Disruption and record breaking

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28th of April 2016 Article by Rob den Hertog

Rob den Hertog, project manager for the ISSA/INTERCLEAN series of exhibitions, writes his latest blog for ECJ as the industry looks forward to the Amsterdam exhibition on May 10.

During the upcoming ISSA/INTERCLEAN Amsterdam, the world of professional cleaning will once again be gathering in Amsterdam. The ongoing success of the show led to the decision to expand the exhibition area with one hall up to a total of 10 halls, a growth of 10 per cent, making it possible to accommodate over 800 exhibitors this year at RAI Amsterdam.

As usual the exhibitors will showcase their newest products and solutions. We already saw many great innovations during the selection round of the Amsterdam Innovation Award. The jury had the challenging task of selecting nine nominees out of - the record number of - 110 submissions. Technological marbles like autonomous driving cleaning machines, Augmented Reality, smart connected devices and great circular economy based product solutions were amongst the highlights according to the jury.

Amongst the entries there are also strong indications that the current business models and industry channels will dramatically change over the coming five years. A trend that will definitely shake up our industry. New parties with indebt expertise on these subjects will discover the potential of the traditional cleaning sector and enter the market or have done so already. Brands like Ebay, Amazon and Staples are not yet active in our industry but with their most sophisticated logistic networks, they can easily incorporate cleaning commodities in their web based shops, it might just be a matter of time.

Identifying some of the sectors' mega trends together with our exhibition committee, ISSA developed a wide ranging and informative seminar program during the show addressing these potentially most disruptive trends for our industry like: the supply chain shake up, lease versus buy, the circular economy, waste is the new raw material etc.

How will disruptive trends transform the industry? Nobody knows, but change will happen and I am convinced these trends are already a topic of discussion within many companies.

ISSA/INTERCLEAN Amsterdam will likely prove to be a turning point not only technology wise but also business (model) wise. The show offers a window of opportunity to actually take advantage of experts and inspiring knowledge. Prepare, find your ingredients, and take home your homemade recipe to better secure your future. There is so much to discover and all the manufacturers are waiting to share their expert knowledge with you.

I hope to see you all on the 10th of May in Amsterdam!