CHICAGO - As the largest and most comprehensive HVACR trade show, the International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) attracted more than 54,000 people from all facets of the industry, including contractors, engineers, dealers, distributors, wholesalers, architects and builders, industrial plant operators, facility owners and managers, agents, and reps. According to Clay Stevens, president of International Exposition Company (IEC) which produces and manages the AHR Expo, “approximately 35,000 visitors attended the event, not including the 19,000 people who staffed 1,911 exhibits.”

In addition to the usual domestic traffic, 383 companies from 34 countries outside of the United States stormed the Windy City and converged for three days at McCormick Place, one of the largest convention centers in the United States.

In addition, the Winter Meeting of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) was held in conjunction with the expo. The major topic of discussion for the engineering community was, of course, green and sustainable building technologies.

THE EXPO GIVES BACK

The expo is sponsored each year by ASHRAE and the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). This year 33 exhibitors, along with AHRI, made significant financial commitments to the future of the HVACR industry through their support of ASHRAE’s research program. The contributions totaled more than $110,000.

More than $8,000 was given to HomeAid Chicago to help rebuild the HVAC system in a domestic violence shelter. “We are happy to assist with such a great cause,” said Stevens. “We enjoy giving back to the communities that host the AHR Expo by providing them with contributions from our Innovation Award entry fees.”

This donation is part of the charitable support contributed annually by AHR Expo to local communities where the trade show is being held. Total contributions made during the seven years the program has been in existence amount to over $50,000. In years past, the Innovation Awards entrance fee has gone to technical schools for use in their HVACR scholarship funds.

Working with HomeAid Chicago, and WINGS Program Inc., the donation will be used to assist in providing a complete climate control system remodel for a 1960s single-family home in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago.

The WINGS Program will be rebuilding the second floor to create five private bedrooms as well as one shared bathroom and upgrading the HVAC system to accommodate the new rooms. The result will be a safe, comfortable, and modern living environment for women and their dependent children to live in. Once renovations are complete, up to 20 individuals may reside in the house at a time, depending on family size, and it will provide between 4,000 to 7,000 nights of shelter per year.

PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

Now in its 7th year, the AHR Expo Innovation Awards Competition represents the best submissions from the thousands of products on display at the 2009 AHR Expo and is sponsored by ASHRAE, AHRI, and the International Exposition Co. Honorees span the industrial marketplace in a total of nine product categories ranging from the latest developments in green technology to the newest building automation tools.

Winners in all nine categories were announced prior to the beginning of the show. The AHR Expo Product of the Year was presented to Danfoss Inc. for its Apexx VSH Series variable-speed scroll compressors.

The latest trends, technologies, and techniques impacting all segments of the HVACR industry were featured in 70 sessions and workshops presented by the industry’s leading trade associations; topics range from achieving sustainability and energy reduction to the economics of energy, best practices and the latest trends and techniques in HVACR. AHRI sponsored a discussion on education and training which was moderated by The NEWS’ senior editor, Mark Skaer.

Publication date: 02/16/2009