What a fantastic first conference experience as part of the Aeroqual team, and on our home turf too. Last month we jetted down to the South Island for the bi-annual International Clean Air and Environmental Conference run by CASANZ (Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand).

For those of you who have not had the opportunity to visit Queenstown before – I was one of those – it starts with one of the most amazing scenic flights. As you come into Queenstown you skim over the top of the Southern Alps and then drop down to cruise through a valley, so close that you can see the looks of disapproval on the faces of sheep looking down at a plane that’s passing below them and disturbing the serenity around. Just breathtaking!

Conference energy levels were high and kept that way every day by Gerda Kuschel and Jeff Bluett who effortlessly managed to engage, entertain and inform attendees in equal measure. While I only managed to attend a few presentations, the ones that I did were on point and the feedback I heard from the attendees was all positive. What shone through was how our industry comes together for a common purpose: we all have an underlying and genuine passion for tackling air quality issues. It was exciting to see suppliers, consultants, regulators, government bodies and industrial companies all playing their part to make a difference. “A problem shared is a problem halved”, as they say.

The theme ‘Air Quality and the Built Environment’ was well chosen and engaging. It saw the convergence of urban design, social awareness, political pressures, speed of change and air quality technology in a truly a dynamic way that shows that there is a very real opportunity for change. The feedback on the quality of the presentations was very high, for example Professor David Williams addressed how traditional and new air quality monitoring methods, such as lower cost sensor based monitors, can work together to provide better air quality information. This resonated with a lot of the audience as the exhibition hall was buzzing with discussions after.

The exhibition hall was full of discussions post presentations. People sharing their infield, environmental, equipment and application challenges with suppliers and peers alike. Based on the deep-diving questions and discussions we had at our booth it’s obvious that it’s not just “wander” through the supplier booths. There was real and tangible value in the engagement in the exhibition hall. I think it’s important to highlight how valuable these conversations are to our partners, clients, and industry not only our suppliers. These discussions can often be a ‘sandbox’ where challenges are better understood or solutions developed and shouldn’t be underrated. For example, at the Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA) Annual Conference & Exhibition in North America, clients shared a challenge they were having in the field, regarding the power interface of the Dust Sentry. This further validated in-market research Aeroqual was doing with channel partners and clients which led to a redesign of the Dust Sentry power interface. The redesign enables better power management for battery and solar options, as well as third party sensors. It emphasizes how important it is to have a continuous dialogue with air quality professionals, regulators and industry. This is what drives the right solution designs and innovations.

A highlight of the event was the gala dinner, where Geoff Henshaw invited us to share the stage with him as he accepted the #Casanz19 Innovation award. The award recognizes an innovation that has widespread application, new technology or approach to a problem that can benefit air quality. Aeroqual has been an integral part of a team, led by the University of Auckland, which developed a lower-cost, high-density air quality monitoring system for Los Angeles. The project involved the deployment of a network at a scale of 100 air monitors in association with the South Coast Air Quality Monitoring District. Read the case study on the project to find out more. Thank you once more CASANZ for the recognition.

If you missed out, I hope you had a good reason. I look forward to seeing how Victoria, Australia can top Queenstown at the next CASANZ in 2021!

Every day, environmental professionals around the world are working hard to protect people and the planet from the impact of air pollution. Aeroqual equips them with technology that takes the cost and hassle out of air monitoring projects, freeing them to focus on what really matters. Actionable data, accessed remotely, equals quick and effective decision making. That’s why leaders in industry, government and consultancies trust our integrated sensor and software systems. Aeroqual has been innovating in real-time air quality monitoring since 2001, and we’re proud to share New Zealand’s environmental expertise with the world.