Stevens also attributes the response to the fact that the show will be in Orlando for the first time and will attract many new visitors from the Southeast, besides the usual strong national and international attendance.

At the Orange County Convention Center, more than 365,000 square feet of exhibition space has been reserved for the AHR Expo.

Educational Opportunities

In addition, there will be a special photo gallery in the registration area illustrating how the show and the industry have progressed since the expo first started in 1930.

For those who come for the educational opportunities, many of the show's endorsing associations will conduct free sessions that will present practical information ranging from principles of business management to a variety of current technical developments, including building automation.

As in previous years, Ken Sinclair, editor and owner of AutomatedBuildings.com, will offer several free sessions concerning building automation.

The first session, held Feb. 7 at 9:00 a.m., is "New Building Automation Concepts"; it will provide a general overview of technology and products that will be featured on the show floor.

The second session, held Feb. 7 at 1:30 p.m., is "Solutions for Automation - A Mix 'n' Match of Technologies." This session will explore cost-effective solutions to changing the evolving enterprise with the use of available technologies.

The third session, "Trends in Real-Time Connections to the Enterprise," will be held Feb. 8 at 9:00 a.m. and will explore the benefits of networked building control and the practice of integrating building management systems with corporate enterprise. The final session will be held Feb. 8 at 1:30 p.m.; "Wireless Networks and Controls: Applications and Protocols" will discuss the hybridization of existing networks with the use of wireless devices, which is now practical and achievable.

As always, ASHRAE is producing a large variety of sessions in conjunction with its annual Winter Meeting throughout the AHR Expo that will include numerous short courses and a free public session titled "Energy and Humidity Reduction Practices in Southern Climates." (For more information on the public session, please see the article "Technical Programs Find Place In The Sun" in this issue.)

Those attending the AHR Expo will want to look into the New Product Technology Theater, which will be located on the show floor. Exhibitors such as Munters, ClimateMaster, and Alfa Laval will give brief presentations on their product innovations at scheduled times throughout the show. Attendance is free, and the schedule may be obtained at www.ahrexpo.com/npttheater/index.php.

Also new this year will be the presence of the U.S. Green Building Council, which is the latest association to endorse the AHR Expo. The association joins more than 20 other endorsing associations that have already lent their support to the expo.

"We are very excited about the council's endorsement of the 2005 AHR Expo and are pleased to provide this year's expo participants direct access to the government body that has begun transforming the building industry toward a more environmentally conscious one," noted Stevens.

A representative from the U.S. Department of Energy will also speak on how proper equipment operation and maintenance affects energy efficiency, and the U.S. finals of the Skills USA student competition will be held during the show.

The AHR Expo will take place at the North/South Building, South Concourse Entrance of the Orange County Convention Center Feb. 7-9. The hours of operation each day are: Feb. 7, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Feb. 8, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; and Feb. 9, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Publication date: 01/24/2005