By Benjamin Brits
Just like the planning you do when you are going on a trip, identifying all of the attractions you want to see – visiting an exhibition should be planned in the same way.
Since the reintroduction of exhibitions and conferences in South Africa this year, perhaps some of the strategies around ensuring a great experience have been forgotten, so, we would like to offer some tips based on our own experiences in attending these types of events.
For anyone that has been to an exhibition, especially the larger ones, it can be an intimidating and overwhelming experience. But with a little planning before hitting the isles, you can ensure a productive outcome.
“Take advantage of this powerful knowledge base and expand your skills!”
For each individual there may be several reasons why you choose to visit an exhibition, but in all honesty if you don’t go with a plan, there is always so much happening that you can quickly fall into “wandering visitor syndrome” and not gain anything of real value, or pass by the same stands over and over while missing the ones you should see!
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No matter if you are there to gather general information, create connections, learn about specific technology or find new suppliers, having a focus is always key. Exhibitions have been, and will continue to be, the preferred platform for people to engage on – even though so much information is available at your fingertips, nothing can beat the face to face transfer of information. This is one reason why exhibitions have enjoyed success around the world for over 150 years.
An exciting opportunity to take advantage of at this year’s FRIGAIR is that three other shows will be co-located at Gallagher Convention Centre with overlapping dates – These will be AOSH, Securex and Facilities Management – all relevant industries to business visitors – make sure you add these to your planning too.
Why visit the exhibition
Perhaps a question that you may know the answer to, but perhaps also some reasons or reminders will be included here that you haven’t thought about and can use for your own business or personal developments.
- Getting out of the office
Today a business needs to balance a whole lot of elements and balance itself is one of those which has become particularly important for employees. Getting out of the office you may see as an excuse for employees to not get any work done, however several studies have shown that boredom and dissatisfaction can in fact be fatal. Especially since many people have become home-bound in their home offices dealing with endless virtual or digital interactions, getting out to a different environment will already generate creative stimulus. Also, for office employees the opportunity to escape seeing the same wall and computer screen day after day may just help to shift some energy towards the positive. Attending exhibitions should actually be compulsory for all business owners and staff alike. - Networking
Exhibitions provide many opportunities to connect with the local and global industry suppliers and service providers. It further enables visitors to engage like-minded individuals and create relationships which are invaluable in the currently highly-competitive environment. Meeting on a more relaxed platform further breaks down those often-awkward barriers around professional interactions. Exhibitions also provide key opportunities to meet other contacts such as investors, or foreign delegates that can share their experiences from other regions that may also help solve any local challenges or differences in business trading. - Learning and trends
Exhibitions are a great place to polish up your industry skills and find out about the latest innovations and trends. This is particularly important for the HERVAC sectors that are amidst significant changes in terms of the transition to natural refrigerants and all of the influencing factors that need to be understood from a technology and design point of view. Visitors also get the opportunity to listen to many industry specialists and absorb the wisdom of thought-leaders and innovators in the sectors. There is always insight into future trends, where things are headed from multiple aspects and what businesses and individuals need to prepare themselves for in future with regard to those changes and trends. - Physical experience
Exhibitions are exceptional interactive environments. They are generally full of live demonstrations and new products or technology that give visitors the opportunity to examine, handle, compare, see, and test. All important elements for both professionals and tradespeople. Physical interaction is also critical for humans who are essentially social beings and require interaction with others in order to function correctly in a work environment. Many studies over the years have proven this to be highly accurate. - Creative engagement
nnovative technology and impressive engineering all equate to a thought-provoking creative experience that will inspire visitors, and just leave them with that feeling of satisfaction. Nothing tops that feeling when you have been inspired by seeing something new or finding solutions to challenges you regularly come across. - Negotiations
Exhibitions offer a unique platform and are the perfect place to deploy negotiations but more importantly understand what the driving factors behind negotiations are in order to be successful, understand each business and model and then create opportunities going forward. - Direct access to industry leaders
Several independent research reports prove that exhibitions provide direct access to decision makers – therefore opening up the opportunity for visitors to engage with all of the role players that can make things happen for a business or industry at-large through advice or ongoing engagement. This platform allows a forum to ask and listen and then build bridges with the industry’s most powerful stakeholders. - Careers opportunities
Exhibitions are a great place to get the youth involved in an industry by allowing them to learn about all of the aspects of industry dynamics, technology and design. This platform is also great if you may be interested in a career change. Exhibitions provide a glimpse of what you could expect to get involved in and sample first hand until you are satisfied to settle into something new.
Visiting exhibitions essentially always provides visitors with the things you never even knew you needed or wanted – and in today’s times of such a lot of changes – this is a great place to get up to speed with everything and everyone in the same place, at the same time.
Planning ahead and getting the most out of FRIGAIR 2022
With so much to do and so much to see, how do you ensure you get the full experience?
suppliers and network with old friends. Image credit: IMD
Having been four years since the last FRIGAIR, and having attended many golf days, virtual events, meetings and seminars (where allowed face to face), it is easy to spot the vast changes that have happened in the industry with many people and companies exiting or merging, in addition to just as many new entrants coming in, new engineers graduating and more contractors offering their services.
As were the wishes for the last FRIGAIR in 2018, may the 2022 experience indeed create stimulus for the industry. Positive news for the sectors that rely heavily on the sector (other than perishable products) is that with the removal of the ‘state of disaster’, it is clear that the country is ready to get back to normal – and that means many hospitality sectors again coming into full-swing.
At this year’s show you will clearly note that the international pavilion was not able to attend (due to travel restrictions/requirements), however this gives exceptional opportunity to focus on and engage to the max with the local manufacturers and suppliers this year.
Visiting stands
You will be doing a lot of walking so come prepared with comfortable shoes. There are two exhibition sites for FRIGAIR, namely Hall 5 and the allocated outside space. Have a look at the floor plans that will be around the halls and assuming you have been following all of the media releases, you will identify who you really must see versus who you want to see versus the ‘nice to sees’.
If you are travelling a far way to attend the show, you should probably plan to stop by all the stands, not just select a few. Knowing what the industry is up to and what new technology is available will come in handy at any point – even if it doesn’t seem so obvious at that moment. This is something we can personally testify to – you never know when knowing some specific details can open or close a door! Make sure to utilise the official FRIGAIR Catalogue as a guide to help you navigate your way around. The catalogue also has contact details for the exhibitors, should you want to look any of them up after the show.
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The exhibitors have put in a lot of time and effort to bring you the best possible engagement, so spare them some time for a chat. The industry has changed dramatically so you want to know who the new players are. It’s who you know, remember … whether you are a consultant, a contractor, or even part of the competition, knowledge is power!
Events and launches
Exhibitors are planning numerous fun and exciting moments. As with the last exhibitions, there were many lucky draws, competitions, and live demos to attend. Other functions and celebrations will also be taking place during the three days – so make sure you check in with your suppliers/connections to find out what else is happening. There are sure to be some pretty exciting activities on the exhibition floor so keep your eyes (and ears) open – you may be a winner if you have entered.
Free-to-attend workshops
At this year’s FRIGAIR (as with the 2018 event) the South African Institute for Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (SAIRAC) has put together a very informative programme that will run concurrently with the exhibition and focus around the theme of Natural Refrigerants.
Check out the programme online for all of the latest updates and slots so you can take advantage of this powerful knowledge base and expand your skills! Specialists will be sharing their knowledge — for free! The topics here are very practical and cover elements you encounter already, or will in future, in your day-to-day work. These are generally short (+- 45 minutes) so you can easily squeeze in a presentation or two when your feet get tired on the exhibition floor. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. This is your time to get all the answers you have been wondering about. Don’t wait for another opportunity – the opportunity is now!
Part of the exhibition will also host various SAIRAC arranged ASHRAE short courses that will be delivered at an allocated venue at Gallagher. Check out the official website for these as well as booking availability – space is limited so best do this in advance.
Talk to the organisers
At the end of the day, the aim is that every visitor has the best FRIGAIR experience you could possibly have, getting the most out of the show and your time there. So, let us know what you liked and what you didn’t like – the show can only be better by your engagement. What would you do differently and what really impressed you? The more we know, the better we can make the next FRIGAIR. We welcome both compliments and complaints to make sure we are keeping up to par on a world-class level.
Follow the show organisers using @Frigair_Expo. Be sure to also follow us on social media to find out what’s going on! We are confident that you’ll get more business done at the show than you could possibly achieve from the office.
Lastly, don’t forget to visit the Cold Link Africa and RACA Journal stands to sign up for your own free copy or just to say hello. We will be around the show floor engaging with the industry and we look forward to meeting everyone remotely involved or linked to the HERVAC sectors – you may have some stories or technology our readers need to know about too so don’t be shy, we want to hear from you!
About FRIGAIR
One of the South African Institute for Refrigeration and Air Conditioning’s (SAIRAC) premier events, the FRIGAIR expo is the largest dedicated HERVAC trade exhibition in Africa. Since 1980, FRIGAIR has been providing the industry-preferred platform for engagement on doing business, knowledge transfer and networking opportunities. This event not only creates industry stimulus, it also leads these sectors in future trends and best practices in order to achieve better efficiency and greener solutions.
Visit the official website for more information and post show information: www.frigairexpo.co.za
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