ISH China & CIHE, the China International Exhibition for Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning, Sanitation & Home Comfort System, concluded successfully on 13 May 2024. The event attracted 75,156 attendees over its three-day run, along with 1,100 exhibitors from 18 countries and regions who showcased the latest in low-carbon and environmentally friendly HVAC products and technologies. This year¡¯s exhibition was marked by an expanded international presence of exhibitors and visitors, providing greater opportunities for cross-border business and cooperation. Meanwhile, the show¡¯s acclaimed concurrent event programme returned to deliver insights into new HVAC technologies and cultivate discussions among industry professionals.

Jointly organised by Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd and CIEC GL events (Beijing) International Exhibition Co Ltd, ISH China & CIHE 2024 was held from 11 ¨C 13 May at the China International Exhibition Center (Shunyi Hall) in Beijing. With an overall area of 106,000 sqm across eight exhibition halls, the event welcomed a total of 75,156 professional visitors.

This year, the fair expanded on its core product themes of ¡°Energy¡±, ¡°Water¡± and ¡°Life¡± with the return of its overseas and German areas, a Canadian pavilion, and the debut of a new Italian pavilion. These specialised zones enabled the exchange of HVAC solutions between international and domestic exhibitors, thereby enhancing business cooperation and facilitating entry into wider local and global markets. The event also highlighted recent developments in energy storage and energy-saving boiler technologies, targeting carbon emission and pollution reduction through the transformation of heating supply systems.

Alongside the main exhibition, the fair¡¯s fringe programme provided a venue for global industry experts and scholars to discuss carbon emissions reduction and sustainable development in the HVAC sector. Notably, this line-up included the China International HVAC Congress (iHVAC), which examined the latest energy development trends in the industry, with a particular emphasis on zero-carbon heating solutions.

Overall, the fair was met with positive feedback from participants, with many expressing a strong desire to return for next year¡¯s edition.

Exhibitors¡¯ experiences

"ISH China & CIHE offers us an all-in-one platform to showcase our latest products and solutions. We have participated for many years, and this fair has allowed us to connect with many high-calibre customers. Not only can we debut our newly released offerings, but we can also observe the new technologies on offer from other brands, facilitating an efficient exchange of information. This year we met a lot of distributors and end-users, along with a considerable international crowd. I sensed great interest in our products geared towards both the domestic and global markets. In addition to bringing us new customers, the exhibition provided an excellent avenue for promoting heat pump technologies.¡±
Ms Li Luyao, Product Manager, Zhejiang Zhongguang Electrical Co Ltd

"Midea has been a regular exhibitor at ISH China & CIHE for the last few years. The event itself has grown significantly, drawing more exhibitors and visitors each edition. This year, our main objective was to share our future roadmap in the heat pump sector. At the fair, we were approached by a number of industry experts, distributors and visitors who demonstrated a deep understanding of the field. Many of them were particularly interested in our high-temperature heat pumps, and we intend to follow up with them after the show.¡±

Mr Lu Ming, ATW Heat Pump Sales Director, Domestic Sales Company, Midea Building Technology

"We have been a part of ISH China & CIHE for two decades, and have always considered it to be a benchmark event for the industry. It gives us the chance to directly connect with HVAC industry professionals, deepen our connections with existing business partners, and explore future market trends. This year¡¯s high turnout, especially from our targeted customer segments, made our participation especially rewarding. Building on the trust we have gained here, we are now readily preparing for ISH in Germany, and will continue to support ISH China & CIHE in the years to come.¡±
Mr Jackie Xiao, Wilo Group Emerging Market Director, Wilo China Ltd.

¡°This was our first time exhibiting at ISH China & CIHE. Hoping to establish ourselves in the Chinese market, we set out to find a reliable local agent, and the show helped to facilitate those initial steps. We have received favourable feedback from visitors and potential customers, with many showing interest in our products and technologies. Having attended last year as a visitor, I noticed that this year¡¯s edition was far more crowded, with a more diverse range of attendees. Visitors were especially interested in our temperature controllers, instantaneous water heaters and domestic heat pumps. We¡¯re already looking forward to exhibiting again next year.¡±

Mr Ivo Booer, Managing Director Asia, HANSA

¡°This marks our third time participating in ISH China & CIHE. We returned this year to connect with new clients and existing partners, and to promote our latest offerings through face-to-face interactions. Our aim is to impart our expertise and insights, as we believe that many of these visitors hold the potential to become customers down the line. We are really satisfied with the turnout, and most seemed very knowledgeable about the industry - I feel there¡¯s much we can learn from them, as well. Some visitors have shown interest in becoming sales agents for our products, and we look forward to exploring these opportunities further.¡±
Mr Muammer Sahin, General Manager, AYVAZ (Cixi) Metal Products Co Ltd

"While this is our first time attending ISH China & CIHE, we¡¯ve been to ISH in Germany in the past. We mainly supply products to manufacturers of gas boilers and heat pumps. Recognising the growth of the Chinese market, we believe that as a competitive Italian company, we are well-positioned to take advantage of this opportunity. This exhibition has been a great way for us to meet new customers and domestic partners, helping us to build a foundation and reputation here. The turnout and visitor quality exceeded our expectations, and we¡¯ve had some initial business exchanges that I¡¯m hopeful will translate into fruitful outcomes.¡±

Mr Marco Rapaccioli, CEO, G20 Engineering SRL

Visitor feedback

"For the second time, our association has collaborated with ISH China & CIHE to send a delegation to the show. This year, we invited chief engineers from design institutes across the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning and Shanxi provinces, as well as various northern regions to participate in the exhibition and accompanying forums. The event hosted a number of companies who are leading the way in clean, low-carbon and renewable energy technologies ¨C including heat pump technologies, all in line with China¡¯s dual carbon goals. It has also highlighted some innovative concepts and emerging trends pertinent to the ongoing energy revolution. Next year, we hope to organise an even larger delegation.¡±
Mr Zhang Jie, Chief Engineer, Beijing Institute of Architectural Design / Chairman, The Building Environment and Energy Application Branch of China Engineering & Consulting Association

¡°Our company specialises in heat pumps, electrical water heaters and gas water heaters. We have come to the fair looking for new suppliers and partnership opportunities in China¡¯s vast HVAC market. I¡¯ve already approached several exhibitors for product quotations, and I¡¯m excited about the prospect of securing some deals with them. I¡¯ve been to many HVAC shows in China, but this one has really impressed me in terms of the quality of participants and product displays. The way the product categories are organised makes it convenient to navigate the exhibition halls and find my targeted exhibitors.¡±
Mr Asheesh Jha, Founder & CEO, EcoTech Solutions

Association representatives and speakers¡¯ thoughts:
"This year's summit primarily centred around the application of low-carbon energy sources in future energy development initiatives. Discussions covered a broad range of topics including cross-seasonal energy storage and low-carbon energy within the context of the dual-carbon goals. Compared to previous years, I noticed more smart heating products and systems on display. The show also added a new section highlighting industry achievements, including the release of relevant publications, design accolades, and more. From the Association¡®s perspective, our member companies across China turn out in full force each year, including those from places like Lanzhou, Tangshan, Tianjin and Urumqi, so it can really be considered a important industry event. This year saw high overall attendance, with a strong turnout from heating sector professionals and experts.¡°
Ms Niu Xiaohua, Deputy Secretary, China District Heating Association

"At this year¡¯s ISH China & CIHE, we released for the first time our report on the development of heat storage and energy storage. It explores technological progress, future trends, and provides important information regarding the implementation of HVAC policies. The show is a key platform for showcasing new HVAC technologies and products, including the energy storage solutions that are driving the industry¡¯s advancement. As expected, the show floor was well organised and drew a strong crowd of visitors. Through ISH China & CIHE, we hope to motivate more companies to pursue market integration and develop innovative new product offerings.¡±

Mr Song Weimin, Secretary of Party Branch, Vice President & Secretary General, China Construction Metal Structure Association

"At today¡¯s summit, I presented our latest research on waste heat utilisation ¨C really diving into specific technologies and concepts. Our feedback was excellent, and I was impressed by the deep understanding of our work by my peers. I¡¯ve definitely taken note of this summit¡¯s increasing influence in recent years, which you can see from the calibre of companies participating across the various forum tracks. The push for dual-carbon reductions has the heating industry braced for significant change, and ISH China & CIHE¡¯s conferences and product showcases help companies to better understand the latest heating trends. By bringing in international experts to share their perspectives, the event facilitates cross-border knowledge exchange, which is especially critical as the industry works toward meeting decarbonisation goals worldwide.¡±

Mr Fu Lin, Professor, Chief Researcher, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University

¡°The iHVAC congress was a great opportunity for me to share the strides that Finland has made in the energy sector, particularly in the area of decarbonisation. I must say, the reception was fantastic ¨C the audience was really engaged and asked insightful follow-up questions post-presentation. It¡¯s clear that this topic is especially relevant in China right now, with the government targeting their carbon peak before 2030 and rapidly driving down emissions after that. So, the information I provided seemed especially pertinent.  These seminars allow us to not only showcase our successes, but also to explore the processes and technologies that have enabled our decarbonisation progress. It has been invaluable collaborating with local experts before and after the summit, exchanging views on pressing issues related to this transition.¡±

Mr Tero Tulokas, Chairman, Finnish Energy Club

ISH China & CIHE is organised by Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd and CIEC GL events (Beijing) International Exhibition Co Ltd. The next edition of the show will return in spring 2025. It is headed by the biennial ISH event in Frankfurt, Germany, the world¡¯s leading trade fair for HVAC + Water which will next take place from 13 ¨C 17 March 2025. For more information, please visit www.ish.messefrankfurt.com.

For more information about ISH China & CIHE and, a further ISH event in China, ISH Shanghai & CIHE - Shanghai International Trade Fair for Heating, Ventilation, Air-conditioning & Home Comfort System, please visit www.ishc-cihe.com