Chillventa eSpecial: interview with Petra Wolf

From 13 to 15 October 2020, the international refrigeration, AC, ventilation and heat pump sector will come together online for the Chillventa eSpecial. In this interview, Petra Wolf from the NürnbergMesse management board gives us a preview of the event.

How is the Chillventa eSpecial being received by the sector?

Petra Wolf: We are currently still in the acquisition phase but at this point we are pleased with progress so far. Particularly in the current circumstances, there is a strong need within the industry for networking and dialogue, and the Chillventa eSpecial offers the ideal platform for this. The exclusive partner contingent, for example, is almost fully booked, so anyone still wanting to access this package will have to be quick. The Ticket Shop for participants has been opened for a few days now and is also attracting a lot of interest.

Do you think that the Chillventa eSpecial is a good substitute for an on-site event, and are there perhaps even aspects of it that you plan to adopt for Chillventa 2022?

Naturally, a virtual event has different qualities to an on-site trade fair. Meeting face-to-face again, getting information and talking to one another are elementary human needs that are becoming increasingly apparent, particularly in these times of crisis. Leading international fairs like Chillventa will in future continue to offer guidance to all industry stakeholders and will still be platforms for business success.

A virtual event in this format is a new departure for us. We will certainly be able to gather new experiences and then we can see whether and what we can adopt for 2022 in Nuremberg.

What are the distinctive features of the eSpecial? How can participants meet and talk to one another in the virtual space?

The Chillventa eSpecial will bring specialists together for virtual knowledge-sharing. International exhibitors from all around the world will present their products, innovations and solutions and facilitate professional dialogue. On all three days, participants can network with exhibitors via their corporate profiles and find out about their latest products.

The exchanges and knowledge-sharing between participants and exhibiting companies are a key aspect of the event. The best example of this is the integrated matchmaking tool to facilitate networking, without doubt one of the highlights of the event. In the onboarding process for the eSpecial, participants will indicate the solutions and products they are interested in and will then receive their personal “best matches” as suitable proposed contacts. Using chat and video calls, all participants can then start a conversation directly.

Another impressive feature of the event will be the high-calibre professional content provided by the exhibiting companies and renowned speakers from all around the world.

The Chillventa eSpecial will kick off on 13 October 2020 with the Chillventa CONGRESS. As always, the congress will offer valuable inspiration on the latest developments in refrigeration, AC and heat pumps, derived directly from the R&D environment and practical applications, as well as information on the latest policy frameworks.

On 14 and 15 October, three parallel streams will focus on knowledge transfer with experts under the thematic heading “Chillventa Connecting Experts”. Numerous presentations, round tables, web sessions and panel discussions will explore innovative solutions and new developments in components, systems and applications. The key topics will include aspects of the coronavirus pandemic, illegal refrigerants, energy performance, low GWP refrigerants, low charge R717, safety precautions for the use of virtual tools, and heat pumps.

The easiest way to get an overview is to look at the platform yourself. You can get an initial impression on our landing page, for example: www.chillventa.de/especial-participation

What do participants need to bear in mind if they want to take part in the eSpecial, and what system requirements are necessary?

They will need an up-to-date browser, ideally Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. The eSpecial is a web platform and can be used everywhere from a notebook, laptop, PC, tablet or mobile device.

How do you envisage the future of trade fairs? Will the current situation change anything in the long term?

At present, the trade fair industry is slowly starting to come to life again. In the last six months NürnbergMesse ground to a halt. From March to September there was an official government ban on events, so we could not hold any exhibitions. We postponed, cancelled or digitised many events. Although the virtual platforms are shaping up very well, from our perspective they are no substitute for face-to-face events.

It is not yet possible to predict what impact the current situation will have on the trade fair industry worldwide. However, we are highly confident that in future we will be once again be holding high-quality trade fairs, organised by experts for experts, all over the world.

About Petra Wolf

In her function as Member of the Management Board and head of Expo & Conference NürnbergMesse, Petra Wolf is responsible for the successful Chillventa as the leading international, refrigeration and air-conditioning exhibition. This also includes the worldwide refrigeration, air-conditioning, ventilation and heat pump community. In addition to Chillventa, other events include the European Heat Pump Summit, ACREX India, and REFCOLD INDIA. She is also responsible for the Building & Construction Cluster. This includes numerous leading international trade fairs and product families such as the combined trade fairs FENSTERBAU FRONTALE and HOLZ-HANDWERK, as well as Chillventa, European Heat Pump Summit, Stone+tec, GaLaBau, Feuertrutz, and eltec.