Post show report 2005

	ISSA/INTERCLEAN CEE 2005 EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS Amsterdam, 13 July 2005 - ISSA/INTERCLEAN Central & Eastern Europe (CEE), the leading international trade exhibition focused on cleaning maintenance and management, was an enormous success. The show, held in Poland for the second time, exceeded all expectations and the organisers (Amsterdam RAI, the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) and the Polish Cleaning Association) were very pleased with the results. All market leaders in the industry were present, more than 130 exhibitors participated in the show, and a total of 2,304 visitors attended the trade fair. The conference programme was also very well received. “By moving the show to Warsaw, we succeeded in lifting the show to a more international level,” explains Rob den Hertog, senior product manager at the Amsterdam RAI. “More than 25 percent of the visitors came from abroad, as did almost 50 percent of the exhibitors.” Interest from the surrounding countries was especially high, with visitors coming from as far afield as Russia, the Czech Republic, Belarus, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine. The enthusiasm among exhibitors was also above expectations, and the organisers had to rent extra square metres at the last moment to accommodate the requests. “We were pleasantly surprised by the interest from Eastern European exhibitors in particular,” says Den Hertog. “Even with the additional floor space, we were unable to accommodate everyone and had a waiting list of several companies.” The effort and resources invested by the exhibitors was greatly appreciated by the visitors, who were often complimentary about the quality of the stands and the professional image of the show. Conference The conference, organised by ISSA and the PSC, hosted over 100 visitors per day. The event included a two-day morning conference programme, with individual company presentations in the afternoon. The first day of the conference addressed the ‘hot spots’ of cleaning and dealt with cleaning techniques associated with different surfaces (hard floors, carpeting) in different environments (offices, food service companies and hospitals). The second day was truly multinational, with a ‘doing business’ appraisal addressed by industry experts from Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Russia, Poland and the Baltics. “These well-attended sessions added an international flavour to the entire event and contributed to the high percentage of visitors from outside Poland”, says Mark Armitage, ISSA’s European Director of Services. “The highlight was a lively discussion that ensued between the various national representatives defending the cleaning business climate in their respective countries.” Awards On 1 July, the gala evening dinner for the national cleaning industry took place at EXPO XXI. No fewer than 170 industry professionals attended this event, which was hosted by the Polish Cleaning Association, ISSA and Amsterdam RAI. The master of ceremony was Marek Jankowiak, editor of the publishing company Rom-dom. Hako Polska SP received an award for the best product. Buzil Polska SP was honoured for the best technology and the prize for the best stand design was awarded to Kiehl-Zegarski SP. In addition to these special awards, seven companies received certificates of ‘Cleanliness and hygiene warranty’. ISSA's executives, John Garfinkel and Mattie Chinks, awarded the 2005 ISSA Foundation International Scholarship to a Polish student, Joanna Katarzyna Redmann. An ISSA life time membership was given to PSC's president and founder of the PSC/ISSA association alliance, Marek Kowalski. “This is a true recognition of how trade associations can work together with trade show organizers in developing a great venue for doing business. PSC is privileged to partner with ISSA and Amsterdam RAI”, says Kowalski. A special competition was organised for the youth of Warsaw by the Polish Cleaning Association, who asked them to hand in drawings with the theme ‘How do I see cleanliness?’ Five winners were awarded with individual prizes and invited by PSC and ISSA to visit Amsterdam this summer. ISSA/INTERCLEAN Central & Eastern Europe will return to Warsaw, Poland in June 2007. Please contact Rob den Hertog (T +31 (0)20 549 12 12) for additional information.
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