Midea brought its global HVAC expertise to ARBS 2026

Midea’s stand at ARBS 2026, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 5–7 May.

Midea brought its global scale and breakthrough innovations to ARBS, the premier exhibition for Australia’s air conditioning industry. The event served as a platform for companies to showcase what the next-generation HVAC industry looks like across both residential and commercial applications.

While not a household name for all Australians, Midea is one of the largest brands in the global HVAC business, setting the standard for climate control technology worldwide.

What is Midea?

Founded in 1968, Midea Group is a Fortune Global 500 company that builds one quarter of the world’s inverter air conditioners and half of all compressors globally. That scale is what sets Midea apart from other HVAC brands.

Midea’s differentiator is its cross-sector expertise spanning both commercial and residential applications, as well as its sizeable R&D investment that keeps the brand ahead of the market. Using vertical integration that allows for full design control over key components, Midea produces advanced, powerful HVAC technology with a competitive edge.

Midea at ARBS 2026

At the exhibition, Midea displayed both residential and light commercial units designed for comfort, energy efficiency and smart control suited to the Australian climate. Leveraging AI-powered energy saving measures, the brand’s latest high-efficiency split system air conditioners and multi-split solutions proved well suited for Australian homes, delivering comfort while slashing energy costs.

On the commercial side, Midea featured the new MagBoost Apex, built on Midea’s patented second-generation oil-free magnetic bearing system. Its compact size allows it to fit into a standard three-tonne freight elevator, making retrofit projects smoother and easier.

The MagBoost Apex Magnetic Bearing Centrifugal Chiller on display at Midea’s ARBS 2026 stand.

A trade visitor reviews the MagBoost Apex at Midea’s ARBS 2026 stand.

The MagBoost Apex represents the future of large-scale commercial cooling applications, delivering high performance, low noise and reduced maintenance compared to conventional designs.

Midea’s ‘Claw Machine’ drew a crowd, with a variety of industry professionals winning a prize.

Not everything at the Midea stand was about technical specifications. The brand's Midea Club claw machine activation drew one of the busiest crowds on the exhibition floor, offering trade visitors the chance to win from an $1,800 prize pack across the three days.

The rules were simple: have a go at the claw machine for a shot at walking away with Midea products. Prizes were claimed throughout the event, but the standout moment came on day one, when one lucky contestant beat the claw and walked away with a Midea Portable Air Conditioner — drawing an instant crowd and no shortage of applause from onlookers.

The activation added a rare note of levity to what is otherwise a serious trade event, and proved an effective way for Midea to engage with a broad cross-section of industry visitors beyond the product displays.

*Footnote: Euromonitor International (Shanghai) Limited; Consumer Appliances 2026ed, retail volume sales in unit, 2024 to 2025 data.