Topical debate and innovative new products make HVAC 2017 a show to remember
Record-breaking numbers of visitors flocked to Birmingham’s NEC to ensure the UK’s number one heating, ventilation and air-conditioning event was the best yet.
HVAC 2017, sponsored by FlaktGroup, took place on 10-12 October as part of UK Construction Week, which boasted an 11% increase in visitor numbers compared to last year’s show and brought together installers, contractors, specifiers, engineers and M&Es from across the industry, enabling them to gain inspiration from key seminars at the HVAC Hub and discover cutting-edge products from some of the sector’s leading names. UK Construction Week covered nine trade shows dedicated to the built environment and this year attracted a total of 33,697 of the construction industry’s experts over the course of its three days. The show’s growth did not go unnoticed among the exhibitors, with Tim Wilkes, Director of Marketing at Grundfos Pumps, commenting: “We found it has grown since last year and, whilst still a show in its infancy, it proved interesting and worthwhile attending this year.”
This year’s exhibitors included the likes of QDS Group, which showcased all of its installation services across the sector, and 3Thermo, whose impressive display of hybrid radiators earned the award for the best stand at HVAC 2017.
Raj Sen-Gupta of 3Thermo said: “‘It was a pleasure being part of UKCW. It was our first year doing the show as part of our product launch into the Midlands area, we were provided with the ideal platform to meet with our potential clients.
“It was surprising the types of customers we met, from self-builders to directors of large corporations. It gave us the opportunity to demonstrate our hybrid radiators to relevant people (best described as having 100s of meetings in one place).”
He added: “We have already rebooked for next year, the staff at Media-Ten made the experience from an exhibitor’s point of view seamless.”
Also making their show debuts were ATC Mechanical & Electrical, a leading distributor and supplier of energy efficient hand dryers and electric heating products, and Rotarad, which specialises in radiator access kit.
ATC’s Managing Director, Ciaran O’Reilly, commented: “This was our first time exhibiting at the HVAC show at UK Construction Week at the NEC. We were very pleased with the quality and type of visitors to our stand over the three days. We received a good number of sales leads which are now being followed up by email and in some cases to arrange face-to-face meetings to discuss possible projects or solutions to the enquiries at the show. We are looking forward to exhibiting next year.”
Malcolm Keeling, Founder and Director of Rotarad, said: “The three-day event was very productive for Rotarad as we managed to showcase our product to buyers from the right industry. We were very happy with both the volume and quality of visitors and the response to our product was very overwhelming and we hope to be back again next year.”
BAXI showcased Potterton’s brand new Assure Boiler, designed exclusively for social housing providers – the topic of social housing provided one of the main themes and debates on the UKCW Stage throughout the show. The Assure was also part of UK Construction Week’s Innovation Trail, as was VeriSmart Heating’s EcoHeat radiators, which boast the ‘smart’ ability to maintain a room’s temperature long after it has stopped drawing power.
Another exciting product on show was Ecovolt’s JouleTherm CeP, the paint that turns gypsum plasterboard walls into efficient radiant heaters, while ATC used the show to launch its new Lifestyle Electric Thermal Radiator, which incorporates advanced technology and allows for digital and manual options in the settings and offers simple to use controls for both the installer and the user.
There was lots of discussion too in the HVAC Hub, sponsored by DencoHappel, which hosted a full programme of seminars covering a range of topics, such as ground source heat pumps and under-floor air-conditioning, as well as a talk on how we will be heating our homes in 2050, by Navdeep-Singh Kahlon of Cadent.
The show also provided an excellent and fun networking opportunity as visitor numbers to the Beer & Ale Festival – offering over 15 beers, a selection of hot food, live music and entertainment – swelled towards the end of each day.
With over 40% of this year’s exhibitors already rebooked, HVAC 2018 will return to Birmingham NEC as part of UK Construction Week 2018, taking place on 9-11 October.
For further information visit: http://www.ukconstructionweek.com/hvac
HVAC 2017 Review FINAL