MISSISSAUGA, Ontario - "Expand Your Comfort Zone" is the theme for the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada's (HRAI's) 36th Annual General Meeting (AGM) which will be held August 19-21, 2004, at The Grand Okanagan in Kelowna, British Columbia.

This year's annual meeting will continue to build on the successful format of the 2003 annual meeting, providing delegates with business sessions that will meet the needs of HRAI's three divisions - Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors of Canada (HRAC), the Canadian Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Wholesalers (CHRAW), and the HRAI Manufacturers Division - and associate members.

The AGM kickoff breakfast will feature keynote speaker Kit Grant whose presentation will help delegates recognize their personal responsibility in moving from where they are to where they want to be. Plenary business sessions will include Market Trends, Fuel Cell Technology, a session on how to cool off the stress in your life, as well as the 2004 National Assembly.

"With the pace of today's lifestyle, it is very easy to stay in our business ‘comfort zone,'" said John Murphy, HRAI chair. "The key to success, however, is to be responsive to new challenges and continuously expand our knowledge to meet our customers' changing needs.

"The HRAI Annual Meeting provides an ideal venue for our national industry to gather together and share ideas to help one another manage change and prosper in the future."

Business sessions for contractor delegates will include: business and marketing strategies, pricing for profitability, building envelope systems, the latest in HVACR software, indoor air quality demands, your business image and the media, priorities of customer care, trends in the design and installation of filtration systems for building HVAC security, selling commercial service/projects, and blueprinting for success.

Manufacturer and wholesaler delegates will participate in product section meetings on Refrigeration, Heating and Air Conditioning, Indoor Air Quality, Gas Hearth Products, and Controls. These sessions will address regulatory, market, and supply chain issues as well as promote dialogue between the two sectors of the industry. The Manufacturers Division/CHRAW member program will also include sessions on Canadian economic and construction market data.

HRAI is the national trade association of manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers, and contractors in the Canadian HVACR industry who provide products and services for indoor environmental control, ice-making, and preservation/cooling of perishable and non-perishable goods.

Publication date: 05/17/2004