NEW YORK - It’s hard to believe that it’s been 17 years since New York City last hosted the International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo). This year’s event will definitely be bigger than when it was here in 1991, with more than 1,800 exhibiting companies from over 34 countries, including over 370 international exhibitors.

The 60th annual event is expected to attract tens of thousands of HVACR professionals and visitors from all over the world. The attendees will convene from Jan. 22-24 at the Javits Convention Center to see all the latest products and technologies from the world’s leading manufacturers and suppliers. It’s important to note that the starting day of this year’s expo is Tuesday, not Monday, which has been the traditional first day of the show.

This year’s expo will feature a vast array of new, energy-efficient, green products that will be offered by numerous companies from around the world. Several of AHR Expo’s 28 endorsing associations will also be offering free educational sessions dealing with green issues, including:

• GreenSpeak: Understanding the Language and Concepts;

• Going Green: Reducing Emissions and Operating Costs in Commercial, Industrial or Process Heating Applications; and

• Going Green and the Plan and Spec Representative.

For more information about the expo or to register online, go to www.ahrexpo.com.

AHR EXPO TRENDS

The Empire State region is both the biggest residential and commercial HVACR market in the United States and is currently experiencing a development boom rivaling that of the 1950s. With the nation’s largest concentration of Fortune 100 companies, New York will attract many new exhibitors and visitors who haven’t attended the AHR Expo in recent years.

“We went back to New York, because according to our exhibitor surveys, the Northeast is far and away the strongest market area for most of our exhibitors,” said Clay Stevens, president of International Exposition Co., the AHR Expo producer and organizer.

“The whole point of the show is to serve markets, and it makes sense to go to an area that’s strong for our exhibitors. Plus, New York is a terrific destination, and a lot of people just want to go there.”

Stevens has been involved in putting the AHR Expo together for the last 37 years. He said that one of the biggest things that has changed over the years is the sheer size of the show.

“The size has more than doubled from every standpoint - exhibitor and attendance. Just as an example, in 1972, when we first went to the ‘off year’ show, the show was 82,000 square feet in New Orleans. In Dallas last year, which at one time would’ve been considered an off year, we were at 354,000 square feet. Growth has been huge.”

Growth is particularly evident in the area of international visitors. The New York location is expected to significantly increase an already strong international participation from both an exhibitor and attendee perspective. Traditionally, East and West Coast events attract a large European and Asian/Pacific Rim attendance, and this year companies from places such as Lebanon and New Zealand are participating for the first time.

As noted previously, over 370 companies from outside the United States will be exhibiting at this year’s expo, and at press time, more than 1,700 international visitors had preregistered to attend the event. “The expo has become much more international, and that makes sense because the whole industry is globalized,” said Stevens.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

There will be over 30 free educational sessions available to AHR Expo attendees. Informative presentations will cover a wide range of industry topics including: Automation for a Sustainable Future and Impact of Evolving Energy Priorities on the Building Automation Industry. Presentations by endorsing associations will include GAMA’s Selling Efficiency to Your Customers, LMA’s The Role of Controls in Green Buildings, and many others. (For more information on education sessions, visit www.ahrexpo.com/education).

Other special show features that will be expanded and enhanced include:

• The New Product Technology Theaters;

• The Building Automation & Control Showcase;

• The Software Center;

• Various certification testing;

• Over 24 educational sessions and workshops presented by AHR Expo and its endorsing associations;

• Over 30 technical sessions and short courses presented by ASHRAE, many of which carry CEUs.

The Air Conditioning Heating and Refrigeration NEWS will once again present Finding and Retaining Employees: There’s Gotta Be an Easy Way! Contractors who want to know how to find and keep people at a time when labor shortages are creating havoc should come and listen to the contractors from award-winning companies who are successfully navigating this troubling issue.

These Best Contractor to Work For - 2007 award recipients received special recognition from The NEWS for the innovative approaches they employ with their co-workers.

New to the expo this year is the Plumbing and Hydronics Symposium. AHR Expo Plumbing and Hydronics Symposium-PM Live will feature two separate seminars designed to help plumbing and hydronics contractors enhance their business operations.

Well-known industry experts Al Levi, Ellen Rohr, Dan Holohan, and John Siegenthaler will present the sessions and provide insight on topics ranging from the capabilities of modern hydronic products to systematically solving problems while shoring up financial foundation.

Consistent with its emphasis on energy, the expo will also include exhibits and educational sessions presented by various U.S. government agencies. Information offered by the following groups will help engineers, contractors, facility owners and managers and other industry professionals learn about the latest technologies and developments from top experts in their fields:

• U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will provide a Zero Energy Buildings display.

• New York State Energy Research and Development (NYSERDA) will present both an exhibit and seminar on their energy-savings programs and incentives.

• Energy Star (U.S. EPA) will host an exhibit and seminar on how they can help put customers on the road to green, sustainable buildings.

As Stevens noted, “There is a wealth of educational activity at the expo, so those coming to the show should go to our Website to see what’s available. The trick is to do it before the show, and plan, plan, plan in advance.”

Publication date: 01/07/2008