16-18 February 2016, Hall 9, NEC Birmingham

The Institute of Refrigeration is to hold its Annual Conference on the 18^th February 2016 at The ACR Show at the NEC in Birmingham. The Conference, “Emissions, Energy and Eco-design”, will explore how energy and emission saving in component and system design are being achieved. The programme will help re-evaluate current strategies and support those who want to develop improved approaches to environmental challenges.  At the same time it will identify how the sector can benefit from the opportunities offered by new markets and the emerging green economy.

The programme has been designed to allow visitors to maximise their time by visiting the exhibition either before or after the conference. The Institute itself will be present at the show with a general stand staffed mainly by volunteer members, and a series of short training events for technicians and engineers. The Annual Conference compliments this presence by offering member and non-member visitors an opportunity to look at one of the most critical long term issues that will affect all refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump technologies and users.

“Reducing energy usage and emissions is one of the greatest challenges face by the RACHP sector” said Chris Green MInstR, Chairman of the Conference Planning group. “This conference will provide practical insights into the issues looking at case studies and examples of efficiency achievements and savings, not just in the UK but internationally. It will provide delegates with a wider perspective on the opportunities and challenges faced with the continuous strive for greater efficiency, and minimising the lifetime impact of refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump systems.”

Speakers confirmed so far include Dr Andy Pearson Chairman of RHE18 the Refrigeration Safety Standard Committee responsible for the UK contribution to the new EN378, Judith Evans of RD&T an expert in efficiency programmes, Daniel Colbourne member of the UNEP Refrigeration Technical Options Committee (TOC) for the Montreal Protocol and Julie-Ann Adams from Really Green Credentials.  

Increased industry involvement

Located at the very heart of the UK, at the premier National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, The ACR Show is the ONLY national exhibition for the refrigeration, air conditioning, ventilation, heating and heat pump sectors.

The ACR Show has won the backing of all the major trade associations, including the Institute of Refrigeration (IOR), the Building & Engineering Services Association (B&ES), the Federation of Environmental Trade Associations (FETA) and REFCOM.

The British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) has announced its support for the 2016 event, which will see a number of new end users from the food sector attending, many for the first time. The Association of European Refrigeration Component Manufacturers (ASERCOM) and the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) are also supporting the show for the first, reflecting its growing importance in Europe.

In others news, Strut Direct and Airflow Developments are to join Fujitsu and Scandia Refrigeration as ‘brand partners’ for the 2016 event. Strut Direct is a leading manufacturer and distributor of cable management systems, mechanical fixings and pipe supports for the water, oil, gas and rail industries. Airflow Developments designs and manufactures residential, commercial and industrial ventilation products.  Malcolm Jones from Strut Direct said: “We are supporting the ACR show to maintain our presence in the UK market. Further to that we see it as an opportunity to launch our new STRUTFOOT ACCESS and STRUTFOOT QUAD products”.

“We are delighted to bring the Airflow Duplexvent Commercial range to the ACR show,” said John Kelly, marketing manager at Airflow. “The ACR show has traditionally been targeted at the ACR sector but with the increase in multi skilling of installers to provide a broader range of services, Datateam’s re-branding of the show to a Heating and Ventilation visitor profile provides us with an opportunity to reach a wider audience of specifiers and contractors who are looking for solutions to address wider indoor air environment issues.”

Adding value to the visitor experience

The ACR Show will host informative and topical seminar programmes in three main seminar theatres – the Air Conditioning & Heat Pump Theatre, sponsored by Klima-Therm; the Refrigeration & Cooling Theatre; and the Training & Careers Theatre, sponsored by Toshiba Carrier.

Show organiser Datateam Business Media is a member of the CPD accreditation service and as such will produce fully accredited programmes in each theatre.

Tim Mitchell, sales director at Klima Therm said: "We're very pleased to be exhibiting at the UK's only national ACR show and to be able to promote learning through our sponsorship of the Air Conditioning and Heat Pump Theatre.”

Exciting product launches

Klima – Therm also has some exciting product launches planned for the show. Tim said: “We are particularly excited about showcasing our Gree range of air conditioning units. This is likely to be the first chance that the majority of show visitors will have had to see the quality and range of products that the world's largest air conditioning unit manufacturer can offer, including the  photovoltaic range, so we expect to be very busy across all three days of the show. We will also be highlighting some of our other world-class products, such as our absorption chillers, our 4-pipe hybrid heat pumps from Rhoss and our next-generation K-Turbo chillers."

Hydratech is a specialist formulator and manufacturer of heat transfer fluids, inhibited antifreeze, glycols and pipework system protection products. Marketing & pr manager, Emma VerBruggen-Owen said: “With our new and eye catching stand we are looking forward to promoting the performance and cost saving benefits of Hydratech’s range of heat transfer fluids, to a quality, highly relevant audience. The ACR show provides a great opportunity to meet both new and existing customers and suppliers plus learn and share the latest developments within the industry.”

Blue Diamond, a company that designs and manufactures condensate removal pumps for use within air conditioning and refrigeration applications is also exhibiting at the Show next February. A company spokesperson said: “Blue Diamond places the installer at the forefront of its focus, ensuring its range of products resolves a list of common failings and weaknesses faced by installation engineers on a regular basis.”

Visitors to The ACR Show can see Blue Diamond’s innovative range of condensate removal pumps in action along with the brand new ArctikBlue, a unique dairy tray for use in multideck and dairy cabinet condensate removal. Designed for where gravity drainage is not readily available, the ArctikBlue incorporates Blue Diamond’s “ultra-reliable” MegaBlue pump in a tough steel tray.

Vulkan Industries has been successfully selling the Lokring Cold pipe jointing system since the early 1980’s. The company has also developed many other products - such as trace gas leak detectors and service equipment - unique to the service industries requirements. Commenting on its support for The ACR Show, sales manager, Pete Chitson said: “We see The ACR show as the ideal platform to launch new and innovative products and 2016 will be no different. We have several new products in development that will be exhibited for the first time at this show. This industry is constantly moving forward and at Vulkan Industries Ltd we strive to develop products that keep pace with the current market”.

He continued: “The ACR Show is also the ideal networking opportunity; despite being the market leader, we never stop looking at what the market needs and to this end all comments and suggestions received at the show are noted for future discussion. We look forward to meeting visitors”.

Thermofin, a German manufacturer of finned heat exchangers, is also exhibiting at the Show: “We will use the show to present our newest developments in heat exchangers, electrical components and elements that improve the efficiency of our products. Our product development is based on efficient and natural-friendly solutions. For this reason, we will show heat exchangers operated with natural refrigerants and reduced power consumption,” said a spokesperson adding: “Our qualified technical engineers will be available for visitors’ questions and look forward to assisting them with their knowledge in order to realise new common projects”.

The ACR Show will take place from 16-18 February in Hall 9, at the NEC Birmingham.

Notes to editors

About The ACR Show

Located at the very heart of the UK, at the premier National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, The ACR Show is the ONLY national exhibition for the refrigeration, air conditioning, ventilation, heating and heat pump sectors.

The Institute of Refrigeration (IOR) has confirmed plans to host its 2016 Conference at the Show. The decision to include the heat pump, heating and ventilation sectors has also won the backing of the Building & Engineering Services Association (B&ES), the Federation of Environmental Trade Associations (FETA) and REFCOM.

Besides a fantastic line up of exhibitors showcasing the latest technologies, will be an informative and topical seminar programme in three main seminar theatres – the Air Conditioning & Heat Pump Theatre; the Refrigeration & Cooling Theatre and the Training & Careers Theatre, sponsored by Toshiba Carrier.

The seminar programmes in each theatre are to be CPD accredited, adding further value to the Show experience.

About Datateam Business Media

Datateam is a modern and dynamic communications business with a product portfolio covering six business-to-business and healthcare sectors. Established in 1988, we have expanded over the years and now offer over 50 publications, websites, events and awards.