DALLAS - The last day of the 77th Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) is always the one that finds a number of sincerely interested people searching the aisles for “the next new thing” or that “competitive advantage” which will turn opportunity into success. As the 2007 AHR Expo and American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Winter meeting in Dallas drew to a close, no doubt some attendees walked away quite pleased.

Through Tuesday, more than 27,000 attendees had perused the aisles of the Dallas Convention Center. Total attendance figures for the three-day show, held Jan. 29–31, were not available at press time. However, the International Exposition Company (IEC), the show organizer, did report that 1,789 companies were exhibiting. These companies brought another 19,055 people to staff their booths. Additionally, total net square feet sold was 354,057 (up from the last Dallas show in 2000) and 172 new exhibiting companies were present. The international scope of the show continued to expand - 313 companies representing 31 countries from outside U.S. borders were on hand.

Last year, in Chicago, the expo set records as one of the largest ever with more than 1,900 exhibiting companies and 36,891 visitors in attendance. By contrast, the 2005 show in Orlando drew 26,849 people. In what is known as the on-year, off-year rotation that show-goers are accustomed to, Dallas will likely top out with very respectable numbers. It is already known to be the largest Southwestern United States AHR Expo in history.

Whereas last year’s show was packed with new products tailored for the 13-SEER market, the 2007 expo lacked the same buzz on the floor. In fairness, a major energy-efficiency standard is a tough act to follow. Still, there were plenty of new products scattered about, especially those concerning zoning and air distribution. As usual, the ductless manufacturers’ booths were pounded with heavy foot traffic. Sanyo’s Tom Crock said, “2006 was a great year for our company with triple-digit growth. We’ve got new products on display at the show and we’ve been busy ever since the doors opened.”

On the pages of this issue, we bring you a number of these new products. Obviously, we couldn’t fit everything on a limited number of pages, so you’ll want to visit our Website for even more information on the expo. Just visit www.achrnews.com and click on “AHR Show Coverage” for an overview of products displayed at the show and summaries of expo-related events.

The AHR Expo is co-sponsored by ASHRAE and the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI). In 2008, the show will be in New York City, Jan. 22-24 at the Javits Convention Center. Show dates are shifted to Tuesday through Thursday due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Publication date: 02/19/2007