The China International Trade Fair for Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning, Sanitation & Home Comfort (ISH China & CIHE) will be held from 11 – 13 May 2024 at the China International Exhibition Center (Shunyi Hall) in Beijing. As the industry’s foremost event in Asia, ISH China & CIHE has received widespread industry recognition over the years, along with positive feedback from exhibitors. The show’s 2024 edition will feature cutting-edge technologies and products from a variety of HVAC-related disciplines, including water supply systems, smart heating, and home comfort technologies. The exhibition is committed to supporting business expansion within the domestic market while also establishing a platform for technological exchange and further innovation within China’s HVAC industry. Spanning 110,000 sqm of floor space, the event is expected to attract more than 1,300 exhibitors and 75,000 visitors.

As a part of the ongoing energy revolution, China’s HVAC industry has found itself in a unique position of opportunity. Global energy consumption patterns are diversifying, and with this, the equilibrium of energy supply and demand is shifting from a traditional centralised supply to a more coordinated and integrated multi-grid approach. These networks unify and optimise various forms of energy including heat, electricity, cooling, and gas, and can be further enhanced using distributed heating and energy systems. Additionally, they are able to effectively utilise the advantages of heat, electrical, cooling, and hydrogen storage, resulting in the seamless integration and optimisation of various types of storage capacities and their end uses.

In line with this emerging trend, ISH China & CIHE, organised by Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd and CIEC GL events (Beijing) International Exhibition Co Ltd, is committed to facilitating the continued innovation of air conditioning and home comfort technologies. It aligns itself with the evolving requirements for green and energy-saving technologies, driving the industry to explore diverse HVAC and energy solutions and venture into a cleaner, more comfortable and innovative era.

With the continued recovery of the Chinese consumer market, an increased level of energy consumption is to be expected for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, the Government has rolled out a range of policies aimed at facilitating the consumer market’s recovery and expansion. Notable among these is the “Restoring and Expanding Consumption Policy” announced by the country’s National Development and Reform Commission earlier this year, which is aimed at boosting consumer confidence.

Along with six other departments, the Commission has also issued a joint measure to encourage the consumption of electronic products including home appliances within rural areas. This includes clean heating solutions, improved renewable energy usage, and further development of electrical networks within these regions. There will also be support for the promotion of green, energy-saving appliances including environmentally friendly stoves, air-source heat pumps, gas wall-mounted boilers, solar water heaters, and household energy storage equipment. 

In August, the National Energy Administration endorsed a proposal focused on the development of thermal energy storage and electric smart heating. They noted that storing electricity through these methods, as well as utilising green and valley electricity, is key to promoting clean heating and improving air quality. The administration emphasised that they will collaborate with relevant departments to continuously refine these policies, with the aim of creating a conducive environment for further advancements in these technologies.

Aimed at facilitating China’s progress toward carbon peaking and carbon neutrality,  these measures are expected to be a significant boom to the domestic HVAC and home comfort markets. ISH China & CIHE will continue to exert its influence within the HVAC industry, leveraging the resurgence of the consumer market and working with key industry players to draw up a “dual carbon” blueprint and facilitate greater business opportunities.

Continuing the tradition of its previous edition, the exhibition will once again classify products across three major themes: “Energy”, “Water” and “Life”.

• Energy
  The energy theme encompasses a wide range of products, including convergence boilers, wall-mounted boilers, air conditioners, electric heaters, water heaters, and heat pumps, control products including thermostats and sensors, and terminal products such as floor heating, radiators, and fan coil units. The show will feature a specific focus on smart heating systems, as well as industrial heating and gas products and technologies. In keeping with the country’s dual carbon goals, ISH China and CIHE promotes the development of clean heating technology and continually optimises its product classification. Newly launched products will include hydrogen and solar energy systems, energy storage, and other clean energy technologies aimed at fostering a cleaner, more comfortable, innovative, and diverse ecosystem.

• Water
  Under the water theme, the exhibition will continue its focus on installation technologies, bringing together products including water pumps, pipes, pipe fittings, valves, controllers, tools and more. As an important component of construction technology, it will also focus on the development of water supply and drainage products, providing new opportunities for exhibitors of pipe pumps, valves, water meters, water tanks, fire-fighting equipment and other products.

• Life
  This edition of ISH China and CIHE will build upon its previous Home Comfort section while maintaining a focus on the latest development trends in the energy and construction fields. It will introduce a range of low energy consumption building products aligned with the dual carbon goals, promoting resource conservation and a circular economy and advancing the building sector toward high-quality, energy efficient development.

Recently, the Chinese State Council released a new policy titled “Opinions on Further Optimising the Foreign Investment Environment and Increasing Attraction of Foreign Investment”. This policy is targeted at stimulating foreign direct investment within the country, encouraging qualified foreign investors to establish investment companies, regional headquarters, R&D centres, advanced manufacturing facilities, and other modernised services.

In this context, ISH China & CIHE will once again host a dedicated overseas exhibition area, including both a German area and a Canadian pavilion. This area is designed to support international companies in exploring the Asian and Chinese markets, thereby promoting further advancement within the international HVAC industry. The German Area will serve as a platform for high-quality German HVAC companies to showcase their products to the Chinese market, while the Canadian pavilion will share case studies and insights on advanced manufacturing techniques. Ultimately, the goal of these pavilions is to diversify the range of heating equipment and product options available to Chinese consumers.

ISH China & CIHE is organised by Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd and CIEC GL events (Beijing) International Exhibition Co Ltd. It is headed by the biennial ISH event in Frankfurt, Germany, the world’s leading trade fair for HVAC + Water which will next take place from 13 – 17 March 2025. For more information, please visit ish.messefrankfurt.com.

A further ISH event in China, ISH Shanghai & CIHE, will be held in the Autumn of 2024 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. For more information about ISH China & CIHE and ISH Shanghai & CIHE, please visit ishc-cihe.hk.messefrankfurt.com.