AHR Expo Is Truly A Global Event

One of the benefits of having the AHR Expo in Anaheim is the close proximity of California Adventure and Disneyland (above and below). (Courtesy, ©Disney.)

ANAHEIM, Calif. - The 2004 International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo), which will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center Jan. 26-28, will be larger than any previous West Coast AHR Expo, according to the show's management company. With more than 1,400 exhibiting companies signed up to exhibit in 310,000 net square feet, the amount of exhibit space in Anaheim exceeds the 301,000 net square feet of exhibits at the last West Coast AHR Expo, which was held in 1998 in San Francisco.

The AHR Expo is produced and managed by the International Exposition Company (IEC) and jointly sponsored by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI). The 2004 event is continuing the recent trend toward globalization. Over the past several years, the number of exhibitors headquartered outside of the United States has been on the increase. At last report, 216 international exhibiting companies from 33 countries have signed up to display hundreds of new and innovative products.

Representation from around the globe includes more than 40 companies from Europe and three dozen Pacific Rim countries, with the majority of international support coming from more than 105 Canadian companies.

Clay Stevens, president of IEC, attributes some of this strong interest to the fact that the industry's leading event has not been to Southern California for more than a decade.

"The West Coast region represents a strong HVACR market," he said. "AHR Expo is the only opportunity many of these HVACR professionals will have to see such a vast array of all the latest products and technologies from leading suppliers around the world."

Educational Opportunities

Highlights of the AHR Expo include two special show floor pavilions (Building Automation and Control and a Software Center), which will encourage attendees to participate in hands-on demonstrations and view, test, and compare state-of-the-art technologies. Complimentary building automation sessions will also explore areas such as marketing convergence, online capabilities, an XML up-date, and wireless controls.

Four of the sessions will be presented by David J. Branson, P.E., senior vice president, Compliance Services Group Inc., and Ken Sinclair, editor/owner of the online industry magazine AutomatedBuildings.com. These seminars are "Planning for Convergence: Plugging In Real-Time Information"; "Creating Connections: Networking Tools that Connect Directly to the Client's Enterprise"; "Overview of Automation Tools and Demonstrations Available Online"; and "Wireless Controls: Real Applications and Evolving Protocols."

As always, ASHRAE is producing a large variety of sessions in conjunction with the association's annual winter meeting throughout the four days of the AHR Expo. Sessions will include numerous short courses with a nominal tuition charge and a free public session on improving residential HVAC energy efficiency. (For more information on ASHRAE programs, visit www.ashrae.org.)

In addition to the pavilions, many of the AHR Expo's endorsing associations will conduct free educational sessions.

Presentations by endorsing associations include:

"Technology of Clean Air - Schools & Commercial Buildings" - presented by the National Air Filtration Association (NAFA) Monday, Jan. 26, 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

"DOE Best Practices Tools for Energy Management" - presented by the American Boiler Manufacturers Association (ABMA) Monday, Jan. 26, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

"Cooling Tower Operating and Maintenance for Improved Efficiency" - presented by the Cooling Technology Institute (CTI) Monday, Jan. 26, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

"Using GAMA and IBR Ratings to Your Advantage" - presented by the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association (GAMA) Monday, Jan. 26, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

"Ways to Find and Retain Qualified Technicians/Employees" - presented by The News and the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) Tuesday, Jan. 27, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

"A Complete Approach to Moving Air Efficiently" - presented by the Air Movement and Control Association International (AMCA) Tuesday, Jan. 27, 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

"System Diagnostics" - presented by ACCA Tuesday, Jan. 27, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

"Technical Commissioning of HVAC Systems" - presented by the National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB) Tuesday, Jan. 27, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

For a complete list of seminars, times, and locations, check the AHR Expo Web site, www.ahrexpo.com. For a complete list of exhibitors, see the online feature "AHR Expo Exhibitor List" in this issue.

Publication date: 01/12/2004

Looking for quick answers on air conditioning, heating and refrigeration topics? Try Ask ACHR NEWS, our new smart AI search tool. Ask ACHR NEWS

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Joanna Turpin is a Senior Editor at The ACHR NEWS. She can be contacted at 248-786-1707 or joannaturpin@achrnews.com. Joanna has been with BNP Media since 1991, first heading up the company’s technical book division before moving over to The ACHR NEWS, where she frequently writes about refrigerants and commercial refrigeration. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Washington and worked on her master’s degree in technical communication at Eastern Michigan University.