Refricolombia arrived last July to its fifth version, and ACR LATINOAMÉRICA was given the task of consulting among some attendees their impressions of this event, which year after year brings together the authorities of the industry in Bogotá, Colombia.
by: Héctor Oswaldo Gómez
Something special must have the number five. It is not free that in some companies employees celebrate their five-year periods and that the Spanish language has the beautiful word "lustro" to refer to the five-year period. Refricolombia arrived during 2008 to its fifth version, the last three have had a commercial sample and over the years it has been consolidated as an important fair of the refrigeration market in the region.
The evetno was attended by more than 500 attendees, including speakers, participants and logistics team. A very significant fact was the massive participation in the commercial exhibition in which the companies of the sector offered the widest information about their new products, trends and advances in the industry.
The voices of the industry
It is time to retrace the steps and take a look back, identify the highlights and work on those opportunities for improvement that will make it possible for Refricolombia 2009 to exceed the expectations of the attendees and organizers. That is why ACR LATINOAMÉRICA spoke in depth with four professionals who offered their perception of the event.
The group of interviewees was composed of Karol Bibiana León Pérez, analyst of naval machinery and propulsion of Cotecmar, a company from Cartagena, Colombia; Lina María Pérez Amariles, process engineering coordinator at Industrias Haceb S.A of Medellín, Colombia; Patricio Gualotuña, project manager of Apoyoc in Quito, Ecuador, and Jahir Salazar García, project manager, refrigeración del Sur y Cía Ltda of Bucaramanga, Colombia.
This annual meeting is the best excuse to bring the different professionals of the industry closer to updating spaces, which will ultimately result in the improvement of organizations. "Refricolombia 2008 was a tool that became the bridge for feedback between suppliers and control entities that have influence on the regulatory part of the refrigerant industry," said Lina Pérez.
Another fundamental aspect for some of the interviewees is that the event provided tools to know the dynamics of the market in the region, in addition to serving as an incentive for refrigeration professionals to become increasingly competitive: "these events manage to strengthen the industry and motivate people who work directly with this type of applications, to be constantly updated and to move in the direction in which the market is headed, focusing on a correct practice of knowledge to achieve a good design, assembly and operation of systems based on savings and appropriate use of resources, "said Karol León.
Something very important is that Refricolombia is the right space to establish new commercial relations and contacts for the exchange of knowledge, as Jahir Salazar expressed.
Everyone wins
The world and its different industries are updating at a dizzying pace; the refrigeration industry has not been left behind in this global phenomenon, in that Karol León and Jahir Salazar agreed. "In congresses of this magnitude, the necessary tools are offered to learn and publicize the latest in refrigeration technology, creating an open space for companies to improve and optimize their systems, finally offering better products and services to their customers, which strategically positions them within the market," said León, while Salazar pointed out that "sometimes manufacturers of parts such as compressors, motors, evaporators and accessories strive to develop new products that take a long time to reach the country and be assimilated by the Colombian market, but with this type of events the same market is responsible for pressing the arrival of these new products and facilitating their prompt implementation. "
Regarding the academic part, Patricio Gualotuña said that "all the topics were very interesting. The speakers were people with extensive knowledge in the area of refrigeration and in all the events in which I was present they showed great experience."
The commercial exhibition
The academic part definitely received a very good review and the commercial sample for its part was not far behind, although some of the interviewees said that they would have liked it to be larger and have more exhibiting companies. "The commercial sample was very good especially those of Danfoss and the Seine where they worked hard, not only to show their products, but also to train their customers. More work can be done on this commercial exhibition so that in the next Refricolombia the number of exhibiting companies is increased", was the opinion of Jahir Salazar; while Patricio Gualotuña said: "the commercial sample was very interesting, but it should be expanded with more exhibiting companies, preferably distributors and manufacturers to know the technological advances and guarantees offered by the different brands, because attending Refricolombia is also meeting new suppliers".
For two days, the Compensating Convention Center in Bogotá was the stage in which the main actors of commercial and industrial refrigeration strengthened commercial and friendship ties, while training and updating the most important concepts in the industry. Refricolombia 2008 is already history, now comes the 2009 version. From now on, the logistics team is working to make a much better fair than this year's, in which the aspects that had a positive rating are maintained, and those in which it must be improved manage to offer better experiences and satisfaction to the attendees.
On the table were those topics that should have a place next year for the consideration of the interviewees: energy efficiency in order to rationalize spending on processes, good practices in preventive and corrective maintenance, evaluation of refrigeration and air conditioning projects, new technologies in the field of air conditioning with refrigerants 410 and, why not, the suggestion made by Karol León "as an engineer in a corporation that designs and builds boats, I would like to see many concepts of refrigeration applied to the naval part, or why not, include companies that offer products for specific applications of this type".
It is important that channels of dialogue and exchange are maintained to continue positioning the refrigeration industry as an important component within the economy of our countries.
