Jul 12 2005
Spring brings green grass, wild flowers and occasional snow flurries to the Rocky Mountains. It also brought the Radiant Panel Association 's regional RadFest West to Denver, Colorado this year. The event is designed to attract RPA members, contractors, suppliers and reps from the western states on the Pacific side of the Mississippi river. It is a time of learning and sharing for those interested in the radiant heating trade. The surprise this year was the large percentage of attendees that came from as far off as Maine and Alaska and all points in between.
About two hundred and fifty radiant enthusiasts spent April 26th and 27th together in the Holiday Inn Convention Center near the Denver International Airport. Tuesday, after a day of Radiant Basics training taught by Ted Lowe, the students joined exhibitors and other attendees for a reception sponsored by IPEX where guitarist, Dave Beegle, provided outstanding music as a background for an evening of meeting up with old and new friends in the industry.
Wednesday morning began with a roundtable breakfast known as RadNet Live. This is a takeoff of the RadNet Online bulletin board on the RPA’s website that has become quite popular and known for its informative discussions. The ballroom was filled with roundtables, each with a topic and a moderator. Attendees enjoyed a breakfast buffet co-sponsored by Caleffi & Precision Hydronics Products, Inc. and joined the conversation at the table of their interest. The tables were full and the conversation lively. With topics ranging from "Low Mass vs High Mass" to "Working With Inspectors", no one was left without an interesting discussion.
Scott Friedman, a humorist and president of the Colorado Chapter of the National Speakers Association, entertained and instructed the group on the use of humor in our daily lives and the business world. Scott has made a career of teaching audiences to open their minds through laughter, while sharing “how to” techniques and practical ideas about humor, sales, and mastering change. He is also the author of several books on the subject.
At noon on Wednesday, the RadFest tradeshow opened. With fifty-two booths exhibiting forty-five companies, the show represented most aspects of the radiant industry. Several exhibitors were distributors or representatives displaying a number of different product lines. While the aisles were far from crowded, most exhibitors were pleased with the knowledge and quality of the attendees. Robert Donnell, of KoolFire Systems, reported that he had an excellent outing with many new contacts made in the Rocky Mountain region. He said KoolFire Systems will be at the Chantilly, Virginia RadFest East in the fall. This was a theme repeated by many of the exhibitors.
Attendees, too, seemed pleased.
The show was just large enough and varied enough to have time to really study products and spend time with the representatives. Not only were the standards of the industry there with their new and improved equipment, there were a number of exciting fresh products as well. The U.S. Saws and Blades Company booth turned heads with their saw designed to cut groves in concrete specifically for radiant tubing, including the curved returns at each end of a run. EZ Floor introduced their brand new product which is a foam insulation board skinned with tough nodules designed to hold radiant tubing in place. Conematic Heating Systems prompted some head scratching when they showed off their super quiet, 90% efficient non-condensing boiler that requires no power venting. Tools That Rock attracted installers to their booth with an array of tools and uncoilers specifically for radiant installations.
The show was to remain open until 8:00 PM to allow the local trades access after the work day. A downpour of rain with the threat of a Spring snowstorm moving in not only slowed traffic to a crawl on the highways, it made for an early night at the RadFest tradeshow as well. As RadFest West came to a close, departing attendees and exhibitors alike expressed that it was an enjoyable and positive experience.
RadFest East in October is getting a lot of attention and promises much better attendance. Those that thought RadFest West was good are looking forward to a great event in Chantilly, Virginia. For more information on RadFest, visit www.RPAconference.com