With a record-breaking number of exhibitors covering the largest floor space area in the history of ARBS, the 2012 show has ended up being the biggest ever.
According to AIRAH, the organisers of the event, there were more than 270 exhibitors, setting a new ARBS record.
Seminar participation increased by a massive 40 per cent compared to 2010 registrations, with overall figures topping over 7000 attendees.
AIRAH said day two (Tuesday) was the busiest with over 3000 people walking through the trade show doors, and there was no shortage of tradies, with packed buses arriving daily.
Industry bodies were also well represented this year, including groups such as the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) and the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (RACCA).
There was even a new industry group making its debut at ARBS, the Australian Refrigeration Association, which stands alone as a sole supporter of carbon pricing to be introduced next month.
ARBS isn’t just a great networking event; it is an opportunity for the HVAC&R industry to showcase its wares, announce company plans or use the show as a platform to launch products.
Panasonic, for example, announced its expansion from the consumer space into the broader commercial market.
Since acquiring Sanyo a couple of years ago, Panasonic has been able to diversify its product range, which now covers every application in the market and supports the new logo ‘Every Building Matters’.
Product announcements took centre stage at ARBS, which is why more than 30 pages of this feature is dedicated to product news and trade stand highlights (from page 25).
This is followed by special showcases, starting from page 37.
In the next seven pages CCN presents highlights from the seminar series, which proved particularly popular this year.
This is was largely due to the quality of the presentations including case studies, updates on various industry standards and licensing systems, as well as the latest industry research on indoor air quality and global CO2 trends.
It wasn’t just the daytime program creating a stir but the evening activities also attracted plenty of attention.
Actrol’s gala dinner on day one was well attended, with the company’s new managing director, David Willitt, inviting guests to celebrate the opening of 10 branches in the past year.
While Willitt talked business, comedian Frank Woodley provided the audience with critical tips on how to survive a crocodile attack.
The good news is that crocodiles will not chase victims up a tree, but they will wait at the bottom of the tree for up to 18 months.
The next night was the ARBS Awards night, which boasted more than 400 attendees.
MC Shane Jacobson from Top Gear Australia hosted proceedings with the support of ARBS board chairman Ian Hopkins and the ANZ managing director of ebm Papst, Simon Bradwell.