Cleaning summit – a polished performance
Industry well equipped to meet the challenges of the coming decade – Digitalisation and sustainability the determining factors in the development of cleaning machines, cleaning products and cleaning processes
CMS Berlin 2019 – Cleaning.Management.Services. has ended on a bright note. The organisers and supporting associations of the International Cleaning Trade Fair were thoroughly positive in their assessment of this event. Some 25,000 industry representatives from 80 countries, who included around 21,000 trade visitors from every branch of the cleaning industry, attended between 24 and 27 September in search of information about the current range of products and services for commercial cleaning. This represented an increase of more than ten per cent compared with CMS 2017. Digitalisation and sustainability were the dominant features among the innovative range of cleaning machines, cleaning products and cleaning processes. And one aspect encapsulated the supporting programme with its papers and discussions: in our globalised, fast-moving world with all its environmental pressures there is a growing public awareness of the importance of cleanliness and hygiene, for maintaining the value of properties and healthcare, as well as for safety purposes and not least of all for promoting a sense of well-being in all areas of life.
Dr. Christian Göke, Chief Executive Officer of Messe Berlin GmbH: “CMS Berlin 2019 met with the high expectations of the global cleaning community. In a most impressive way it showed how the industry is facing the challenges of the future by developing innovative and sustainable products, and the opportunities presented by digitalisation and sustainability. The quality of this year’s CMS Berlin was apparent from the presence of so many leading decision-makers and the in-depth exchange of information among national and international industry representatives, the outstanding exhibits and the comprehensive overview of the market, with over 100 products making their debut either at the fair or internationally.”
Participation in CMS Berlin 2019 set new records, with some 450 exhibitors from 25 countries. They occupied more than 31,000 square metres in the halls and on the outdoor display areas to provide a complete overview of the products and services in all areas of commercial cleaning technology.
CMS Berlin 2017 is organised by Messe Berlin GmbH. The following professional organisations are sponsors of the event: the German Federal Guild Association of the Cleaning Trade (BIV), Bonn, the Cleaning Systems Trade Association in the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA), Frankfurt/Main, and the Hygiene Industry Association (IHO), Frankfurt/Main. At the close of the fair the supporting associations issued the following statements:
Johannes Bungart, General Manager of the National Guild Association of the Building Cleaning Trade (BIV): “CMS 2019 proved to be right up to date. What seemed to be a long way off for the industry when we were discussing the buzzword ‘digitalisation’ two years ago could now be seen and experienced to an impressive degree in the exhibition halls. This was innovation in a very tangible form. The exhibits and the stands on which they were displayed were of outstanding quality. CMS represents a new and optimistic starting point for the companies attending it.”
Dr. Peter Hug, General Manager of the Cleaning Systems Trade Association in the VDMA: “At CMS 2019 the efforts made to attract international participants to the fair were very successful. The exhibitors belonging to the VDMA reported a substantial increase in international visitors throughout. There were innovations especially in the field of interconnected machinery and the use of new digital technologies, resulting in optimised cleaning processes. Under the heading ‘Inject Innovation’, the CMS World Summit provided a strong platform for discussing current and future technological possibilities for improving cleaning efficiency.“
Dr. Thomas Rauch, General Manager of the IHO – Hygiene Industry Association: “From the viewpoint of the IHO this year’s CMS can be considered a great success. Once again, in 2019 the fair underlined the fact that, with its innovations, the cleaning industry is very much in tune with the times. What we particularly admire about CMS is the great diversity of its programme, the networking opportunities available to the representatives of manufacturers, users and distributors, and an exchange of information at a consistently high level. We are particularly pleased to have been able to provide information to so many interested visitors about the challenges that our industry faces as a result of changes in EU legislation. We have gained a fresh impetus and many new contacts, and are eagerly looking forward to CMS 2021.”
Supporting programme of events
One of the highlights of the supporting programme was the CMS World Summit 2019 under the heading ’Inject Innovation’, which featured more than 200 leading industry representatives from Germany and abroad. The summit examined future technologies and business prospects in the cleaning industry. Over the course of the speeches it emerged that the challenge of convincing cleaning industry employees to accept technological change is almost as great as the nature of change itself. It was noted that network and standardisation structures, which were far from perfect, as well as data protection also played an important role.
The second edition of the Mobility Cleaning Circle gathered more than 80 high-ranking representatives of the cleaning and mobility sectors. This exclusive networking event discussed the industries’ requirements, needs and approaches to solving issues. CMS Berlin is Europe's leading trade fair and main procurement platform for companies providing services in the mobility sector. All the important manufacturers of cleaning machines and products for cleaning in the mobility sector area at this trade fair.
The CMS Purus Innovation Award (PIA) 2019 was presented in four categories this year: Large Machines category: KENTER Bodenreinigungsmaschinen Vertriebs- und Service GmbH - Comac C 85 NSC; Small Machines category: Husqvarna Deutschland GmbH - Husqvarna Automower 535 AWD; Equipment category: Hako GmbH - DUST STOP; Digital Tools and Systems category: ADLATUS Robotics GmbH - ADLATUS TEAMS 2020. The PIA is regarded as one of the most prestigious industry awards and this year it attracted 65 entries, more than ever before.
For the first time, and with the support of the Federal Ministry of Economics (BMWi), newly established, innovative companies were featured on the Newcomers’ Stand with a whole range of products and new technical developments. These included cleaning robots for use at height on exterior walls, a hot water/hot steam system as an ecologically safe way of removing weeds, and a WC cleaning stick with an end made of rolled up cellulose, which can also be disposed on in a toilet. For these newcomers CMS Berlin serves as a direct springboard to the cleaning industry as well as providing access to potential business partners.
The CMS Practice Forum provided a programme of lectures and discussions for trade visitors from many different branches. This included the latest building cleaning topics, the new framework wage agreement, lectures and discussions for representatives of the healthcare, hotel and catering industries and municipal institutions, and topics on industrial safety, hygiene and general health.
Other attractions among the displays at CMS Berlin 2019 included examples of the practical application of cleaning machines and cleaning products. The Grounds Maintenance display, for example, featured machinery, appliances and accessories for the upkeep of green spaces, and for cleaning roads and paths, as well as equipment for dealing with snow and ice. On the open space in front of the main south entrance to the trade fair exhibitors presented examples of cleaning glass facades, and a wide variety of aerial work platforms were also in action. The live show at the Mobility Cleaning Circle demonstrated cleaning work on the interiors and exteriors of buses used for public transport in Berlin and Brandenburg, and included the use of special vacuum cleaners on the seats as well as the removal of graffiti from the bodywork of the buses. And equally importantly, the high-profile press events attracted much attention, and included the world altitude record for high level vacuuming, the use of specially designed drones to clean windows, and self-driving road-cleaning robots.
A successful fair for exhibitors
In an initial analysis exhibitors expressed themselves very satisfied with the fair. The main objectives in taking part were “to present the business / cultivate its image”, “to establish contacts with the building cleaning trade” and ”cultivate existing business relations”. In each case over 80 per cent of the exhibitors said that these objectives had been (well) met. Over 90 per cent of the exhibitors polled praised the quality of trade visitors. Regarding their commercial results, more than 80 per cent of exhibitors expressed their satisfaction. Although signing contracts was not the primary reason for attending, more than half of all exhibitors were able to achieve this during the course of the fair. Furthermore, over 80 per cent reported positive expectations regarding follow-up business.
More than 80 per cent regard the CMS Berlin as being (well) suited for presenting innovations and new technical developments. An equal proportion of exhibitors were presenting new items to trade visitors. The high level of satisfaction among exhibitors was also evident in the fact that four out of every five would recommend the CMS Berlin to others, and are also planning to attend the fair again in the future.
Trade visitors report excellent business results
Trade visitors gave CMS Berlin 2019 an outstanding satisfaction rating of over 90 per cent. Their main goals at the fair were to obtain a general overview of the market, find out about innovations, get information on products, technologies and solutions to problems, establish new contacts and pave the way for procurement decisions. Over 95 per cent of trade visitors said that for the most part they were able to achieve these goals. More than 90 per cent rated the products and services on display as “good”. Almost as many said they had seen or found out about innovations at the fair. More than 95 per cent of trade visitors said they were extremely satisfied with their business results at the event. During CMS Berlin 2019 around 80 per cent made contact with exhibitors resulting in potential follow-up business. Some two-thirds of trade visitors were able to establish new business leads.
A notable feature was the number of trade visitors attending in a decision-making capacity. More than 85 per cent had a significant influence on their companies' purchasing and procurement decisions. Close to two-thirds occupied a senior position in their company. At CMS Berlin 2019 trade visitors represented mainly services, the skilled trades, industry, authorities and public institutions. They came mostly from private or public sector cleaning companies, followed by hospitals, nursing homes and large-scale kitchens. CMS Berlin 2019 reported trade visitors from around 80 countries. The majority of foreign trade visitors came from the EU, other European countries, the Middle East and Far East. Well over 90 per cent of trade visitors said they would recommend CMS Berlin to others, and at the time of the survey also said they would visit the next event.
The next CMS Berlin will take place from 21 to 24 September 2021 on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds.
Views on CMS Berlin 2019
Luca Begnini, Marketing Manager, Fimap, SpA, Italy: “For us, CMS is the right platform to find customers on the German and Dutch markets. That way, we want to expand our international network.”
Markus Asch, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Alfred Kärcher SE & Co.KG, and President, EUnited Cleaning, Deutschland: “CMS Berlin 2019 is undoubtedly this year’s main event. Never before has the need to optimise processes across sectors been highlighted so clearly as here. New technologies featuring new applications will make customers even more satisfied.”
Dr. Thomas Schnell, Managing Director, Dr. Schnell, Germany: “With ECOLUTION, highly concentrated solutions for sustainable cleaning maintenance work, we were able to present a very special innovation at CMS which attracted a lot of interest. CMS is simply always the right setting to talk about innovations and look towards the future. Thank you Berlin!”
Romain Gourmet, Sales Manager, Solar Cleano, Luxembourg:
“This is the first time ever we have taken part in a cleaning trade fair with our product. We are very satisfied with the level of international participation and the quality of the visitors. There were lots of decision-makers on our stand. We will be back again in two years time.“
Florian Krüger, Sales Manager, Wittrock + Uhlenwinkel, igefa-Firmenverbund, Germany: “For us, CMS is an outstanding opportunity to meet our customers and suppliers in a different setting and to network even more closely with them. We are also gaining new customers each year. CMS is notable for the high number of decision-makers. That is important for us to be able to build and expand our business and continue to grow in the long term.“
Stephan Schwarz, Juryvorsitzender des Purus Innovation Awards, Vorstandsmitglied des Bundesinnungsverbandes des Gebäudereiniger-Handwerks; Geschäftsführender Gesellschafter der GRG Services Berlin GmbH & Co. KG „Der Purus Innovation Award 2019 ist ein Trendbarometer für die Innovationskraft der Branche und Spiegelbild der aktuellen Entwicklung in der Reinigungsindustrie. Digitalisierung und Nachhaltigkeit prägen Produkte, Dienstleistungen und Prozesse. Vier herausragende Beispiele hat der diesjährige PIA ausgezeichnet.“
Andreas Grochowiak, Managing Partner, TG hyLIFT GmbH, Germany: “We were able to achieve our goal. We succeeded in building many new contacts and cultivating existing ones. Days two and three went particularly well for us; our organisation and promotion were good. In short, there was nothing to complain about.”
Frank Ulbricht, Managing Director, Sales and Marketing, Hako GmbH, Germany: “Here at Hako we were proud to present our latest products and services at the most innovative of fairs: CMS Berlin.“
Markus Stojan, Vice President Business Development Europe, Essity GmbH, Germany: “Tork is the leading professional hygiene product by Essity. At CMS we were able to prove that integrating our digital product solutions in a circular economy and recycling paper into new products was well received by our service customers. We are proud to be here and have great expectations for the future.“
Dirk Salmon, Managing Director, Vermop GmbH, Germany:
“In recent years CMS has become Europe’s leading trade fair. We had lots of interesting conversations this year, particularly about our digital cleaning system. As part of the cleaning industry we know what users want. For me, it is the quality of trade visitors that is most important at CMS. More and more people are involved in making decisions, and they are all here at the fair, whether from proprietor-run or large companies.“
Fabian Fuerst, Executive Manager, Auconic, Germany: “We presented the prototype of a cleaning robot at CMS. We received a lot of inquiries even though our product is not yet on the market, including for applications we had previously not thought of, such as building interiors. Our system is able to vacuum water, so it is perfectly suited to these areas. The feedback we received has encouraged us to further develop our product and we are now in search of investors to put it on the market.“
Markus Häfner, Export Director, tana-Chemie GmbH, Germany: “We are very satisfied with the way the fair went and were able to welcome quality visitors on our stand. We noticed that sustainability, really a key topic for us, has become hugely important and that visitors are increasingly focusing on it. We were able to establish many leads and took home a positive impression of the fair. We are already looking forward to the next CMS Berlin in two years time.“
Vanessa Schneider, Customer Lead IntelliClean, Post Immobilien Management und Services AG, Switzerland: “Our product was nominated for a Purus Innovation Award which was why we had a stand at the fair. The quality of visitors was a positive surprise and we had lots of interesting talks. Many of the visitors had looked us up in the exhibitor catalogue so there was no great need for us to advertise. As a result our trade fair quality criterion, that of establishing leads, was fully met.“
Karsten Honnefeller, Sales Director Contract Cleaners, Institutions, Retail; Nilfisk GmbH, Germany: “For us, there is no question that we will be back at CMS Berlin in two years time. The quality of trade visitors gets better every time.”
Patrick Seitz, Director Central Europe, Diversey, Germany:
“For me and my team it was fantastic here at CMS to see how the market is making use of digitalisation and developments in AI.“
Paul Shi, General Manager, Nanjing TVX Cleaning Equipment, Nanjing, China: “From our point of view the organisation at the trade fair was outstanding. This was our first time here and we had a lot of interesting input from customers. With the help of CMS we were able to improve our knowledge of the German market and local requirements, for which our company is able to offer solutions.“
Sandra Nickstadt, Marketing Manager & Quality Control Officer, Numatic International GmbH, Germany: “For us, CMS has always been one of the most important platforms for meeting with the industry. In our view however, this year’s fair was better than any other previous event. We had an above-average number of visitors on our stand all the time, even on the days which are usually less busy. All our contacts were highly qualified. As always, the focus was on networking internationally with industry members and exchanging information on innovations and developments. This year, as a result, CMS offered exhibitors and visitors a very high standard of quality in many respects.“
For more information: www.cms-berlin.com
Follow us on Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram
