The inaugural three-day HEATEXPO show in Dortmund between 21 and 23 November proved tremendously successful. From the perspective of everyone involved, the new B2B show immediately managed to fill a gap and establish itself as a new forum for dialogue on all topics related to the move to renewable heating. Organisers, exhibitors and visitors were all up-beat about the new show, and many have already confirmed their participation next year. There are many reasons for this success: the contributions of the partners involved, the comprehensive, informative supporting programme and the opportunity at the venue to find out about new trends, technologies and solutions for tomorrow's heating.

Dortmund, 29 November 2023 – HEATEXPO, a new European trade show covering all topics associated with the move to renewable heating, was held at Messe Dortmund between 21 and 23 November 2023 under the patronage of the German Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development & Construction. The high relevance of the subject matter and the great interest shown by the many participants helped make this début a runaway success, with around 100 exhibitors from 12 countries – including the US, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland – showcasing their portfolios at the venue. Trade visitors from the energy supply sector and municipal utilities, local authorities and the worlds of politics, science and industry all convened at Messe Dortmund to discover more about current trends and topics of interest and to take a closer look at new products and services. Of course, there were also plenty of opportunities for engaging face-to-face and for building and growing one's personal network of contacts.

“We are delighted that HEATEXPO was so well received by industry participants right from the start and that, as a new B2B platform, it can help people and organisations take the right next steps – challenging though they may be – towards tomorrow’s net zero heating,” said Sabine Loos, Managing Director of Westfalenhallen Unternehmensgruppe, looking back on the three days of the show from the organiser's perspective. “As well as the patronage of the German Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development & Construction, a key factor for this success has been the knowledge and expertise of the conceptual sponsor, the Municipal Enterprises Association (VKU), and of partners such as the German Urban Municipalities' Convention, the German Local Government Confederation and the Association for the Economical Use of Energy and Water. With their support, we were able to attract many top exhibitors and put together an interesting supporting programme that met with great interest among the specialist audience. The fact that HEATEXPO 2023 offered innovative technologies you could touch and feel was crucial in ensuring that large numbers of industry experts and decision-makers decided to attend this inaugural show.”

Ingbert Liebing, Chief Executive of the Municipal Enterprises Association (VKU), the conceptual sponsor of HEATEXPO, was also more than satisfied with the way the inaugural show went: “We had the ideal conditions here in Dortmund to discuss the current and future challenges in the heating world, and to point out new ways of progressing towards net zero and shaping a socially acceptable transition to renewable heating. I'm delighted to have seen so much interest in these topics – for example in the round-tables – and I'm particularly pleased that, as conceptual sponsor, we in the Municipal Enterprises Association have been able to help close what has hitherto been a subject matter gap in the world of trade shows.”

For Dr Gerd Landsberg, HEATEXPO is the new must-attend diary date when it comes to expert, in-depth information on the green heating transition: “Together with the broad range of exhibitors, the supporting programme with its many exciting presentations and acknowledged experts ensures that representatives from local authorities and beyond obtain a quick, concise overview of the current status of the topic plus a good overview of what the future holds. I can therefore heartily recommend coming along to next year's show,” said the Chief Executive of the German Local Government Confederation (DStGB) at the HEATEXPO press conference.

Helmut Dedy, Chief Executive of the German Urban Municipalities' Convention, drew a similarly positive conclusion: “Municipalities have many tasks to perform to help us achieve the goal of making Germany climate-neutral. Many have already achieved key milestones – it's always important to be able to engage and learn about examples of good practice. HEATEXPO offers the ideal setting for this.”

Highly acclaimed supporting programme with acknowledged experts

The fact that other trade visitors also saw the supporting programme as a highlight of the show was clear from the many well-attended presentations, panel discussions, workshops and round-tables. Following the welcome address by Thomas Westphal, Mayor of Dortmund and a member of the Standing Committee of the German Urban Municipalities' Convention, the first day of the show got underway with a keynote talk by Dr Rolf Bösinger, Permanent Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development & Construction. The discussion between Secretary Bösinger, Ingbert Liebing, Chief Executive of the Municipal Enterprises Association (VKU), Dr Gerd Landsberg, Chief Executive of the German Local Government Confederation (DStGB), and Dr Eckhard Göske, Head of the Industry Unit at the North Rhine Westphalian Chamber of Trade & Industry, also met with great interest at the opening panel discussion entitled 'Wärmewende konkret' addressing the detail associated with the move to renewable heating. Brian Seeberg, CEO of ProjectZero, was equally pleased to have a large audience for his keynote entitled 'Project Zero Sønderborg – a Danish city on the way to carbon neutrality'. Nicolas Sommer, CCO and co-founder of Urbio, spoke on Day 2 of the show on 'Using AI-assisted generative design to accelerate the green heating transition'. The presentations entitled 'New heating grids in existing districts – challenges and solutions' by speakers Lea Gallé and Wiebke Hoberg, Heating Project Managers at the local government utilities efficiency network 'Association for the Economical Use of Energy and Water' (ASEW), and the round-table discussion entitled 'Real-life municipal heat planning – small municipalities and districts' chaired by Dr Karsten Lindloff, Team Leader, Energy Efficiency at the German Energy Agency (dena), were also very well attended. Highlights on Day 3 included the talk 'Myths and facts: the roadmap to making the heating transition happen through digitalisation and automation' by Sinja Rabenau, Project Manager, Heat Management at vilisto GmbH, and the keynotes on 'Science meets HEATEXPO".

Exhibitors delighted with HEATEXPO

The exhibitors at HEATEXPO were very happy with the number of visitors and the quality of the discussions held. For example, Matthias Wiegand, Area Sales Manager at GEA Refrigeration Technologies GmbH is convinced his company's participation was more than worthwhile: “"HEATEXPO is characterised by its focus on heat pumps for the industrial and municipal sectors. ”We at GEA place great value on the numerous customer contacts and discussions with interested parties as well as the networking opportunities.”

Dennis Siebenmorgen, Head of Strategy, Business Development, Communication & Funding at E.ON Business Solutions GmbH which, together with co-exhibitors, presented propositions and solutions for intelligent grid management, large (and smaller) heat pumps, solar and geothermal energy and distributed power systems in Dortmund, also drew a thoroughly favourable conclusion: “As a local partner in the move to renewable heating, we're delighted with the diversity reflected at HEATEXPO. It represents a cross-section of the green energy transition and enables us to approach the customers of relevance to us directly with our products and services. The show's focus on municipal heat planning is the key aspect for our industry. HEATEXPO is thus tailor-made for tackling current challenges. We rely on the intelligent combination of different technologies such as district heating, geothermal energy and heat pumps as well as efficient sector coupling.”

These statements are exemplary of the excellent response to the show's inaugural event. Among other things, 84% of exhibitors emphasised the high quality of trade visitors at HEATEXPO.

Professional audience: high calibre visitors delighted with the event

85% of trade visitors this year are involved in purchasing/procurement decisions in their companies. Around 90% of all participants were able to achieve the aims they had on arrival.

Positive outlook for 2024 – next date already set

Sabine Loos, Managing Director of venue operator Messe Dortmund, is delighted with the excellent feedback overall: “The positive outcome of the very first HEATEXPO confirms the need for a forum addressing this key topic of future importance. The many responses we've already received clearly show there is great interest in continuing down this path, so I'm really looking forward to the next HEATEXPO which will also be a B2B event.”

Interested exhibitors and trade visitors can already make a note of next year's HEATEXPO in their diaries as the show has already been scheduled to be held at Messe Dortmund from 26 to 28 November 2024.

HEATEXPO 2023 – what people had to say

Engineer Benjamin Dudler, Project Manager, Technology & Heat at Dortmunder Energie- und Wasserversorgung GmbH (DEW21)

As a Dortmund-based supplier, it was a matter of course for us to be at HEATEXPO. We've had very informative discussions here and were able to engage with other municipal utilities and other municipal suppliers at the venue. Enduring contacts are of great importance to us. The provision of heating is a national issue and will become increasingly important over the next 20 to 30 years. The search for solutions to improve the climate and sustainability will only work if the various stakeholders work together. That's why a forum like HEATEXPO is so important.

Thomas Gierlich, Senior Sales Developer for Germany/Austria/Switzerland at Grundfos GmbH

Transformation in the district heating sector is dependent upon versatile solutions. HEATEXPO has created a special expertise forum where everything comes together in one place. This in particular creates valuable synergies and gives rise to new opportunities and ideas. We will be back next year and are planning to expand our presence at the show.

Frank Glaser, Key Account Manager, Industrial & Commercial Heating at Engie Refrigeration GmbH

HEATEXPO 2023 has got off to a great start. Heating technology is immensely important, and having a forum for planners and manufacturers of key projects where they can come together and develop synergies is very forward-looking. We can only give positive feedback and are already looking forward to participating again in future.

Matthias Wiegand, Area Sales Manager at GEA Refrigeration Technologies GmbH

HEATEXPO is characterised by its focus on heat pumps for the industrial and municipal sectors. We at GEA place great value on the numerous customer contacts and discussions with interested parties as well as the networking opportunities.

Michael Lüdeke, Managing Director of EAG Energieanlagen Greifswald GmbH

HEATEXPO exceeded our expectations. The extremely knowledgeable audience reflects our target groups exactly. We've succeeded in acquiring new customers at the venue and have also met up with some familiar faces. These two aspects are what makes the show so valuable to us. HEATEXPO will definitely continue to grow. We, for our part, will be back and have already registered for 2024.

Sandro Neumann, Managing Director of GNV GmbH

The show has been more than successful for us. Our stand was very well attended the whole time, and we quickly realised that experts were visiting us. Both the quality and the quantity of visitors were remarkable. Accordingly, it was simply great fun to be at HEATEXPO, and we'll be very happy to come back next year.

Denny Schlienkamp, Head of Marketing & Communications at  Toshiba Air Conditioning Systems & Heat Pumps

HEATEXPO was a great event for us. The audience was extremely interested. This enabled us to hold a wealth of conversations and make exciting new contacts – aided by the wide variety of networking opportunities. In addition, the presentations in the supporting programme were extremely informative and gave us new insights into the industry. We're already looking forward to next time and are excited to see what new opportunities the second HEATEXPO will have to offer.

Philipp Schlosser, Marketing Manager, Germany at isoplus Fernwärmetechnik GmbH

From our point of view, HEATEXPO is already an important industry meeting point that emphasises the pivotal role played by district heating in achieving current climate targets. The show provides a forum for sharing information on the latest developments in heating technology with highly interesting customers from across Germany and beyond. With its strong focus on tomorrow's forms of energy, HEATEXPO is helping drive the heating technology market. The great potential for future growth reflects the promising future of the industry.

Felix Schwahn, Managing Director of GP JOULE THINK GmbH & Co KG

We have nothing but good things to say about HEATEXPO: the show is characterised by a high density of interesting exhibitors and expert visitors. We particularly like HEATEXPO's specialisation in sustainable heating. This approach had us convinced right from the start. Every exhibitor is relevant to the industry and is contributing to the success of the show. We're optimistic that HEATEXPO will continue to grow and are already looking forward to being back next time.

Dennis Siebenmorgen, Head of Strategy, Business Development, Communication & Funding, E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions Germany

As a local partner for the heating transition, we are delighted with the versatility of HEATEXPO. It represents a cross-section of the energy transition and enables us to approach the customers relevant to us directly with our offers. The trade fair's focus on municipal heating planning is central to our industry. HEATEXPO is therefore tailor-made for tackling current challenges. We are focussing on the intelligent combination of different technologies such as district heating, geothermal energy and heat pumps as well as efficient sector coupling.

Jan Feldmann, Sales Manager at Uniper Energy Sales GmbH

We took part in HEATEXPO primarily to fly our flag. In our view, the show fills a gap in the market and has enormous growth potential. The exhibitors are highly interesting, and we've been able to get a good overview of the market, network and engage with each other. It's been a successful time at the show, and we'd love to come back.

Ingbert Liebing, Chief Executive of the Municipal Enterprises Association (VKU)

We had the ideal conditions here in Dortmund to discuss the current and future challenges in the heating world, and to point out new ways of progressing towards net zero and shaping a socially acceptable transition to renewable heating. I'm delighted to have seen so much interest in these topics – for example in the round-tables – and I'm particularly pleased that, as conceptual sponsor, we in the Municipal Enterprises Association have been able to help close what has hitherto been a subject matter gap in the world of trade shows.

Dr Gerd Landsberg, Chief Executive of the German Local Government Confederation (DStGB)

Together with the broad range of exhibitors, the supporting programme with its many exciting presentations and acknowledged experts ensures that representatives from local authorities and beyond obtain a quick, concise overview of the current status of the topic plus a good overview of what the future holds. I can therefore heartily recommend coming along to next year's show.

Helmut Dedy, Chief Executive of the German Urban Municipalities' Convention

Municipalities have many tasks to perform to help us achieve the goal of making Germany climate-neutral. Many have already achieved key milestones – it's always important to be able to engage and learn about examples of good practice. HEATEXPO offers the ideal setting for this.

All key information, updates and developments concerning the show can be found 24/7 on social media channels at Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, on the show's website and via newsletter.

EXHIBITION AT A GLANCE

HEATEXPO – THE SHOW FOR TOMORROW'S HEATING
HEATEXPO, which is set to launch in November 2023, is Messe Dortmund's brand new European trade show showcasing tomorrow's heating paradigms and presenting innovative technologies up close at an event where solution providers in disciplines ranging from plant construction to infrastructure services, consulting and energy supply are shaping the future of heating.

DATE:
21 to 23 November 2023
26 to 28 November 2024

EXHIBITORS:
About 100 exhibitors from 12 countries

VISITORS:
2.700 trade visitors

TARGET VISITOR GROUPS:
Energy suppliers, plant operators, industrial companies, municipal utilities, architects, housing associations, neighbourhood developers, investors and policy-makers

EVENT ORGANISER:
Messe Dortmund

CONCEPTUAL SPONSOR:
Municipal Enterprises Association (VKU)

TECHNICAL PARTNERS:

• Association for the Economical Use of Energy and Water (ASEW)
• Association of German Cities (Deutscher Städtetag)
• German Local Government Confederation (DStGB)