AS THE months press on the battle for the hearts and minds of the European air conditioning and refrigeration equipment suppliers is hotting up. The competing organisers of IKK and Chillventa – the two German exhibitions scheduled to take place just one week apart in 2008 – now appear to be embroiled in a game of chicken to decide who will throw in the towel first.
As both hurtle towards the precipice neither, as yet, seem prepared to give way.

The two protagonists line up as follows:

Chillventa claims to have 110 companies committed to its cause against around 70 boasted by the IKK organisers.

Chillventa’s 110 supporters are listed on their website and represent some of the largest names in the business.

IKK, meanwhile, refuses to name its supporters on the grounds of confidentiality.

Chillventa has considerable muscle and is backing this with what would appear to be a considerable marketing warchest. The Chillventa name had a considerable presence at the last IKK and comprehensive advertising campaign and meetings with potential exhibitors is ongoing. However, the Chillventa organisers seem reticent to put an exact figure on the size of their marketing budget and we can only pontificate as to whether this early sales push is designed to kill off IKK and how much more might be available in the immediate run up to the show.

IKK, meanwhile, relies on funding from its owners the VDKF – the German contractors’ association. With most of its revenue coming from the annual IKK event, the Association would appear to be less well placed financially to promote its new Stuttgart show. That said, the IKK organisers have been fighting back of late with a string of ads across a number of publications.

The stakes are high and the two organisers still insist that only one show will go ahead in 2008. I’m not so sure – for the very reason that the stakes are so high.

Neither side seems ready to capitulate, so the European industry faces the real prospect that both shows could go ahead in 2008. Those who would disagree maintain that companies don’t have the budget to do two shows in two weeks. Well, European companies may not have but the economics might appear very attractive to our friends from China.

Neil Everitt

Editor