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FEATURE
STOP THE CLOCKS
After a dreary start, it appears that we can now begin to look to the future with more optimism. Economically the signs are good; green shoots in the soil, with recovery far more robust than 12 months ago. The political climate is also changing; with the general election looming closer and closer, politicians are seemingly everywhere, making promises, appearing reasonable, and trying desperately to persuade a sceptical nation that their lot have the key to a better future.
One of the issues that might alter the way people vote is climate change. The chaotic British weather has brought this right back onto the political agenda. At the height of the flooding crisis, David Cameron promised ‘money would be no object’ to help flood victims, but with the Environment Agency facing huge budget cuts resulting in the loss of 500 jobs, the prime minster has been accused of false economy. It’s been pointed out that it costs much more to fire-fight in a crisis like this than it does to build robust flood defences in the first place. So, expect the issues of climate change and sustainability to be discussed on many occasions in the run up to the election.
More specifically in our industry, the year has already seen a major development with the merger of BCC members Asset Skills and
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CSSA. Known as The Building Futures Group, they will be the only representative organisation for the housing, property, planning, cleaning, parking and facilities management sectors, offering a consolidated, unified voice for the whole sector. The merger will hopefully enable it to be better placed to support member companies, raise standards, and transform things for the better.
Looking ahead, the one event we’re all excited about at the BCC is the Cleaning Show and its much publicised move to London. The bi-annual show has been one of the industry’s most important events, giving exhibitors’ an unrivalled opportunity to showcase and launch new products, build awareness, and generate leads and sales. But organisers felt that the show, which has been running at the NEC in Birmingham for a number of years, needed new life breathing into it, as some major cleaning firms had started to remove it from their calendars. Research carried out by the BCC found that the main buyers from some key companies wanted a London show, as it would potentially attract a bigger attendance and give the show international reach. In fact, it was discovered that only around 17% of those attending the recent NEC show had travelled from London and the south-east – all of these factors convinced the BCC and partners
Lee Baker, Media and Policy Manager for the British Cleaning Council, looks forward to the year ahead and gives us a taste of what to expect.
Quartz that they had to move the show to the capital.
BCC Chairman, Douglas Cooke, commented on the move: “London is recognised as one of the world's most important financial, cultural and business centres, and we believe that, with all the attractions that a London-based show offers, visitor numbers in 2015 will once again reflect the importance of our industry. We also feel that overseas visitors, who perhaps did not feel drawn to Birmingham, will be persuaded to come to London.” The show, planned to run 10th-12th March 2015, will now be held at the Excel Centre in the heart of London’s Docklands, and with Mitie already confirmed as a platinum sponsor, hopes are high that the move south will be fully vindicated.
Whoever takes the Westminster crown, you can rest assured that the BCC will continue to lobby for improvements in the living wage, and for a more sustainable future. Our grants programme aimed at start-ups is still buoyant, and we are always looking out for interesting new projects that can help the cleaning industry as a whole. It promises to be a very interesting year ahead.
www.britishcleaningcouncil.org
FEATURE: TOMORROW’S CLEANING YEARBOOK 2014/15
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