FORT WORTH, Texas - A new meeting concept developed by the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA), called Contracting Week™, consists of four major events: the Green Contracting Summit, Commercial Contracting Roundtable, National HVACR Service Managers Forum, and Refrigeration Contracting Roundtable. Attendees can choose from one or more of the Contracting Week events, with individual registration to each two-day education conference, a combination of two events in one package, or an all-access pass for the entire week. The four events in one setting is produced by ACCA and co-sponsored byThe NEWS. It will be held Oct. 5-10 at the Sheraton Fort Worth, Texas.

Corporate sponsors for the events include Rheem Manufacturing, Lennox International, Goodman Manufacturing, Emerson Climate Technologies, Jackson Systems, Openstream, Carrier Corp., North American Technician Excellence (NATE), Mitsubishi Electric, USA Refrigerants, WaterFurnace Renewable Energy, and Federated Insurance.

•Green Contracting Summit- Oct. 5-6. Green became a marketing buzzword. Now, it has emerged as a game-changing approach toward indoor environmental systems. From small homes to large buildings, green contracting is becoming a fact of life, driven by cultural and political shifts. No matter a contractor’s personal opinions about the green movement, the fact is that green contracting is bringing new opportunities for HVACR contractors - and new competitors have emerged to snatch them up. What do these new opportunities and new competitors mean to the contracting industry? Will contractors shape the future or be shaped by it? These are the issues that will be explored at the Green Contracting Summit. This forum will bring together leading contractors and green experts in a day and a half conversation on the issues that each contracting business must face in the modern world.

•7th Annual Commercial Contracting Roundtable- Oct. 7-8. (Registrants also receive free admission into the concurrent Service Managers Forum.) From a highly volatile construction market, to evolutions (and revolutions) in energy services and green building, it is more complex than ever to lead a successful HVACR firm in the commercial buildings arena. The Commercial Contracting Roundtable takes this new world head-on, with a schedule of intensive seminars focused on the leadership skills needed to succeed with commercial service and sales innovation. Attendees will spend time with top contractors, management experts, and industry innovators who have come together in this unique forum to help them meet - and exceed - their business goals.

•3rd Annual National HVACR Service Managers Forum- Oct. 7-8. (Registrants also receive free admission into the concurrent Commercial Contracting Roundtable.) A contracting firm’s success rests on the abilities and energy of its service management team. It’s the service department that builds the relationships, gets the leads, and helps drive a contractor’s revenues. The National HVACR Service Managers Forum will help service managers grow their skills and vision - so they can help a contracting business do the same. This year’s forum features an all-new lineup of seminars led by service managers and industry experts, who will show real-world management skills. Once again, there will be six workshops, each repeated, so attendees will have the chance to participate in every one.

•Refrigeration Contracting Roundtable- Oct. 9-10. ACCA is presenting the first-ever forum designed exclusively for contracting businesses that design, install, and maintain refrigeration systems. The Refrigeration Contracting Roundtable has been developed in cooperation with refrigeration contractors from across the country who wanted a meeting of their own - those same contractors have driven the agenda for the two-day event. It will bring top refrigeration contracting firms together for a day and a half of intense conversations and learning sessions designed to help refrigeration contractors succeed in an environment of rapidly changing regulations, equipment, and refrigerants.

Event registrations may be made by phone at 703-824-8856, or online at www.contractingweek.com. Room reservations at the Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown are available by calling 800-325-3535.

Publication date:08/16/2010