“So, after more than two years of bickering, posturing, tears, threats, tantrums, court actions and uncertainties.........my employers finally let me go to Chillventa!” Neil Everitt provides an “alternative” report from the new refrigeration and air conditioning show.
SO, Chillventa finally happened and, despite the worries and concerns of the organisers, it proved to be an outstanding success. As the pretender to the crown of Europe's leading air conditioning and refrigeration show opened its doors in Nuremberg in October with an assured seamlessness that made you forget the name of that other show it replaced.

For a review of the show, however, comparisons with IKK are unavoidable. The bald statistics are that 29,490 visitors attended from over 90 countries. The exhibition itself featured 804 exhibitors from 43 countries.

For a first showing it was an excellent return and it has been well documented that many potential exhibitors preferred a 'wait and see approach', taking the role of Switzerland in the ensuing war between IKK and Chillventa.

In reality, it was never seriously in doubt that the bloodless coup carried out by a large, influential and rebellious group of IKK exhibitors would be successful but it was not without rancour. Principal in this was the legal dispute between the Nürnbergmesse, the original organisers of IKK and the IKK owners the German contractors association VDKF, resulting in an out-of-court settlement in which the Nürnbergmesse is prevented from even mentioning the word 'IKK'.

So disciplined are the staff (national stereotypes might lead you to expect nothing less from the Germans) that it became a sort of English journalists' game to try (in vain) to trick the NurembergMesse staff into uttering the forbidden name.

In fact, within the corridors of NurembergMesse, IKK is now only ever referred to as Project 0620 - presumably in a hushed tone, spoken out the side of the mouth and partially obscured by a hand.

Even at the international press briefing during the show, the organisers managed to avoid mentioning the word. All that is except one influential member of the exhibitors' committee during the question and answer session, but he was strangely absent afterwards - presumably sent to some German archipelago for a period of correction.

Novel idea

In addition to a comprehensive seminar programme and the inclusion of a special industrial heat pump area within the show, one particularly novel idea was the distribution of fortune cookies to visitors. A nice idea, but I've always avoided the black arts and my 'fortune' was, to say the least, somewhat disturbing. My cookie contained the fortune: 'A well informed friend will accompany you 365 days a year'. Now, forgive me for not being grateful but the last thing I want is to be stalked by some know-it-all!

Perhaps it lost something in the translation, a not uncommon occurrence with the Germans graciously trying to accommodate us linguistically-challenged Brits.

This could account for one of the misunderstandings in one of the restaurants we visited. A mixed grill containing smoked pig's stomach sounded suitably disgusting or, should I say, intriguing enough for me to want to order it. Its arrival, however, was something of a very ordinary-looking disappointment, and I complained bitterly that they had forgotten the smoked pig's stomach.....as I searched in vain under the rashers of streaky bacon.

Mind you, the German hotel receptionist's English teacher must have had a sense of humour. On checking out, she handed me a small cellophane packet with a knowing smile and the words 'something for the weekend sir?' Though initially taken aback, I passed it off as completely normal for the sexually-liberated Germans. Luckily, I avoided later embarrassment by opening the packet outside to find it contained.........mints! At least, I think they were mints.

IKK owners in turmoil

One of the most notable absences from the show was the leading German contractors association, the VDKF. Not surprising, I guess, as it was they, as owners of IKK, sorry, project 0620, who fought a long and protracted battle against the rebel exhibitors behind the formation of Chillventa.

After eventually conceding defeat and cancelling the IKK that was scheduled to take place just a week before Chillventa, one wonders whether they could have afforded to throw their lot in with Chillventa even if they had wanted/been allowed to.

Word from the German press has it that the VDKF is in financial turmoil. Having been forced to budget for a severely reduced income following the loss of revenue from the demise of IKK, the finances of the VDKF have been put in further doubt following the departure of long term chief executive Rudolf Pütz amidst allegations of embezzlement. A lawyer has now been installed as president in an effort to sort out the mess.