ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

If you are currently on your flight across to Amsterdam, grabbing five minutes' break between appointments or meeting colleagues for lunch at the RAI - take time out to test your knowledge of ISSA/INTERCLEAN and Amsterdam. You may be surprised to discover what you know - and what you don't!

1. When two window cleaners met up in an Amsterdam bar and decided to organise an exhibition dedicated entirely to cleaning, what had they been drinking?

A. Grolsch
B. Dutch genever
C. Local dark beer
D. Window cleaning fluid

2. The two founders of ISSA/INTERCLEAN met at the Café Hoppe - a buzzing brown bar in Amsterdam's Spui district. What does the word ‘Hoppe' mean in English?

A. Hops
B. Hopping
C. Hope
D. None of the above

3. The rest is history. ISSA/INTERCLEAN Amsterdam has now been running since:

A. 1957 - the year of the British Queen's first televised Christmas broadcast
B.1967 - the Summer of Love
C.1977 - when punk rock first exploded on to the music scene
D. 1987 - the year of the Great Storm in Britain and France

4. The very first ISSA/INTERCLEAN event was held at Amsterdam's RAI exhibition centre as it is today. How many exhibitors at that first event hailed from countries other than the Netherlands?

A. 53
B. 33
C. 13
D. 3

5. Since its early days, the Amsterdam RAI has been the venue for many major events. In fact up to two million people congregate there each year to attend shows, concerts and exhibitions. Which of the following events was NOT held at the RAI during its 100 year-plus history?

A. An 1895 exhibition of bicycles
B. The 1970 Eurovision Song Contest
C. A 1983 one-off ‘Let's Dance in Amsterdam' David Bowie concert
D. A 2015 Chippendales male striptease show

6. Some of the lounges and meeting rooms at the RAI are named according to a particular theme. What is this theme?

A. Animals (the Ibex Lounge, the Antelope Room etc)
B. Jewels (the Ruby Lounge, the Emerald Room etc)
C. Dutch landmarks (the Windmill Room, the Tulip Lounge etc)
D. Cleaning terms (the Disinfectant Room, the Urinal Block Lounge, etc)

7. According to questionnaires filled in by visitors at the end of ISSA/INTERCLEAN 2014, how many of them said they were planning to come back for the 2016 event?

A. Nearly all - "It was great" (90 per cent)
B. A good majority "Pretty successful" (70 per cent)
C. Around half - "Might give it another shot" (50 per cent)
D. Very few - "Couldn't drag me there with a bargepole" (fewer than 10 per cent)

8. Which of the following ground-breaking innovations will NOT be happening at ISSA/INTERCLEAN this year?

A. A dedicated portal will allow visitors to schedule appointments online
B. The increasing use of robots in cleaning will be a seminar topic
C. Segways will be available to hire so that visitors can glide effortlessly from hall to hall
D. A new Innovation Lab will put cleaning's latest developments at centre stage

9. Which of these dishes are you unlikely to find when enjoying a snack lunch at the RAI?

A. Raw beef sausages
B. Veal croquettes
C. Raw herring
D. Traditional Dutch herring and veal pasties

10. After leaving the exhibition and heading into the city, which of the following dining options will NOT be open to you?

A. ‘Suspended dining' in an old warehouse where the furniture hangs from the ceiling and you are raised to your table on hoists
B. Dining in the dark at a restaurant manned by visually-impaired waiting staff
C. Reclining dining where you kick off your shoes and eat lying down in a Roman-style banquet
D. Musical dining where your server will burst into song at any given moment

There is a prize up for grabs for the first set of correct answers pulled out of the hat - a food hamper full of goodies. Email your answers to michelle@europeancleaningjournal.com by Friday, May 20.