Breathing easier: Lessons, laughs and logic from the Installer Show NEC

Authored by: Paul Webb, Head of Customer Insight & Education

What a day. From in-depth debates to fish and chips at fantasy prices, my time at the Installer Show at the NEC had everything you'd expect from a major industry event and more. It wasn’t just a chance to showcase Joblogic on the stand; it was a day of conversations that reminded me why we do what we do.

Changing landscapes in gas and heating

A big chunk of today was spent talking about the gas and heating industry’s future. There’s a real shift happening. Heat pumps, dry electric radiators and low-temperature systems they’re no longer niche. They’re becoming the norm, especially in new builds next year - or so they tell us!. But what’s striking is the mixture of excitement and uncertainty that comes with it.

Installers aren’t just grappling with new technology, they’re facing a cultural shift. One engineer summed it up perfectly: “We’ve got the kit. What we need now is the confidence, the training, and the systems that support us to deliver it consistently.” And they’re right. The industry's moving quickly, but for it to scale, workflows, compliance, and upskilling need to keep pace.

Everyone deserves clean air

Mid-morning, I managed to sit in on a ventilation debate and honestly, it hit home harder than I expected. One phrase really stuck with me: “Everyone deserves to breathe the same high-quality air, regardless of where they live.”

That sentence wasn’t just a headline it was a mission statement. In a world where ventilation is too often overlooked, it felt like a rallying cry for standards, innovation, and equity. We often talk about efficiency or compliance in this industry, but sometimes we need to remember the human side, air quality, health, and wellbeing.

Part of the problem is that ventilation and indoor air health aren’t visible in the same way mould or damp might be. You can’t see polluted air yet it’s in our hospitals, our offices, and our homes. And given we spend 80 to 90% of our lives indoors, this is a serious public health concern that deserves far greater governmental and regulatory attention than it currently receives.

Later, I was lucky enough to catch up with Adam Taylor from BESA to record a quick interview. We discussed the challenges the ventilation industry faces right now skills shortages, legacy systems, and patchy implementation. But also the innovation on the horizon. Smarter sensors. Integrated systems. Easier auditing. The future's bright, if we build it right was the key takeaway.

The knowledge gap we’re not talking about enough

Another conversation with Adam and one that kept coming up today was around skills and more specifically, the slow erosion of industry knowledge. With 200,000 professionals leaving the sector each year and only 180,000 coming in, we’re running a knowledge deficit.

One panel member told me about an AHU system found on-site that had been in place but never connected, since 1986! That’s not just a technical oversight. That’s a failure in record keeping, knowledge sharing, and asset management. These stories are frustrating, but they’re also a call to action. We need to get better at capturing experience before it walks out the door.

From pitches to problem solving: Life on the Joblogic stand

Back at the Joblogic stand, the energy was different this year. There was a shift in mindset from “tell me what your software does” to “tell me how this helps me streamline my workflows, stay compliant and scale.”

Existing customers came over with stories of wins. Potential customers came with detailed lists of what they wanted and the satisfaction of being able to tick off their needs, and even add a few extras they didn’t know were possible, was brilliant.

We had everyone from contract managers to finance and service teams stopping by. The common thread? Clarity. They wanted systems that make compliance simple, build forms that suit specific sites with specific requirements, and reduce the admin load across the board. The look on their faces when we showed how easily they could create site-centric forms was priceless. That’s what software should do right, make life easier.

A bit of banter and a few bizarre bits

No trade show would be complete without a few funnies. Eddie Hall (yes, the Eddie Hall) strolled past and gave me a knowing nod. Not sure what that meant but it felt like an endorsement (He may have been staring and my skinny arms, one that's coloured in and tutting internally!). And yes, the fish and chips were £15. Tiny portion, big bill. NEC, if you’re reading this, maybe scale the serving next time?

That said, full credit to our events team and the NEC staff. The whole day was brilliantly organised, from stand logistics to seminar scheduling. Everything ran like clockwork.

Final thoughts

The Installer Show today wasn’t just a display of products and services, it was a reflection of where our industry is heading. From ventilation equity to heat pump transitions (£25K for a domestic re-fit...sorry what?), from digital workflows to knowledge retention, the conversations we had today weren’t just important, they were necessary.

At Joblogic, we’re proud to be part of those conversations. Because good software doesn’t just schedule jobs it supports progress, captures knowledge, and keeps your business future-fit.

Now, where’s that expense receipt for the fish and chips….