The HVACR industry continues to dive ahead into smarter ways to provide heating, cooling, and refrigeration to the built environment. The steadfast application of legacy technologies all the way through the introduction of novel products and practices allows professionals to converge and refresh their knowledge, discover new paths, and expand a network to help align and achieve goals.

“AHR Expo is three days of productive engagement with valued customers, suppliers, and partners,” said Steve Ribaudo, VP & GM, Commercial HVAC Americas at Carrier. “We wrapped up a truly energizing week in Las Vegas, where the team at AHR Expo and our incredible team put on an amazing show and customer reception.”

Experts Lend Access To Education And Training 

This week in conversation we heard about data centers, methods to strengthen workforce development initiatives, discussions of steadying refrigerant shortages coupled with a push in direction to new refrigerants, updated regulations, and more.   

In addition to the free industry program, already packed with sessions for all points of interest, the Education Program featured the 2026 Panel Series. Highlights include:

Monday and Tuesday featured a series of standing room only discussions on topics including refrigerants, data centers, workforce development, industry communication channels, heat pumps, ERV systems, and the annual State of the Industry Panel.  

“Standing in the back of a packed room this morning, listening to the state of the industry at AHR Expo. A stark reminder of why this industry works best when we’re actually together. Not because of one company or one product, but because it brings the whole ecosystem into the same conversation,” said Katie Blaufuss, Trane Technologies. “I work for a company, and I support specific clients. That matters, but so does staying connected as an industry while everything around us continues to shift. Manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, dealers, and industry partners all in one room, listening, sharing perspective, and wrestling with what’s hard right now and where opportunity really exists. This industry doesn’t move forward without all of those voices at the table.”

Ryan Sen, who moderated the panel Data Center Demands: Cooling Solutions, BMS Advancement and the Next Generation of HVAC, said of the session, “Standing room only! Yes, you heard me right — our Data Center Demands panel was certainly one of the most heavily attended sessions at AHR Expo 2026, and with good reason. Given the speed, scale, and investment being made in this vertical, it was timely for the engineering, HVAC, and BAS communities to come together to hear from real subject matter experts helping to shape standards and technology adoption. These included none other than David Quirk, Justin Seter, Ken Duncan, and Davin Sandhu.”

You can find full-length videos of all sessions in the 2026 Panel Series on ahrexpo.com soon.

Attendees Weigh-In 

It’s hard to escape the energy present in a room full of HVACR professionals. AHR Expo is honored to provide the once-a-year opportunity for the full community to come together for a few days.  

“Still buzzing from AHR Expo 2026! An incredible experience packed with innovation that directly fuels my work in energy efficiency, building retrofits, and retro-commissioning across NYC,” said Mechanical Engineer Marina Rezkalla with Carlton Energy. “From next-gen HVAC systems to smarter controls and efficiency strategies, the expo delivered real, actionable ideas for improving existing buildings and meeting today’s performance demands.”

“WOW, what an amazing experience. As a first-time attendee, I was blown away by the number of vendors and HVAC professionals visiting from all over the world. Truly inspired by the seminars, the hands-on tool demos, and great conversations with industry professionals,” said Steve Doring, owner of Paradise Heating & Cooling Ltd.

Awarding Innovation 

During a closed ceremony on Monday, we honored the 2026 AHR Expo Innovations Awards for their contributions to HVACR and its future. This year's winners include:  

Building Automation winner Honeywell, Honeywell Connected Solutions; cooling winner Daikin, Magnitude® WME-C Quad; heating winner Copeland, Copeland heating-optimized modulating vapor injection portfolio; indoor air quality winner Sharp Corporation, Airest; plumbing winner IDC Fluid Control, LeakStop III; refrigeration winner Copeland, Copeland transcritical CO2 scroll compressor with dynamic vapor injection technology; software winner Rebar, AI-Powered Takeoff Platform; sustainable solutions winner Blue Frontier, BF-DOAS; tools & instruments winner CSG Compressors (Houston & American Hermetics), SAMMi; and ventilation winner ABB Motors and Drives, ACH580 Variable Frequency Drives.

Blue Frontier took home the prestigious 2026 AHR Expo Innovation Product of the Year Award.

"When it was announced that we won Product of the Year, I could only think of the audacity of my team at Blue Frontier. A tiny group of people with the seemingly naive conviction that we can do things better and without compromises. This award marks a recognition and an encouragement for us to continue to find ways to align people, science, engineering, product, and customer experience to create products that seem magical," Dr. Daniel Betts, CEO of Blue Frontier, Inc.

Students Experience HVACR’s Shining Moment 

On Monday, student engineers from ASHRAE’s youth programming joined us for a curated tour and panel discussion. HVACR professionals from across the industry came together to talk about career paths, industry entry, and real-world advice for building and sustaining a successful career.

On Wednesday, high school students enrolled in a dual-enrollment program from Clark County Public Schools joined us for their own hands-on experience. Mirroring Monday’s programming, students participated in a curated tour led by industry ambassadors who highlighted the innovation, technology, and career potential within HVACR. Students also attended a panel discussion exploring the wide range of career pathways available in the industry. A special thank you to program sponsors Grundfos, Viega, and Midea for providing lunch and donating goods for the students.

“We are so incredibly grateful for our time at the AHR Expo this week. I've attended a lot of trade shows, but this one blew my mind. The size, the innovation, the community. I can't stop telling people about what an exceptional experience it was. I appreciate the thought that went into the programming for our students; it was relevant, meaningful, and engaging. I left feeling inspired, and I know that our staff and students did as well,” said Lilianna Bonderov, principal at Central Technical Training Academy.

AHR Expo heads to Chicago for 2027 

AHR Expo will return to Chicago January 25-27, 2027. Registration is expected to open in the summer.

For more information about AHR Expo, please visit ahrexpo.com.