ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

The deadline for entries in the European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards - the pan-European awards programme launched by ECJ - is tomorrow, June 24. So now is your last chance to share your success stories and book your place at the inaugural awards ceremony in Barcelona on September 29.

The value of an accolade of this magnitude is immeasurable to both your business and clients and will truly set you apart in the industry.

The professional cleaning sector employs millions of people across Europe and plays an essential role in health, wellbeing, image and perception. Amongst this workforce are examples of innovation, excellence and leadership worth celebrating, and these awards are the best way to show your colleagues, customers and stakeholders that you really are an industry-leading business.

Founded by European Cleaning Journal (ECJ), these prestigious awards will recognise individual success stories, outstanding team efforts and novel approaches towards raising the standards within the professional cleaning industry across Europe - with the inaugural awards ceremony taking place in Barcelona on September 29. The main sponsor is Diversey Care.

Submissions are welcomed from building service contractors, distributors, facilities managers, manufacturers and individuals, and provides organisations with an excellent opportunity to thank contractors, by nominating them for an award.

Entrants have until midday on Friday to submit their 500 word entry for the judges' consideration. With a wide selection of categories to choose from, those ahead of their field are strongly encouraged to submit an entry.

The 10 categories include:

• Best use of technology by contractors in their cleaning programmes
• Commitment to and investment in training. Sponsored by Boma
• Excellence in client/contractor partnerships. Sponsored by Tennant
• Distributors - excellence in added value initiatives
• Sustainability - best practice in implementing principles throughout the business. Sponsored by INPACS
• Workforce - excellence in employee relationships, diversity & inclusion, rewards programmes, etc
• Best initiative raising the profile and perception of the professional cleaning sector - locally or on a wider level. Sponsored by Greenspeed
• Groundbreaking technological innovation of the year
• Inspirational leader of the year. Sponsored by Truvox International
• Greatest individual contribution to driving up standards of excellence within a cleaning operation
• Lifetime achievement award - to be selected by the judging panel. Sponsored by Ceris Burns International

Discussing what makes an entry award winning Michelle Marshall, ECJ editor explains: “Firstly, choose wisely; think about your strengths and achievements that you are most proud of and match that with the categories that best fit. Give yourself enough time to gather all the evidence you need to help the judges understand why your entry should be shortlisted.

“Remember to keep it simple and focused,” she adds. “If the project is too big, consider splitting it up so that your entry can do it justice. Ensure you have sufficient supporting hard evidence to make it count. Facts, statistics and testimonials are key… and do remember, a picture can speak a thousand words. Most importantly, be proud, have fun with your entry and good luck!”

And to help you with your entry, there’s even a Hot Tips booklet that can be downloaded from the website.

Alongside the awards dinner will be a series of round-table discussions and a conference programme during the day of September 29. Worldwide cleaning association ISSA is the education partner.

Conference sessions

Trends in customer relationships. Whether you’re a service provider, distributor or manufacturer of products – the nature of customer relationships has evolved significantly in recent years. Nurturing, maintaining and managing those relationships is key to business success. We look at the most important trends and offer an insight into possible developments for the future.

Technology. New smart technologies are affecting every aspect of our lives, and the digital age will inevitably impact on the professional cleaning sector significantly. However, it’s all very well having a host of technologies available – the key challenge is selecting the right solutions and using data in a way that brings concrete results to any business. That means better productivity, client/staff benefits and ultimately higher profitability.

People. No matter how much technology impacts on the cleaning sector, ultimately it is a business based on people. It employs literally millions of people worldwide. With demographic changes across the world, finding the right people and retaining them is becoming increasingly challenging - particularly in an industry which is perceived is being low-skilled and badly paid. We will look at the wider issues concerning employment and workforce and explore future trends and possible solutions for the cleaning sector.

The awards dinner cocktail reception before the ceremony is sponsored by ISSA/INTERCLEAN.

For full details and to download an entry form visit www.ecj-awards.com. Or email: awards@europeancleaningjournal.com

Click here to download the criteria and an entry form.

•The website and entry forms are available in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.