The Manchester Cleaning Show creates a buzz for the whole industryLast year the British Cleaning Council and Quartz Business Media moved their biennial Cleaning Show from Birmingham to London to reinvigorate the event and saw an upturn in the exhibitor and visitor response to the exhibition (over 10,000 cleaning professionals pre-registered). However, when analysing the feedback, a significant number of visitors from the north were not in attendance. The Manchester Cleaning Show was launched to offer a more regional event in the ‘in-between years’.
The Manchester event was always planned to be smaller and stand sizes were deliberately capped so that exhibitors large and small were able to sit alongside each other on a more level playing field.
Marketing Director, Jo Tyler explains ‘The key to success was attracting key decision makers, distributors and facilitators from a huge range of vertical markets despite the regional aspect. We also wanted to create a real buzz, where the cleaning industry was taken seriously and the issues impacting the industry could be discussed and debated. From day one of the campaign our aim was to generate national PR for this regional launch - to give the industry a voice and recognition of its contribution to the UK’.
BBC Breakfast’s Steph McGovern rides through the aislesEven before the doors had opened, exposure on BBC Breakfast had created considerable interest and a real buzz of excitement in the hall. The TV news programme’s business presenter, Steph McGovern, broadcast each of her business news ‘slots’ from the show floor between 6 and 9am on the first morning, riding on and using a variety of equipment provided by exhibitors.
This was followed by two appearances on the BBC’s local North West news programme, and a couple of features on Radio 5 Live. Steve Diprose, managing director of Quartz Business Media - a 50% partner in BCCE Ltd, the organiser, a company jointly owned with the British Cleaning Council - said: “Having BBC Breakfast and BBC North West broadcasting was fantastic - add to that the articles in the Blackpool Gazette, Halifax Courier, Yorkshire Evening Post, Stockport Express plus features on Radio 5 Live and the Steve Wright Show on Radio 2, and you have an incredible result. I do not know of any other B2B show that has received such media coverage.”
And this star-spangled start was a taste of things to come. From the moment the doors opened, the crowds flocked in. The total attendance figure has been confirmed at 2308 - a phenomenal result for a regional two-day show, particularly as this was its first outing.
Exhibitors and visitors were full of praise for the inaugural event. Jackie Bromley, national account manager at Nilfisk and one of the stars of the BBC’s extensive coverage, said: “The show has been fantastic. We’ve run out of some sales brochures, and we’re almost out of sales lead forms! We have received really high quality leads, all day, both days. And visitors have been here to buy, not just look. The TV coverage was great for Nilfisk, but also a real shot in the arm for the industry as a whole. It provided an excellent opportunity to raise the industry’s profile to the public at large.”
In addition to the exhibits, a number of companies ran competitions, and the popular Window Cleaning Competition was once again organised by the Federation of Window Cleaners and Terry ‘Turbo’ Burrows, the world’s fastest window cleaner. Karcher staged a ‘ride-on challenge’, Unger and Greyland organised competitions, and Floorbrite had a ‘cyclone’ machine on its stand, awarding a prize each day for the winner. Nina Wyers, marketing director at Floorbrite, said: “Our ‘cyclone’ created a storm at the show, and drew crowds to our stand on both days. We are delighted with the success of the show – our first one. It has been more than we could have hoped for. The BBC’s coverage was amazing, and the feedback we have received as a result has been incredible. We will definitely be back.”
The final word goes to Tibor Killi, sales director of T L Killi’s, who took part in both the Radio 5 Live features broadcast during the show. Somewhat tongue-in-cheek, Tibor did comment that at one point the show was a bit too busy! The company had two stands on opposite sides of an aisle and during the first morning Tibor counted 100 visitors on his stand at one time. He said: “The quality of visitors has been exceptional – we’re delighted. The turnout has been excellent, and we’ve seen every one of the major contract cleaners over the past two days. We’ve also had meetings with a number of our customers – old and new – based in the north of England. In addition, the exposure we received on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Breakfast was incredible – you simply can’t buy that!”
See you in London - 14 to 16 March 2017 - and then back in Manchester in April 2018.
www.cleaningshow.co.uk