ACR Show plans huge visitor promotion

UK: With just under three months to go to the ACR Show 2014, the UK’s only dedicated air conditioning and refrigeration exhibition, the organiser is preparing its largest ever visitor promotion.

Over the next few weeks around 250,000 tickets will be mailed to potential visitors across a wide range of end-user markets, including manufacturing, food processing, government, hotel, catering, retail, leisure and facilities management sectors. This is in addition to inserts in industry magazines ACR News, ACR Today, RAC and building services titles targeting the important contractors and consultants.

Visitor pre-registrations via the ACR Show website are already 50% up on the same time prior to the last event in 2012.

And there will be much to see – and hear. With a decision on revisions to the European F-gas regulations expected before the end of the year, the exhibition will provide the first opportunity for most to learn of the likely consequences for their own businesses.

All the major refrigerant manufacturers and suppliers have booked stand space and the F-gas regulations will be one of the main topics at the free-to-attend seminar programmes.

With two theatres running concurrent programmes, these seminars will again be a major attraction for visitors.

Admitting that the F-gas decision will be fortuitously timed for the ACR Show, event director Jan Thorpe said “We have a very strong seminar programme with 36 presentations over the three days of the show.

“The coming F-gas decision will set the whole agenda for the industry’s future and the ACR Show will be a brilliant opportunity for the industry and end-users to learn how it could affect them.”

Exhibitors

After a sluggish start stand sales are now beginning to pick-up. Buoyed by the participation of leading air conditioning manufacturer Daikin as show sponsor, a number of new companies have very recently booked stands including Carel and Kingspan. Contracts are expected to be signed shortly with a number of new exhibitors including a number of other key air conditioning manufacturers

The show also has the backing of the wholesalers. Dean & Wood has booked a stand and HRP is a sponsor of the business seminar programme.

A major difference this time around is the participation of overseas companies keen to gain a foothold in the important UK market. These include companies from across Europe, the Middle East and Far East.

What visitors will not see this time are any really big stands.

“It’s perhaps indicative of the current climate,” explains Jan Thorpe. “The industry has not had a good year but now we’re looking for some growth and companies still feel the need to exhibit. The instinct for many in the past was to have a big stand but companies are now being realistic. What all of them realise is the need to have a presence at what is the only event of its kind in the UK.”

The ACR Show 2014 takes place at the NEC, Birmingham, from February 11-13.

For more details on the show and to pre-register for the event go to www.acrshow.co.uk

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