•    Best HVAC YouTube Channel Award: Itzcoatl Aguilar, @ewokdoeshvac

•    Service Tech of the Year Award: Anthony Ulloa, @Ant_DoesHVAC

•    Best Social Content Award: Adam Nasser, @wolfofhvac

•    Lady of the Trade Award: Megan McIntosh, @mechanicalenvironments

•    Podcast of the Year Award: Gary McCreadie, HVACKnowItAll Podcast

•    Hydronic Hot Shot Award: James Blanchett, @canuckmechanical

•    Mentor of the Year Award: Holden Shamburger, @hvactime

•    Picture Perfect Install Award: Matthew Harmon, @HVAC__Pro_Installs

•    Lifeline Tech Award: Jason Norman, @HVAC_Jay604

•    Influencer of the Year Award: Jessica Bannister, @hvacjess

•    Lifetime Achievement Award: John Pastorello, Refrigeration Technologies 

Bannister, winner of the influencer award, said that influence has a negative connotation to it — she prefers the term “content creator” but said that no matter what people label it, influencing is exactly what they do.

“We influence people's purchasing decisions by what they see on our videos and what we talk about and promote, and the fame and fortune that comes along with being an influencer — that's one thing — but more importantly, for somebody like me, it gives me a credible voice in this industry, and this is just going to amplify that even more,” Bannister said. 

Ben Poole, event host and founder of HVAC Tactical, closed out the event with gratitude, remembrance, and dedication. 

“Tonight is deeply personal for me,” Poole said. “I want to dedicate this show tonight to my grandfather, who recently passed away. He was a first-generation HVAC craftsman and a master fabricator. He worked with his hands. He took pride in doing things the right way. He also showed me that excellence isn't loud, it's consistent. The truth is, none of us would be standing in this room tonight, if it weren't for him and for the men and women like him who built this industry from the ground up. The spark from their inspiration is now the wildfire that we are all a part of today. And here we are again, another sold-out show back where it all started: Vegas.”

Poole continued and said that his hope was that those techs or contractors in the room that may feel like that’s all they are — that they left knowing better — because rooms like this one don’t fill themselves, movements don’t happen by accident, and industries don’t change without people willing to carry the weight when it’s heavy. The HVAC Tactical awards were never about trophies or a stage, it was about creating a space where the excellence of blue collar gets the respect it deserves. 

“Let me remind you of something that we often forget,” Poole said. “What you do is not who you are. Your trade is your skill and not your identity. Your job is your assignment, not your value. If you let your work define you, it will eventually confine you. Your calling is bigger than your craft, but your craft is the platform for your calling. You were wired with gifts, and nobody else in this room carries them quite like the way that you do.”

And he left the stage with a standing ovation.