Where does The NEWS go in the wintertime?

Someplace warm, and as often as possible.

I love the four seasons of the great white North, but there comes a time when a little warmth and sunshine does a body good. This week begins the travels of a NEWS editor, reporting on industry events and getting as far away from snow-blanked Cleveland, Ohio as possible. I will keep you posted on some cool things at the events I cover, while I also gloat about the local weather report.

The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) is holding its 41st annual national convention and the Indoor Air Expo at the Omni Hotel in downtown cowtown — Ft. Worth. The weather is predicted to be partly cloudy with highs around 74°F. With weather like that, I suggest they hold the Indoor Air Expo outside. People would have a much better time looking at new products while enjoying a little fresh air, and smelling some BBQ wafting through the streets.

Here is an idea: every city in the nation does this at least once per year. Just like there is a Taste of Texas, a Taste of Toledo, a Taste of Tonawanda — why not a Taste of HVAC? Yes, it’s time for a little outdoor flavor for the industry. And what better group of people to provide it than the experts that can make the indoor air as fresh as outdoors?

What prompts this outdoor trade show idea is the same thing you see with Trane representatives in Home Depot kiosks, or local HVAC companies displaying at home and garden shows, or even better, a neighborhood Saturday morning flea market in the park. These people are getting sales leads.

I’ll keep you posted from Ft. Worth this week.