The 8th International  Business-Forum and  Exhibition " The World of Liquefied
and Compressed Gases - 2008"  took place in Kiev , the capital of Ukraine , from  17 to 19 June, 2008. at  the Center for International Exhibitions  “ Kiev Expo Plaza ”.  The  business-forum and the exhibition was even more  successful than the previous one.  

94 companies  ( 5 companies more than in 2007) from 15 countries – Argentina, Byelorussia, Germany, India,  Italy, Spain, Lithuania, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Croatia and Check Republic  took part in it. The exhibition was visited by Ukrainian and foreign visitors – specialists, businessmen, professionals in the industry of  liquefied and compressed  technical gases, representatives of companies that produce equipment and means of transportation for these gases. Some specialists came from such distant countries as Uzbekistan , Iran , Pakistan and even  from Bangladesh. 

For the first time the Chairman of Natural Gas Vehicles Association – Europe   Mr. Peter Boisen  participated in the event. Не  took part in the Round Table discussions and on behalf of NGVA Europe he promised support for the future exhibitions and business-forums in Kiev.
                               

        (On the photo from right to left: Mr. Peter Boisen, Chairman, NGVA       Europe, Mr. V.V. Demetyev,                 Editor-in-Chief "AGZK+AR" Journal, Mrs. Lyubov Grinh, NGVA Ukraine at the Exhibition )

The exhibition has grown by 100 sq.meters in 2008. It occupied 1500  sq.meters outdoors and 400 indoors.  Module Gas Refueling Stations, Gas Auto Carriers, Gas Engine Vehicles  and large Gas Storage Vessels were exhibited in the open air.

The event  was traditionally  organized jointly by the Gas Association of Ukraine ( which  numbers 26 member organizations in 2008 and becomes a member of NGVA Europe) and by the Ukrainian Association of Technical Gases Producers along with Ukrainian Expo Company “MADVIN”.

The exhibition was also supported and promoted by   Ukrainian governmental organizations – Ministry of Transport of Ukraine and the Ukrainian State R&D Institute of Automobile Transport.  A number of Ukrainian and foreign  publication  businesses took part  in the event as media partners of the exhibition. These were  ““AGZK+AT” journal ( Russia ), “ Czas na Gas!”journal  (“Time for Gas!” ) from Poland, “Croatian LPG Journal”, NGV Global ( i-media),Ukrainian journals “Modern Refueling Station”, “Oil and Gas”, Gas & Oil”, “Oil Market”, “Terminal”, “Auto Theme”, “Transport on Alternative Fuel”journal ( Russia), “Newspaper “Oil Products” and Ukrainian autogas web-sites  http://autogas.com.ua and http://gbo.ua

The main task of the event was to promote gas as  a motor fuel for vehicles, to promote the development of autogas equipment production, distribution and services. With each passing year more and more companies  consider it beneficial for their images and for their business to participate in  the event. Some companies had very attractive large stands of original design.  Such stands belonged to the largest participants, like Ukrainian company “Gazovik” ( “Gas Man”) or  to an official partner of Italian company “BRC Equipment” – Ukrainian company “HKD Trade” which put a beautiful looking gas engine BMW car at the center of its stand.

Traditionally there were first comers, like  manufacturers of autogas kits -  “Bluemec” from Italy, “EuroGasService” from Lithuania, “KME”and “UniGas”  from Poland, “Mimgas” from Turkey,  like manufacturers of auto gas cylinders - “Dynetek” from Germany, “Aris-Crimea”and “Fuckel’ factory from Ukraine, like manufacturers of gas cisterns and gas carriers – semi-trailers - “Propane Service”from Kiev representing Czech company “VPS a.s.”

 There were also traditional participants from Poland , Italy , Turkey . Argentina, Czech Republic, United Arab Emirates , India and other countries   who sell their equipment – auto gas conversion kits and gas cylinders to Ukrainian gas equipment trading firms and to the end users.  Ukrainian ( in great numbers),  Byelorussian  and Russian manufacturers of gas equipment were also present at the Exhibition.

There was a new and relatively small section of the exhibition which however was of great interest for the visitors and participants of the event. It was dedicated to technical gases and cryogenic technologies. The most prominent participants of this cryogenic section were “Chart Ferox” company from Czech  Republic which produces various cryogenic equipment  and  New Zeeland-Ukraine Joint Venture  “Tecknex Limited” which organized the production of cryogenic semi-trailers in Ukraine .

60% of all participants of the Exhibition were Ukrainian companies, however many of them also had at their stands some exhibits  from their foreign partners which reflects the great interest of foreign companies for the Ukrainian  gas market.

 The next  9^th exhibition will be held  from 10 to 12 June, 2009  at the same venue.