ARBS chair, Ian Hopkins, takes this opportunity to welcome everyone to the 2016 ARBS Exhibition.
The 2016 ARBS Exhibition continues the growth trend since it first began in 1998.
Exhibitor numbers this year will be well over 250 up from 246 in 2014 and a dramatic increase from the 174 that participated in the 2000 show.
Melbourne will again host the 2016 exhibition, making it three in a row. This sequence has been due to the redevelopment of the Sydney exhibition Centre leaving Sydney without a suitable venue over the period.
The 2018 exhibition will return to Sydney and we expect the exhibition to alternate between Sydney and Melbourne every two years thereafter.
Given that ARBS is the premier HVAC and refrigeration exhibition in the southern hemisphere we anticipate a strong flow of visitors from around Australia and overseas.
This year’s seminar program will be a significant drawcard. Topics include Impact of big data on building management and operation, Building Wellness, Safety in Design for HVAC&R and operation and the HFC Phase Down in Australia.
The awards program has once again attracted strong entries. Finalists have been announced and the winners will be acknowledged at the gala dinner on Wednesday 18 May at Crown Palladium.
At the dinner we will also induct into the Hall of Fame Neil Marshall, Garry Mundy and Dr Stephen White – great contributors to the industry and the community. Hall of Fame inductees are nominated by the member associations of ARBS namely AREMA, AMCA, AIRAH, ARWA, CIBSE and RACCA.
Other industry organisations are also encouraged to put forward suitable nominees, noting that the key criterion for induction is contribution to the broader industry in addition to success of the nominee in his or her own organisation or profession.
The exhibition will provide the opportunity to highlight the progress of the ARBS Foundation which has been established and now very much up and running.
The Foundation aims to support the progress of the HVAC and refrigeration industries through sponsorship of research and by providing scholarships to enable individuals to advance their knowledge for the benefit of the industry and of course themselves.
The first initiative of the foundation is the provision of scholarships for advanced training for refrigeration mechanics which has been identified by the industry as an area requiring specific attention.
The ARBS Foundation will contribute $25,000 to this initiative this year and has been joined by AMCA and AREMA who will each contribute $20,000 this year. The scholarships this year will be for training at the Box Hill Refrigeration Centre of Excellence. The funds will cover tuition fees and accommodation for interstate scholarship winners.
The Foundation and the organisations supporting this endeavour have agreed in principle to fund the initiative for three years subject to successful implementation in the first and subsequent years
Applications for research grants have also been called for and details of the process are on the ARBS Foundation website.
The Foundation Board which comprises Ian Hopkins as Chair, Allen Williams, immediate past chair of ARBS, Greg Picker from Refrigeration Australia, Ashak Nathwani from Sydney University and Simon Bradwell of AREMA have agreed to provide a minimum of $25,000 per annum for suitable research projects.
The Foundation has been structured to facilitate tax deductible gifts from industry participants who are keen to promote progress in the industry.
JG Walker are first cab off the rank in this context with a pledge of $5,000. These donations can be in the form of a lump sum or a series of payments over a number of years.
I commend this initiative to industry organisations as a means of assisting the maintenance of the vitality of the industry.
I am personally looking forward to what I am sure will be a bumper exhibition with a wonderful supporting program of seminars and events – ensure you join me and your many industry colleagues at ARBS 2016!