Could you give us a brief run down of the event?
Connecting Green Hydrogen MENA; due to the significant increase in the pressures from governments, in the past 6 months, there have been an increasing number of new events in the Middle East, geared towards energy transition, net zero and in general, going ‘green’. This event was organised to bring together new technology manufacturers with end clients, operators and engineering companies, to help them understand what is now available on the market to assist them with their journey towards a cleaner future.
What it was like exhibiting?
To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Looking at some of the companies presenting though, we could clearly see that this could be the right type of audience for UnitBirwelco, to launch their newest division, UnitBirwelco Energy, to the market. Especially for our latest offering, the Hydrogen powered Steam Boiler – with high thermal efficiency and zero emissions, it certainly created a lot of interest! To our relief, it was well received! The event was well attended, people of all levels networking to understand what others had to offer.
Did you meet a lot of new people?
Without going in to too much detail, it was a really mixed bag. Of course, at all events, there are a high level of sales / business development people in attendance. For us though, this was a positive, as we were able to talk with companies that could benefit UnitBirwelco Energy division, as component suppliers for our Hydrogen powered Steam Boiler. Also, for potential collaborations so that UnitBirwelco Energy division, can fulfil its potential of offering turnkey, total solutions to its clients, meet their objections for emissions reduction.
What are some notable moments of the event?
We did have an extremely interesting and positive meeting with a local end client, who initially had a requirement looking for a complete solution for CCuS (carbon capture, utilization and storage). This was led by our newly appointed General Manager for Unitbirwelco Energy – Sudhir Arora, who is also the Unitbirwelco groups Senior Process Engineer – instrumental in developing the suite of solutions we are now offering our global clients. We met more than once with this particular client at the event, think we were pushing 3 hours in total (which was a fete in itself as the meeting was held on our stand!). So not only did we come away with the opportunity to engage with the client and offer a CCuS solution. Also, the opportunity to ‘spec-in’ our Hydrogen powered Steam Boiler, retrofitting to the clients existing Hydrogen generation system. In doing so, the current Hydrogen produced will be used more effectively; instead of inefficiently burning the Hydrogen to make small amounts of electricity, the client will be able to utilise the steam produced for power generation.
What was the location like?
With the location being in Dubai, it is the hub for GCC, also a central point for visitors from the East and West. COVID rules were at a sensible level, which meant interaction with attendees was comfortable and an enjoyable experience. There was also a diverse mix of all levels of seniority from businesses; manufacturers, contractors and end clients. Generally, a very positive experience for all!
Struggling to think of any bad points! The only criticism I can think of would be the attendance on the last day, which was quite perplexing. There was noticeable to drop in footfall, which prompted me to query with the organisers. With this event, it was free to the general public to visit the exhibition, the main draw though (in my opinion) was the conference, as there was such a wide range of speakers and topics covered. There were a number of badges for delegates at the registration desk, meaning that even though companies had paid a tidy sum to attend, they hadn’t. As mentioned earlier, the number of events around clean / green technology has risen significantly! Seems to be a mixture of new events coupled with seminars / exhibitions that have been rescheduled due to COVID.
Benefits of exhibiting?
Exposure, for definite. Whilst companies might not immediately need our Hydrogen powered Steam Boiler, or other solutions benefiting our clients on their journey towards net zero, we are now on the radar of a complete cross section of businesses across the GCC region. A target rich environment. My philosophy and previous experience have led me to the conclusion that planning international business trips around key exhibitions generally are beneficial, and more cost effective. Having a pool of people at your disposal with a common goal / interest, is always a huge positive in sales / business development. Whilst only travelling overseas specifically for ‘Connecting Green Hydrogen MENA’, it was still a hugely positive experience and has given us a number of contacts to develop over the coming weeks, months and years. And with every year, these events tend to grow bigger, so I for one will definitely be looking to attend this event next year. Along with other clean / green events by the same organiser but different geographical locations.
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