#FRIGAIR2018
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
ATMO FRIGAIR
makes history
By Ilana Koegelenberg
Africa’s first ATMOsphere networking event took place during FRIGAIR and officially
started the natural refrigerants conversation between government, industry, and end users.
of the FRIGAIR exhibition hall, it was time
for everyone to make their way to Hall 3
for the long-awaited networking event.
The room was a mix of contractors,
representatives from the Department of
Environmental Affairs (DEA), end users
such as Woolworths and Makro, and key
stakeholders from all over the country.
Nearly 150 people attended on the day,
raising the bar for networking events across
the globe.
We were privileged to welcome
three visitors from shecco to South
African shores for the inaugural event:
Lydia Matthäus-Wiltink (global events
manager); Alvaro De Oña (chief
operating officer and head of media);
as well as Andrew Williams (shecco
European editor). They spent some time
on the CRS stand during FRIGAIR and
got to see for themselves where we were
in terms of natural refrigerants. Williams
could be seen running around the
show interviewing people left, right and
centre, gathering info on the progress on
natural refrigerants in the country and
beyond our borders.
It is worth noting that there definitely
were more products at the show geared
towards the natural refrigerants market
than at previous shows. I even saw
R290 compressors and a variety of CO 2
system components for all applications.
Wynand Groenewald (CRS) with the shecco team, from left: Alvaro De Oña; Groenewald; Andrew Williams; and Lydia Matthäus-Wiltink.
S
hecco ATMOsphere networking even presented talks at a couple of everyone was determined to make the
events and conferences are known them. “By attending these international event a success.
throughout the global industry for its ATMOsphere events, I have personally
After months of hard work,
International trends are finally starting to
filter through …
MAKING HISTORY
The aim of the event was to showcase
work in promoting the uptake of natural seen the benefit that they have in the everything was ready. And with a final global developments with natural
refrigerants. Firmly established as the uptake of natural refrigerants,” said announcement over the intercom system refrigerants and assess how South Africa
world’s leading conference series on Groenewald before the event.
natural refrigerants, taking place across
the world, South Africa proudl