NatRef Virtual Trade Show to Feature Enhanced Networking Opportunities 

The 2021 Virtual Trade Show for natural refrigerants (ATMO VTS 2021) will include a host of networking opportunities, allowing attendees to connect with both exhibitors and each other – before, during and after the event. 

The networking options will include standard communications on the ATMO VTS platform, as well as new enhanced communications via shecco's free ATMOsphere platform. ATMOsphere, already with close to 500 members, was officially launched March 10 as a networking community for natural refrigerant and clean cooling stakeholders globally. (Both ATMO VTS and ATMOsphere are products of shecco, publisher of this website.)

ATMO VTS 2021 will take place online over a 24-hour period, from 10 am CET March 30 to 10 am CET March 31. The event is designed to fill the physical trade show void as the world continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Event organizers are expecting 5,000-10,000 registrations. Premium exhibitors so far include Teko, Zudek, ebm-papst, Carel, Alfa Laval, Dorin, Panasonic and GEA. See a list of all exhibitors here. 

Register for the event here. Registration is free.

Standard communications at ATMO VTS

Standard communications during ATMO VTS (separate from the ATMOsphere network) include the following:

• A public networking lounge where all users logged in can appear.
• As a new feature, there is an attendee search function to find anyone present (logged in) at the event. The search function enables search by company or name, and once an attendee has found the desired person, it is possible to initiate a chat via text or video.
• At the exhibitor booths it is possible to chat publicly with all attendees present at the booth via text, or privately with the exhibitor staff members via text, audio or video.
• Many booths will also have private meeting rooms, where an attendee can join meetings with a group of people, or enter a virtual tour of the exhibitor’s physical show rooms
• Some exhibitors (Dorin and Carel) are also organizing webinars and presentations at their booth meeting rooms.
• Premium exhibitor Teko is even hosting a virtual “bar” for more social networking opportunities.

Networking via ATMOsphere 

As a new opportunity for ATMO VTS 2021, shecco has created a permanent global network enabling natural refrigerant and clean cooling stakeholders to network and exchange information before, during and after the event. The new ATMOsphere network, powered by Slack, is free to join. Attendees of ATMO VTS are invited to join the ATMOsphere network as part of completing the registration process for the event, but can join the network at any time.

Communication on ATMOsphere can be via text or video chats.

The ATMOsphere network includes the following:

• One-to-one personal chats with anyone attending ATMO VTS (identided via the search function in ATMO VTS) or otherwise in the network.
• Group chats with others attending ATMO VTS or otherwise in the network.
• Commenting on ATMO VTS in a channel dedicated to the event.
• Learning about and discussing specific topics in channels dedicated to those topics, including refrigerants, skills and training, product innovations, market data and case studies.
• Seeking out like-minded stakeholders for projects in the projects and partners channel.
• Staying up to date on all news related to sustanable cooling in the daily news channel

"More than 60 physical events and thousands of real connections later, we decided to do what we do best – innovate, creating a virtual ‘home’ for our expansive natural refrigerant network to engage, innovate, and build on these relationships towards a universal goal of clean cooling for all," said Marc Chasserot, Founder of ATMOsphere and CEO of shecco.

Join the ATMOsphere network today to start networking.

24-hour live webinars

The VTS 2021 program will also include a wide-ranging webinar program, with sessions spanning the full 24-hour period, and all time zones, taking place in two virtual auditoriums.

The program includes a policy panel with Bente Tranholm Schwarz from the European Commission, Tim Gabriel from the Environmental Investigation Agency, Andreas Meier from Teko, and Barbara Gschrey from Öko-Recherche, a German independent environmental research institution.

There will also be a retailer panel with Richard Taylor from Pick n' Pay in South Africa, Olaf Schulze from German Metro AG, Dario Ferlin from Woolworths in Australia, and Jeffrey Carlson from Lunds and Byerlys in the U.S.

Several of the VTS premium exhibitors are also offering webinars, including Carel, which is presenting on how to increase energy efficiency in commercial applications and food service, based on a recently published report. 

Teko is offering two webinars, including one on different chiller applications and one on CO₂ start-ups., and ebm-papst will present on its new efficient axial fan range, the AxiEco.

Dorin is offering a webinar looking at transcritical CO2 in industrial applications, and Alfa Laval will speak about what drives innovation within natural refrigerants, particularly propane (R290), ammonia/NH3 (R717) and CO2 (R744).

The full program is available here.