UK – Taking place in the heart of the UK, at the premier National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, The ACR Show, organised by Datateam Business Media, is the only national exhibition for the refrigeration, air conditioning, ventilation, heating and heat pump sectors. The event will be held from the 16^th to the 18^th of February and will feature a fantastic line up of exhibitors showcasing the latest technologies as well as an informative and topical seminar programme to be held 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 Institute of Refrigeration (IOR) has already confirmed its intentions to host its 2016 Conference at the Show. Miriam Rodway, IOR secretary, declared: “This is a great opportunity for both IOR members and those who do not know the Institute of Refrigeration to explore a range of topical technical issues.”

The ACR Show’s decision to include the heat pump, heating and ventilation sectors in addition to the refrigeration and air conditioning sectors has also won the backing of the Building & Engineering Services Association (B&ES), the Federation of Environmental Trade Associations (FETA) and REFCOM.

Last year, despite the adverse weather conditions which affected many parts of the country, The ACR Show 2014 attracted 2,492* unique visitors – all buyers, contractors, installers and end-users who had braved the elements to see new technologies and hear from the industry’s top experts.

Karena Cooper, ACR Event Manager stated: “We took 30% more bookings at the close of the 2014 event than in 2012, a clear indication that we are listening to and meeting the needs of the industry. To be sure of the best location, companies are advised book now.”

For this year’s event, Scandia Refrigeration has signed up as a ‘brand partner’ and will take over the biggest stand at the Show. Scandia’s spokesman Alex Mockford said: “We last exhibited at the RAC 2009 Show at the NEC with only an average/small sized stand. By now taking the biggest stand at The ACR Show we aim to use this event to demonstrate just how much we’ve grown and just how much we’re setting out to dominate the market, by making an impact.”

Outlining what visitors could expect to see from Scandia Refrigeration at the show, Mr Mockford continued by saying: “Visitors should expect to see all things refrigeration. The stand will have areas perfect for the freezer geezers interested in having an interactive experience, as well as catering for the visitors who don’t feel the need to talk but could take a business card, USB or brochure away with them.

“The stand will have products ranging from door furniture, refrigeration equipment, refrigerated display, modular cold rooms, refrigerated trailers, and of course a cold room.”

Other companies that are set to exhibit for the first time in 2016 include Innotech Europe and Pole Star Products. Commenting on the event’s new and improved format, Innotech Europe’s distribution manager Thomas McIlhatton had this to say: “Innotech is not a company that waits and follows trends, we like to make them. As the ACR Show has taken this step to offer support to the HVAC&R and building and energy management industry, we are proud to support this move and believe that having a more diverse offering (including HVAC&R Controls and BEMS) for attendees, will really make the event something people won’t want to miss.”

Pole Star, a company producing electric motors used in all types of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment, are similarly enthusiastic about their participation, with Sales manager David Cowood saying: “Pole Star staff will be on the stand to explain about many of the special parts which we manufacture for unique applications; often resurrecting old designs that have been discontinued to ensure HVAC and refrigeration equipment is always cost effective to maintain.”

In addition to first time exhibitors, The ACR Show 2016 will also see a number of exhibitors returning. One of those returning to exhibit is Simon Ravenscroft, northern regional sales manager for National Refrigerants, who said: “We are proud to support The ACR show again as we strongly believe in investing back into the industry. Without platforms like The ACR Show we would have almost no way of talking to the industry on a one to one level. Personal interaction is the only way to gauge real opinions from real people.

“With all the new changes in F-Gas legislation we have one simple goal – to meet new and existing customers and find out ‘how we can help’. Our focus is simply to offer our help, advice and give our support to our existing customers and maybe welcome some new ones.”

A-Gas, a market leader in the supply of refrigerant and service gases, has also given its backing to the 2016 event. John Ormerod, managing director of A-Gas, has gone on record to promise that his staff will be on hand to offer technical support and advice on retrofit gases and next generation refrigerants. Mr Ormerod declared: “With our evolving product portfolio, there will never be a better time to visit the A-Gas stand to find out what’s new in the industry. Together with ACR Show 2016 growing in size to include the ventilation, heating and heat pump sectors, this promises to be an event to remember.”

Another returning exhibitor, Allan Harper, managing director, Climalife added: “We are delighted to be attending the ACR Show again.  This is an important show for refrigeration and air conditioning professionals in the UK, and we look forward to meeting our customers and potential customers to discuss our new products and solutions.”

Klima-Therm, the London based air conditioning contractor, has announced that it plans to exhibit and sponsor one of the seminar theatres. A company spokesperson said, “We are supporting the show because we have some very innovative products to exhibit, some brand new; and The ACR show is the perfect platform to launch them. From the show we would expect exposure to a sector of the market difficult to penetrate on one-to-one bases; and to hopefully send a message out to a qualified audience”

The ACR show is expected to attract visitors from across a range of sectors including: building services, central/local government, retail, leisure, hospitality, transport, manufacturing, healthcare, education, utilities and more.

To cater for this wide range of visitors, training and careers have been named the key themes for the 2016 event with David Dunn, general manager of Toshiba Air Conditioning, commenting: “Our sponsorship of the Training & Careers Theatre at The ACR Show reflects and demonstrates the importance we attribute to training, not just for the future of Toshiba but for the future of the industry as a whole.

“Training the next generation of installers and designers is vital. It requires continual investment in the skills and knowledge base of the trade to ensure people are equipped to deliver the high quality projects required by clients today.

“The need for training has been heightened by the rapid advances in technology and practices as a result of new environmental legislation, particularly in relation to energy efficiency, refrigerants and health and safety.

“It is not just installers and contractors whose knowledge and skills need regularly updating. It is equally important to address the needs of end users and consultants, who play a vital role in relation to the design and specification of systems.

“Indeed, because of the new responsibilities placed on them under environmental legislation, end users are increasingly required to be well informed about technical and application issues. Providing targeted support to meet this need is an important strand in the new training mix.”

Karena Cooper, the ACR Event manager, concluded: “Support for The ACR Show is significant and visitors are in for a real treat – I would recommend marking the dates in your diary now.”