Cold Link Africa Cold Link Africa_Sept_digital | Page 7

#FRIGAIR2018 INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN John Ackermann (left) and Margaret Molefe of DEA catch up before the ATMO FRIGAIR event. things bordered at chaotic at times. Especially when the first course ran over time and the second set of delegates were already starting to show up. This was probably the most frantic moment of my show but in the end, all went well and the courses were much praised by all who attended. A work in progress. Build-up was so much work — I never thought it would get done! This day was a blur of mini interactions. It would take me forever to get anywhere in the hall, as I would run into so many people that I wanted to talk to. It was as if so many conversations I’ve had over the past six years were continuing all at once. I was so tired, but equally energised. It was also great seeing so many people at What is a Dunham-Bush exhibit without their (notorious) promo girls. Olaf, the face of the show, happily posed with them. the show that I’ve been fortunate to bump into overseas at trade fairs. A shout-out to Warren Familiar of Euphoria Coffee who still makes the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had. I first met him during the last FRIGAIR and he’s since been at a number of industry events. I don’t think I will ever write up any form of trade fair My hero, Warren Familiar of Euphoria Coffee. The stands buzzing with visitors. COLD LINK AFRICA • September 2018 without paying homage to the baristas. As a journalist, coffee (and good coffee at that) is crucial to my survival at these shows, said the drama queen. On day one, I finally got to meet the shecco team who were in the country for the first-ever ATMOsphere networking event to be held in Africa. It would take place the next day. Now, I’ve been a self-proclaimed fan-girl of shecco and their work for a very long time — even before work started on organising ATMO FRIGAIR. I even saw their UK editor, Andrew Williams, at MCE in Italy earlier this year, but never had the courage to go introduce myself. I was pleasantly surprised to see Andrew among the shecco team at the show. I think the CRS crew knew better than anyone else when it came to my obsession with shecco … So, during the afternoon, as I was briskly walking past on some mission or another, Wynand Groenewald roped me onto their stand, proclaiming that “It’s time.” He finally introduced me to Andrew as well as Lydia Matthäus-Wiltink (global events manager), and Alvaro De Oña www.coldlinkafrica.co.za 7