VASA, Australasia’s peak trade association for specialists in auto air-conditioning, electrical and thermal management has released a limited number of heavily discounted early bird tickets to the 2022 Wire & Gas conference that will take place on the Gold Coast from July 29-31. 

Renowned for attracting the best brains in the business, Wire & Gas 2022 promises to be a truly world-class event with speakers travelling from the United States and Europe to deliver an arsenal of knowledge and skills that will help attendees navigate the rapid technological change and hot competition facing the automotive repair sector.

The broad range of training topics, seminars and panel sessions on offer at Wire & Gas 2022 will also place attendees at the forefront of the coming hybrid and electric vehicle revolution – with the confidence that expertise in air-conditioning, electrical and thermal management systems will become increasingly valuable as vehicles electrify.

Few are better placed to communicate this than world-renowned hybrid and EV repair expert Craig Van Batenburg from the United States, on his first-ever visit to Australia. 

Craig will be joined by Michael Ingvardsen, president of VASA’s European equivalent MACPartners and global technical training manager for Danish automotive thermal management manufacturer Nissens.

Further overseas speaker announcements will be made in due course, for what will be a rare meeting of minds in the global automotive electrical and thermal management sector.

This international perspective will open a window into the future for Australasian Wire & Gas attendees, previewing what’s to come in this market and providing the competitive advantage of learning from regions where vehicle electrification and the switch to new-generation refrigerants are much more advanced than they are here.

This international perspective will open a window into the future for Australasian Wire & Gas attendees, previewing what’s to come in this market and providing the unfair advantage of learning from regions where vehicle electrification and the switch to new-generation refrigerants are much more advanced than they are here.

In the Wire & Gas spirit of future-proofing knowledge and skills in ways that can be immediately and profitably applied, the event will include technical sessions on variable-displacement compressors and the use of chemicals in air-conditioning systems, diesel particulate filters and other emission control technologies and diagnostics using oscilloscopes and transducers.

Scene-setting panel sessions will bring together experts and visionaries from the world of automotive electrification, including Tim Washington whose companies Jet Charge and Chargefox are instrumental in building charging infrastructure, to exploring emerging opportunities with Bill Dunlop of GB Auto, Dave Budge of Jaunt Motors and Jeff Smit of The Automotive Technician (TaT) in converting existing vehicles to electric drive, as well as the kinds of skills, tools and other products required to maintain and repair the increasing numbers of electrified vehicles on Australasia’s roads.

A timely presentation from AAAA Government Relations & Advocacy Director Lesley Yates will update attendees about the unique Australian choice of repairer law that comes into effect on July 1, what it means for repairers, how it works and what the future might look like with new industries and new vehicles being included in the legislation over time.

In a seminar presented by Refrigerant Reclaim Australia general manager Kylie Farrelley, Wire & Gas attendees will also be updated on how they are contributing to a cleaner environment through Australia’s world-leading refrigerant stewardship scheme and how end-of-life vehicles fit into this picture.

Another highly topical panel session will be led by Refrigerants Australia executive director Greg Picker and feature experts in refrigerants, dangerous goods and workplace safety, to examine best practices and legal obligations when dealing with flammable refrigerants, including vehicles charged from the factory with R1234yf and arriving for service containing hydrocarbon refrigerants, as well as the position of and enforcement action by various agencies and authorities in the area of refrigerant safety.

As vehicle electrification becomes increasingly mainstream, the disciplines of air-conditioning, electrical and thermal management are converging.

This is why Wire & Gas 2022 will place a heavy focus on the changes and opportunities facing the automotive repair industry as electrification gathers momentum. This topic is expected to radically broaden the event’s appeal.

For this reason, the event has gained support from other automotive industry bodies including AAAA, IAME, MTAQ, MTAWA and VACC plus training partnerships with Diesel Help Australia and The Automotive Technician.

The event could not take place without corporate sponsorship from respected names such as Adrad Group, Redarc Electronics, Hella Gutmann, A-Gas, NAPA Auto Parts, CoolDrive Auto Parts, Alcius, VACC, SuperCool Group, Century Batteries and Ariazone. Contributors from beyond the automotive sector include Refrigerant Reclaim Australia and Refrigerants Australia.

Wire & Gas 2022 will take place from Friday July 29 to Sunday July 31 at the lavishly refurbished JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa and VASA HQ/Supertest at Ormeau in Queensland.

Early Bird tickets start from $985 including GST, with a further 10% discount available for multi-delegate bookings from within the same business offered for the first time.

Wire & Gas delegates will also receive an outstanding room rate discount at the JW Marriott, which can be applied for up to three nights on either side of the event  – providing up to eight nights of heavily discounted luxury accommodation in the heart of Queensland’s Gold Coast.

Another first for Wire & Gas is a 10% discount for New Zealand delegates to offset their inability to reclaim the GST on Wire & Gas ticket prices, on top of any multi-delegate discounts.

VASA is committed to delivering a COVID-safe Wire & Gas event and will be complying with state and federal government public health requirements in place at the time, as well as any measures stipulated by the venues. These may include proof of full vaccination, mask-wearing and social distancing. Ticket-holders, sponsors and speakers will be kept up-to-date on the prevailing situation regarding restrictions and requirements in Queensland and at the privately operated venues.

Full Wire & Gas 2022 information, event tickets and accommodation bookings are available at: www.vasa.org.au/wg2022