Inaugural best practices EXPO & conference a success

The inaugural BEST PRACTICES EXPO & Conference was held September 16-19, 2018 at the Chicago O’Hare Crowne Plaza and Conference Center. The event was produced by the publishers of Compressed Air Best Practices? Magazine who said the event, Co-Sponsored by Chicago’s utility provider ComEd? and by the Compressed Air & Gas Institute, exceeded their hopes for the first-time event. “Attendance reached 750 confirmed attendees out of the over-all 950 registrants and feedback has been extremely positive,” said Show Producer Rod Smith. “The four primary attendee groups were Energy Managers from manufacturing plants, engineering firms and utility incentive program personnel, Sales Engineers and Managers from air compressor/blower/vacuum distributors and OEM’s of compressed air, blower, vacuum and cooling system technologies.”

The Opening & Plenary Sessions included presentations from Leslie Marshall (General Mills), Dana Bolton (ComEd), Chris Gordon (Blackhawk Equipment), Frank Mueller (CAGI), Doug Barndt (Ball Beverage Packaging), Joe Maney (NTN Bearings), Walt Tunnessen (ENERGY STAR for Industry) and Rod Smith, (pictured-BEST PRACTICES).

　　The EXPO portion of the event sold out the entire exhibit space and featured 65+ exhibitors of compressed air, blower, vacuum and cooling system technologies.  Exhibit hours ran from 12-6 pm on September 17-18th with EXPO admission free-of-charge for qualified professionals. “We are very pleased with the experience and outcomes of this first BEST PRACTICES EXPO & Conference,” said Parker Hannifin Business Development Manager Allan Hoerner. “We have been very busy showing our new desiccant dryer and nitrogen generator technology to existing and prospective customers.” Compressed air technologies at the booths included oil-free and lubricated rotary screw and rotary vane air compressors, compressor controls, dryers, filters, flow and dewpoint measurement instruments, nitrogen generators, piping, lubricants and condensate management products.  At least ten booths featured blowers, rotary screw and rotary vane vacuum pumps, lubricants, piping and controls. There were also five cooling system technology products exhibiting chillers, heat exchangers and custom cooling systems.