The British Cleaning Council (BCC) held their annual Conference at Kings Place, London on the 11th of October 2011, as 200 delegates from across the cleaning and facilities management industries met to debate sustainability and social responsibility within a business context. The day was opened by BCC Chairman, Mark Woodhead, who invited each of the speakers to help define what sustainability could mean for the cleaning industry, and asked them to use examples of innovation and best practice from their own sectors that were applicable to cleaning and facilities management. Woodhead was followed by a number of speakers- Danny Finkelstein, Executive-Editor of the Times, discussing coalition policy and the economy; Channel Four News presenter Jon Snow, giving insights into his career in journalism; Dr. Peter Redfern, focusing on environmental management systems and implementing sustainability-focused projects into large organisations; Philip Malpass, addressing sustainable cleaning agents, and Guy Stallard of KPMG, who analysed how the Living Wage campaign for fair pay have affected his business. The day then closed with a health and safety panel discussion, followed by a debate on migrant workers featuring Sir. Andrew Green of MigrationWatch UK and Neil Jameson of London Citizens. Each segment ended with question and answer sessions, where delegates quizzed the guest speakers on their respective subjects. During each break, attendees networked in the main exhibition hall with each other and the conference sponsorship partners; TECcare, Kimberly-Clarke Professional, Selden Research, HSS Hire, the UKCPI, Activeion, Renault Retail, Diversey, C & M Magazine and South Thames College, as they showcased sustainability focused products and services. The Conference venue, Kings Place, is an award winning convert and exhibition hall located along the canals of Kings Cross in central London. Since its opening in 2008, the venue has won a number of architectural and hospitality awards, establishing itself as one of the leading destinations of its kind in Europe. The British Cleaning Council have confirmed that the Conference 2012 will take place in October next year, with further details on the event due to be released in the near future.
