David Garcia, Chair of the British Cleaning Council, looks forward to next week's Manchester Cleaning Show - 18 and 19 February at Manchester Central.
If you are based in the cleaning, hygiene and FM industry in the North or Midlands and you haven’t signed up to the next edition of The Cleaning Show yet – why not? Don’t miss the UK’s biggest and best event for the sector when it visits the Manchester Central Convention Complex on 18–19 February - it is free to attend, so register today.
The cleaning, hygiene and waste sector, which is worth almost £67 billion nationally, is hugely important in the region - it employs over 361,000 people and supports over 24,700 businesses in the Midlands and North.
You’ll be able to find some of those businesses and individuals represented at the show and the majority of the over 2000 attendees are expected to be regionally-based, so The Manchester Cleaning Show is going to make a huge impact in the regional industry.
Attractions include live product demonstrations, expert-led seminars and focused networking opportunities, alongside an exhibition floor presenting the latest products and sustainable solutions driving progress across the sector.
Many major names will take part as exhibitors and expert panellists and sectors including the likes of hospitality, healthcare, large venues and education are all featured.
I look forward to opening the show on Wednesday at 10.30am, where I will also unveil a key industry document, the BCC’s 2026 research report.
Our report is packed with information about the cleaning, hygiene and waste industry. Email [email protected] for your free copy. Show attendees can visit the BCC stand to sign up for it.
Attendees shouldn’t miss the next item in the conference programme. ‘Developing the cleaning industry workforce: apprenticeships and careers’ features the BCC’s Immediate Past Chair Delia Cannings, along with Lauren Kyle. They will discuss the latest progress on the Level 2 Cleaning Hygiene Operative Apprenticeship and explore how the UK Cleaning Career Development Zone is showcasing the many opportunities for training in the sector.
The conference programme is always a highlight of the show, featuring industry leaders discussing major issues such as digital transformation, environmental, social, and governance (ESG), large venue cleaning, healthcare and higher education cleaning, hotel housekeeping. Recruitment, careers and future talent.
Among the expert speakers are Lisa Williams, National Chair of the UK Housekeepers’ Association (UKHA), Daniel Cross, Committee member of the Cleaning & Support Services Association (CSSA), Neil Spencer-Cook, Group MD of the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc), Paul Thrupp, Chair of the Independent Washroom Services Association (IWSA), Karen Pryor, National Chair of the Association of Healthcare Cleaning Professionals (AHCP), Janet Thompson, the Chair of the UK Housekeepers Association (UKHA), Yorkshire and NE region, and Lorraine Larman of the Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners (WCEC). BICSc and the CSSA are also exhibiting.
I hope to see you at The Manchester Cleaning Show!
Just to note, if you are travelling to the Manchester Cleaning Show, please be aware that Manchester Piccadilly Station has scheduled engineering works during this period. There’s a detailed travel guide on the Cleaning Show website to give you complete confidence in planning your journey. It covers driving, alternative train stations with direct connections, UK domestic flights straight to Manchester Airport and the Metrolink tram network across the city.
Please register for free, in advance, to attend the show, here:
https://eventdata.uk/Forms/Form.aspx?FormRef=MCS26Visitor&TrackingCode=BCC
See full conference programme here:
https://cleaningshow.co.uk/manchester/sessions
Find the guide here:
wwwcleaningshow.co.uk/manchester/visiting/travel-information
About the contributor
David Garcia
Chair
British Cleaning Council