Issue 4/2008
07/02/08
Thessaloniki – Lift technology hand in hand with Greek hospitality
The Elevcon 2008 was held in Thessaloniki – Greece’s second largest metropolis . From June 11 – 13, 2008, the International Association of Elevator Engineers (IAEE) hosted the 17th International Congress for Vertical Transportation Technologies. The Makedonian Palace hotel chosen as the venue for the conference boasts an impressive location directly on the Mediterranean sea front with its grand promenade. The venue provided the perfect welcome for the around 170 specialists who had travelled from all around the globe, some of them over considerable distances , to attend . The congress itself was extremely well organized, with the number, sequence and quality of presentations and ancillary events carefully balanced and of an impressively high standard.
Category: Issue 4/2008
Posted by: Editor
The welcoming address was held on June 11, 2008 by Ami Lustig, Chairman and Elevcon 2008 program organizer, in front of an attentive auditorium, which was to witness a total of 42 presentations, poster sessions and workshops over the course of the next three days. As in previous years, there was a successful mix of scientific papers and presentations on offer from different representatives of the industry. Ami Lustig thanked all the speakers, the Steering Committee and the sponsor, after which John Inglis, President of the IAEE from Australia, took the floor. Expressing his gratification that so many specialists had made the journey to hear the many interesting presentations, he thanked Kleemann for his support in organizing the congress. Costas Koukountzos, General Manager of Kleemann and Co-Chairman of the Elevcon 2008, then welcomed the guests on behalf of Kleemann, going on to introduce the company Kleemann to the auditorium. Kleeman’s Commercial Director Nikos Koukountzos also welcomed the congress-goers and added a number of details about the company Kleemann.
P. Psomiades, the Prefect of Thessaloniki, then welcomed the guests from around the world.
Ami Lustig’s address drew attention to the small exhibition staged in the entrance foyer and annex room. Featuring around 15 exhibiting companies, this exhibition offered the opportunity for congress- goers to gather information, pick up brochures and discuss the exhibits. In customary fashion, this offer was taken up enthusiastically during the breaks in the congress, when participants were generously fed and watered.
The focus of day one lay clearly on the subject of traffic analysis in existing buildings and simulation of lift traffic for the purposes of lift system design. Three interesting talks were held on the subject by R. Peters of Peters Research Ltd. UK, H. Hakonen & M.l. Siikonen of KONE Elevators Finland and R. Smith of Thyssen- Krupp Elevator Inc., USA. Before the participants set off at lunch time to visit Kleemann Greece in Kilkis, around 70 km distant from Thessaloniki, a poster session afforded an opportunity for participants to become better acquainted with a number of clearly arranged and interesting topics. Like the whole congress, the visit to Kleeman in Kilkis was perfectly organized and highly informative. Broken down into small groups, participants where guided by specialists through the different departments where everything was clearly and graphically explained . A particularly interesting aspect was the wide diversity of work performed in this location. The tour was followed by a traditional Greek lunch buffet hosted by Kleemann under white marquees. After the long bus ride and the tour, participants did full justice to the excellent hospitality.
Kleemann used the opportunity afforded by this occasion to make the annual presentation of the Kleeman Innovation Award in front of specialists assembled from around the world. There was enthusiastic applause for the achievements of the award-winning engineers, developers and students. The participants were then driven in buses back to Thessaloniki where a BBQ buffet was held at the hotel pool in the evening. This occasion afforded plenty of opportunity for guests to review and exchange their impressions of the day, refresh old contacts and make new ones in a relaxed atmosphere.
On Thursday June 12, 2008, the congress continued by focusing on hydraulic lifts and elevators, ride quality and earth- quake protection as well as ease of maintenance, functionality and maintenance quality, providing interesting impetus for day-to-day work and also providing an insight and outlook into further developments in the field of lift technology. In the evening, congress-goers were once again treated to some typical Greek hospitality: Kleemann had issued an invitation to dine in a traditional Greek tavern. The guests enjoyed a lively evening of Greek music, traditional dishes, good wine and dancing directly on the sea front. This year again, tribute was paid to a number of members of the IAEE during the meal.
The morning of the last day was concerned with the topic of safety. Alongside a presentation by M. Erndl on electronic systems for safety components, a particularly interesting and illustrative talk by the University of Salford (UK) called the current design of evacuation systems in high-rise buildings into question, and set out the need for a rethink in respect of on-going developments in this field. Other areas dealt with on the last day were mechanical system and drive design , and the topic of traffic analysis and evaluation was revisited.
During the evening following the congress, the Annual General Meeting of the IAEE was held.
When asked about the venue for the next Elevcon, Joseph Stier announced plans for the next European Elevcon to be held in Lucerne (Switzerland) from June 2–4, 2010. The event will benefit from the backing of a sponsor in the form of the company Schindler, whose professional support will make a major contribution to the success of the congress. Whether or not the Elevcon planned for Singapore in 2009 goes ahead will depend on whether a sponsor can still be found. A decision is due to be taken during the course of the coming weeks.
Philip Molineus
4/2008
