that await cleaning industry organisations within the EU-Circular Economy package. This will be followed by a panel discussion between a circular economy pioneer and four leaders representing the professional cleaning chemical, equipment, machine and facility service sectors. 

Thursday 12 May (15:00)
ISSA Hygieia Network Leadership Roundtable

At this inspiring roundtable session absorb what it takes for women to succeed as leaders in a male dominated environment, as well as acquire tips for success that anyone can apply to their own careers.  

Lunch and Learn In the InnovationLab

Wednesday, 11 May (12:00)
Changing the Conversation from Cost to Profit
Speaker: Brant Insero, operations manager, Cleaning Management Institute 

Increased price pressure, ever higher demands to "do more with less," and the continued commoditisation of commercial cleaning places commercial cleaning providers, distributors and suppliers in a difficult dilemma. How do you convince the end customer that cleaning is worth paying for? Learn how to change this conversation from cost to how your organisation can contribute to customers' own profits and discover where you can go to find additional resources to educate your sales people to conduct a more profitable value conversation.

Wednesday, 11 May (12:30)
Update: Cleaning Opportunities in the Circular Economy
Speaker: Laura Portugal, technical and regulatory affairs manager, International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products

The recently released EU action plan for migrating to a more circular economy looks to impact a variety of areas intersecting with the commercial cleaning sector. From reducing waste to changes in recyclability, biodegradability and content in plastics and packaging, to water reuse, to reuse of electrical and electronic equipment. Attend this update to learn how this emerging field of sustainability and its resulting initiatives will impact your organisation.

Wednesday, 11 May (13:00)
The Internet of Things: How do we leverage so much data?
Speaker: Ian Campbell, technology services director, Grosvenor Services

Increased buzz around the "Internet of Things" and "Big Data" has cleaning managers excited about the information they can capture and deliver. The potential productivity revolution that could result from these technological advances will only happen by honing in on the high-value, target-rich data with the largest footprint to impact your organisation. Learn more about how to harness available information for maximum impact in the commercial cleaning and facility services industries. Due to anticipated high levels of interest, this session will also be repeated on Thursday, 12 May at 13:30. 

Wednesday, 11 May (13:30)
Washroom Hygiene: The dispersal of viruses by different hand-drying methods
Speaker: Keith Redway, microbiologist, University of Westminster

Keith Redway will present the results of his most recent study into optimal hand drying, including key facts and figures for preventing the spread of viruses. 

Thursday, 12 May (12:00)
Selling Clean: Connecting safety and risk management
Speaker: Dianna Steinbach, EMEA director of member services, ISSA

European Union studies estimate that for every euro businesses invest in occupational safety and health, there is a return of 2.2 euros. Learn how you can leverage the fact that quality cleaning improves safety, and lowers risk and cost for any facility type. Find out where you can access data for slips, trips and falls, musculoskeletal disorders and safety incidents. Then learn how to position it in connection with your services or solutions, as well as which decision makers you can target who are most interested in the safety connection…and who are willing to pay more for results.

Thursday, 12 May (13:00)
Robotic Developments to Meet Facility Needs
Speakers: Gabriele Cesari, innovation manager, Manutencoop Facility Management SpA; Nicola Flores, marketing specialist, FIMAP SpA

Learn from the current, EU-funded consortium that is seeking to develop the next generation of robotic cleaning innovation through a collaborative effort of facility decision makers, cleaning organisations, and manufacturers. 

Further details of the ISSA Seminar programme can be found at http://www.issainterclean.com/en/amsterdam/programme/ .

Registration to visit the show is open at http://www.issainterclean.com/en/amsterdam/exhibition-info/registration/ and is free up until 2 May 2016.