Who‘s Who at the Berlin Cleaning Summit
International platform for cleaning and hygiene professionals provides an overview of the market, an exchange of information and transfer of knowledge at the highest level – Cleaning industry faces challenging times
The cleaning industry is eagerly awaiting the world’s most important event of the year for this sector. From 24 to 27 September the international cleaning trade fair CMS 2019 Berlin – Cleaning.Management.Services. will provide a comprehensive overview of products, systems and processes covering every aspect of commercial cleaning technology and chemical cleaning products. Due to the high level of demand by exhibitors from Germany and abroad, Messe Berlin are providing additional display space (Hall 6.2b) at Berlin ExpoCenter City. For the first time the CMS World Summit 2019 (25 - 26 Sept.) will also be taking place during the four- day trade fair in Hall 6.3. Leading decision-makers from every continent are expected to attend the event, whose main theme will be ‘Inject Innovation’. CMS Berlin 2019 is organised by Messe Berlin GmbH. The supporting associations are the National Guild Association of the Building 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.
Dr. Christian Göke, Chief Executive Officer of Messe Berlin GmbH: “Germany represents the strongest market for commercial cleaning systems in Europe. This is reflected by CMS Berlin again this year with a whole range of innovations and by the involvement of important market leaders as well as numerous newcomers. Much of the appeal of CMS 2019 can be attributed to a concept designed to meet the demands of this market: a combination of a quality trade fair, the CMS World Summit as a premium conference for the leading representatives of the industry, and numerous networking events. All these factors make CMS Berlin 2019 the international platform for professionals in cleaning and hygiene, as well as a highly efficient marketing instrument for the global cleaning community.“
Building cleaning is the trade with the highest employment levels
The more than 662,000 people working in the building cleaning sector (latest available figures 2017) make this trade the largest employer in Germany. As the employers’ organisation, the National Guild Association of the Building Cleaning Trade (BIV) represents the interests of some 2,500 member businesses, accounting for around 85 per cent of the market, with a turnover of 17.9 billion euros in 2018 (in comparison 2017: +5.9 per cent, 16.9 billion euros).
Against this background the efforts to attract newcomers to the industry acquire particular importance. “It is less of a problem acquiring new orders than it is to attract new employees”, says Thomas Dietrich, national guild master of the building cleaning trade. “Ensuring that we have enough skilled staff and an adequate workforce is becoming even more crucial and is now the major challenge facing us for the future.”
It is worth noting that the building cleaning trade is seen as a modern service sector with rising agreed wage rates: “Our industry continues to set itself apart from general statutory minimum wage rates. The rise in agreed wage rates and the historic convergence of East and West in 2020 are of particular importance for our industry. For young people in particular such factors as digitisation, automation and the use of robots make working in the cleaning sector not only easier but also a more attractive proposition”, according to Dietrich. This is also apparent at CMS Berlin 2019: “For the providers of building cleaning services, every two years CMS is the most important platform for professionals and for networking in the whole of Europe.”
German cleaning machinery is strongly placed on the market
The German Mechanical Engineering Association (VDMA) represents over 3,200 companies in this sector, which is dominated by small and medium-sized businesses. With a domestic workforce of 1.3 million and a turnover of 232 billion euros (2018), this sector is the largest industrial employer and one of the leading branches of industry in Germany. The 50 or so members of the VDMA Cleaning Systems Association supply equipment for commercial and industrial use and employ around 5,400 people in Germany. Exports currently account for around 71 per cent of sales by German manufacturers. They have a share of just under 20 per cent of the world market, and in Europe they account for around 50 per cent of the market.
Markus Asch, Chairman of the Cleaning Systems Trade Association in the VDMA: “In an increasingly uncertain market the volume of orders received by the German cleaning machinery industry since 2013 has remained remarkably stable. This is remarkable, considering the fact that relatively short throughput times and order backlogs of only a few weeks require an ability to react sensitively to all the various factors influencing the market. In 2018 turnover by the industry in Germany was about one per cent below the previous year’s level and is currently about 940 million euros. During the fourth quarter the market was impacted in particular by uncertainties in the global economic situation.
According to Asch the manufacturers of machinery faced growing insecurity due to trade conflicts, Brexit and currency fluctuations affecting important sales markets, along with bureaucratic uncertainties emanating from Brussels. One example was the withdrawal at short notice by the EU Commission of the ecodesign directive for vacuum cleaners, the result of many years of development, in response to an action brought before the European Court of Justice by a manufacturer.
In addition to the economic situation, the manufacturers of cleaning machinery are also preoccupied with the subjects of digitisation and automation: “In 2019 CMS will highlight innovations in the industry. At the same time new technological developments are a major attraction at CMS 2019. The situation in which CMS 2019 is taking place is an encouraging one, because of the many new items that can be displayed here, and we need all these innovations. The aim is to improve performance and competitiveness and to become more efficient”, Asch noted.
Manufacturers of cleaning products: The trend for greater sustainability
The Hygiene Industry Association (IHO) represents the interests of the manufacturers of cleaning products and disinfectants for large- scale use in Germany. The 54 member companies account for around 92 per cent of the domestic market and their activities cover areas such as healthcare, hygiene in large-scale kitchens, building cleaning, the food industry, large-scale laundries and also the metal industry. In 2018 the professional cleaning industry in Germany achieved a turnover of some one billion euros and had a workforce of more than 7,000.
Werner Schulze, Chairman of the Building Cleaning Division of the IHO: “Innovative, sustainable and, above all, highly effective products are what our customers demand. The member companies of the IHO are aware of their social responsibilities. Cleanliness and hygiene play an important part in our society. Bearing in mind the increasing resistance to antibiotics, disinfectant products are vitally important for patient safety. On the subject of hygiene in healthcare and nursing, safety is always of paramount importance. The main focus is on protecting patients and staff, and on breaking the chain of infection. Facilities must make every effort to ensure the highest possible levels of hygiene by relying on effective cleaning and disinfectant products.”
The manufacturers of cleaning machinery are fundamentally positive about the prospects for 2019, but Schulze did express his concern about the shortage of skilled staff. At 4.5 per cent the outlay by the industry last year on research and development was well above the average compared with the rest of the chemical industry. This contrasts with the 2.7 per cent outlay on follow-up costs resulting from European legislation (+0.2%), which has created a more difficult set of conditions for the industry.
PIA awards are one of the main highlights
At CMS Berlin the focus is very much on innovations and technical improvements to cleaning machinery and equipment, and on products for cleaning, care and disinfection. The CMS Purus Innovation Award (PIA) recognises this innovative potential. This innovation award for intelligent products and solutions is presented in six categories: Large Machinery, Small Machinery, Equipment, Washroom Hygiene, Digital Tools and Systems, and Cleaning Products. The presentations to the winners will take place during the CMS evening event on 24 September at Marshall-Haus on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds.
CMS World Summit 2019: A transfer of knowledge at the highest level
On 25 and 26 September 2019 the CMS World Summit 2019 in Berlin will bring together the cleaning industry’s decision-makers and imaginative thinkers from all over the world. The main theme of this event is ‘Inject Innovation’ and it will feature current trends in the cleaning industry. The fascinating keynote speeches and stimulating discussions in Hall 6.3 will familiarise participants with some highly topical issues concerning the industry, which will be discussed in a global context. On 25 September the theme of the day will be ‘Cleanliness and Hygiene in a Sustainable World’, and among the topics covered will be ‘Circular Economy – Strategies in the Cleaning Industry’, ‘Work 4.0 – Digitisation, Robotics, Fear of Loss – How do I Deal with Staff’, ‘Power Pricing / Price Management’ and ‘Fair Evaluation of Cleanliness and Hygiene in the Award of Contracts – What Approach to Adopt?’ (panel discussion). ‘Future Technologies and Business Opportunities’ will be the theme of the day on 26 September, when the subjects under investigation will include ‘Cobotics’, ‘Artificial Intelligence’, ‘Digital Solutions’ and ‘Inject Innovation: Cleaning 4.0 – We Are Designing the Future’ (panel discussion).
For applications received by 31 May 2019 the Early Bird Ticket applies, at a cost of 500 euros (subsequently 600 euros). Registration at www.cms-berlin.com/summit. The international partner associations of the CMS World Summit 2019 are the European Cleaning and Facility Services Industry (EFCI), European Engineering Industries Association (EUnited) and the International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products (A.I.S.E.).
Cleaning in the mobility sector provides an important competitive edge
Successfully introduced at CMS 2017, the Mobility Cleaning Circle will be taking place again on 25 September as an exclusive networking format for all those involved in cleaning in the mobility sector. For transport companies this is seen as providing an important competitive edge. Invitations are being extended to the representatives of international transport enterprises and their buyers. What makes attendance at CMS Berlin so rewarding for these industry representatives is the fact that all the main market leaders in the provision of innovative cleaning solutions can be found in the display area at the trade fair. This is where exhibitors will be presenting their practical applications, new technologies and digitised solutions to meet the many and varied challenges presented by the cleaning of trains, buses and aircraft. Cleaning of the entire infrastructure, encompassing stations and stops, is also included. To help visitors to find their way around the stands of the relevant exhibitors will be identified by Mobility Cleaning Point markers.
Newcomers at the start
For the first time CMS Berlin 2019 provides start-ups and newly formed companies with direct access to the cleaning industry. Business ideas from innovative companies can be showcased on a combined stand which is being financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs (Hall 6.2) and in an extensive B2B programme. In addition and immediately adjacent, CMS 2019 is providing a separate display area for domestic and foreign newcomers.
Special shows and the CMS Practical Forum
Various special shows will feature practical examples of cleaning machinery and cleaning products. In the Ground Maintenance show (Hall 2.2) exhibitors will be presenting machinery, equipment and accessories for maintaining green spaces, for cleaning highways and paths, and equipment for winter services. On the open space in front of the main entrance to the trade fair exhibitors will be presenting examples of cleaning glass facades and a wide variety of aerial work platforms will also be in action.
Furthermore, at the CMS Practical Forum (Hall 6.2) there will be some fascinating presentations by professionals for the professionals on a number of industry topics of interest to specific target groups: on 25 September these will include an event aimed at representatives of the hotel and catering industry, and on 26 September attention will focus on representatives of the hygiene and health sectors. The programme will feature some fascinating papers with titles such as ‘EU Ecolabel’, ‘Labour-Saving through Digitisation’, ‘Listing of Disinfectants in the Age of the Biocide Product Regulation’, ‘New Apprenticeship Examination Regulation in the Building Cleaning Trade’ and ‘Business Management for Building Cleaners’. For more information: www.cms-berlin.com / Events.
At CMS Berlin 2017 430 companies from 24 countries displayed their products and services, which included around 100 exhibits debuting at a trade fair or on the European or world stage. Some 23,000 trade visitors, including 18,300 from 77 countries, came to find out more at the four-day event. In 2019 CMS Berlin will be taking place for tenth time since its launch in 2001.
