Signs in English and Chinese welcome visitors to the trade show and promote
a green message. Photo credit: Bob Miodonski/PM
What impresses many Western visitors to China is the massive scale of public events, product quantities and population. Other impressions include the hazy air quality and limits on potable water at the taps in public restrooms.
ISH China-CIHE, the China International Trade Fair for Sanitation, Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning, this year moved to Beijing’s new China International Exhibition Center near the city’s major airport to accommodate the show’s growth. Many of the products on display April 4-6 carried a green message to address China’s air and water concerns.
The trade show attracted 33,156 visitors, 96% of whom came from the local area, according to organizers Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co. and B&D Tiger Exhibition Co. The United States is among foreign countries that sent a total of 1,401 visitors; other nations include Russia, Italy, Japan, Germany, Turkey and Australia.
Five halls housed 816 exhibitors from 20 countries covering more than 210,000 sq. ft. of display area. Companies familiar to U.S. visitors include: Kohler, Grohe, REHAU, Weil-McLain, Watts, A. O. Smith, Grundfos, Grinnell, Danfoss, Wilo, Lochinvar, Navien, Caleffi, Baxi, Oventrop, Honeywell and Bosch. The show’s international media partners include Plumbing & Mechanical, Supply House Times and PM Engineer.
“For this year’s show we increased exhibition space by 43% to showcase a comprehensive range of products tailored to meet Chinese needs,” saysRichard Li, deputy general manager ofMesse Frankfurt in China.
Signs in English and Chinese welcome visitors to the trade show and promote
a green message.
Green wave
The Chinese government has stated strong goals to increase energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources in the nation’s heating and cooling systems, saysKlaus Jesse, chairman of the Federal Industrial Association of Germany House, Energy and Environmental Technology. Under the Chinese government’s 12th five-year plan, 28 cities must implement energy-efficient projects in residential buildings.Part of this plan includes heat meter transformation projects covering 24 million square miles of urban residential buildings to be completed by the end of next year. This accounts for nearly 40% of buildings that are not currently energy-efficient.
“With a demand for a higher quality of life, Chinese people are asking for better water-heating systems and such demands are bringing us opportunities,” says Jesse, who also is boiler manufacturer Vaillant’s marketing and international sales director. “ISH China-CIHE is a world-leading fair for technology efficiency and renewable energy.”
Another boiler manufacturer sees green opportunities as well.
“We have new products like condensing boilers using natural gas as fuel and this gives high efficiency and very low fuel temperature,” saysLi Xiaojun, Marley and Weil-McLain’s managing director in China. “Building management companies and real estate companies are very interested in this.”
On the bath-and-kitchen side, Kohler China Investment Co.’s Associate Direct Marketing Manager Warren Ling says, “I was glad to see that our booth was outstanding as it showed Kohler’s sustainability and stewardship initiatives in front of media and visitors.”
Energy-efficiency congress
In a reception hosted by the show’s producers, Jesse told Chinese construction industry VIPs and members of the media that Germany would be happy to share its long experience with green building technology to help the Chinese meet their goals for energy efficiency and renewable energy. A number of Germans presented reports April 5 during a day-long Sino European Congress, which addressed “Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies in Buildings.”Ulrich Schmidt, chairman of the Association of the European Heating Industry, describes the congress as a platform to discuss industry trends.
“It’s our responsibility to exchange existing solutions with countries that still have a lot of potential for energy efficiency,” he says. “China is a fast-growing nation and there is a lot of energy-efficiency demand.”
The next ISH China-CIHE will be held April 2013 in Bejing. The new ISH Shanghai-CIHE will be held Sept. 26-28, 2012.
ISH China-CIHE is one of Messe Frankfurt’s architecture and technology fairs, headed by the biennial ISH event in Frankfurt, Germany, which will take place March 12-16, 2013.
Check out PM On the Road: 2012 ISH China blogs from Bob: Part 1 and Part 2.
