Contracting Business
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AHR Expo an Educational Treasure

Feb. 3, 2023
MAKE A PLAN! Don't just fill your bags with trinkets, advises Contracting Business's Terry McIver. Educational offerings at AHR Expo are worth every minute you can give them.

Have you mapped out your visit to the 2023 AHR Expo, or are you just going to wander around the aisles, filling a bag with pens, tape measures and flashlights?

Plan A is the smart move.

You should visit companies that have products you definitely want to see up-close, AND attend a good sampling of educational events.

AHR has lined up an impressive list of presenters on topics related to products, practices and procedures, industry trends, and training you and/or your designated information gatherer will find to be of value.

There are four presentation categories: free industry sessions, ASHRAE Learning Institute courses, new product and technology presentations and panel discussions. Many speakers are also have exhibits at the show, so you can follow-up with them as needed. 

Here is just a sampling of topics in each category.

Visit ahrexpo.com to view all topics. 

Free Industry Sessions

Marketing intelligence, by Nicola Fallowfield-Smith and Socrates Christidis of BSRIA Ltd., who will describe how to use market intelligence to craft growth plans in

Turning Chaos into Creativity, by Brad White, Ken Sinclair and Scott Cochrane will discuss how the trend of "reinvention" offers new opportunities in building automation.

Electrical Troubleshooting for HVAC: Presented by emerging educational superstar, trainer/contractor Bryan Orr of HVAC School and Dirk Nauman of HVAC Simulator, this class will cover basic to intermediate electrical troubleshooting.

Status Update on Refrigerants: a look at refrigerant classification, specification and recovery standards, by Greg Kalinyak and Julie Majurin, both of AHRI.

Cultivating Talent to Tackle the Tech Shortage: Presented by RSES and RSES Journal, this session is intended to help inspire and motivate attendees to actively participate in making the HVACR trade a more inviting place for new recruits and the next generation of workers. 

Pricing for Profit in Inflationary Times, by consultant Ruth King. King will share how to take all cost increases, both direct and overhead, into the pricing formula to ensure bottom line profitability despite high inflation.

ASHRAE Learning Institute Courses

  • Best Practices in Energy Management, by Richard Pearson. By the legend from across the pond, this course provides a gateway to applicable industry guidelines, standards, other ASHRAE ALI courses.
  • Introduction to Decarbonization, by Dru Crawley. This course describes the primary sources for carbon emissions in buildings and explains the key drivers for decarbonization. 
  • Humidity Control Design Tips & Tricks, by Mark Nunnelly. Excess humidity and moisture promotes mold, mildew, and uncomfortable conditions for occupants. This course helps the designer achieve true control of humidity.
  • Air-to-Air Energy Recovery Applications, by Paul Pieper. This course reviews real-world examples of where and how air-to-air energy recovery technologies are integrated into some of the most common, used commercially available systems.
  • Laboratory Design: The Basics and Beyond, with John Varley.  A comprehensive overview of HVAC design for laboratories is examined in this course. 
  • Best Practices for Installing DDC Systems, with Larry Fisher. This course covers a facility’s direct digital controls (DDCs) form a living, breathing system that an owner will use throughout the life of the building.
  • Plus 14 more.

New Products & Technology

  • Distributed Pumping by Grundfos.
  • HVAC Marketing, by HVAC Grow
  • E3 Supervisory Controls for CO2, Refrigeration, by Emerson
  • Electric Heating/Cooling, by Trane
  • Little Giant solutions, by Franklin Electric
  • LG's Latest Technology, by LG Electronics
  • Business Valuation, by Business Development Resources
  • Treatments for Copper/Aluminum Coils
  • HVAC & Social Media, with nine panelists.
  • Plus 140 more topics.

Panel Discussions

  • Cybersecurity for BAS, by Greg Fitzpatrick, Cochrane Supply & Engineering and four others. Many typical MEP BAS specs do not have any cyber security built in. SPeakers will discuss  new frontiers to ensure the security and reliability of future BAS systems.
  • IAQ in Commercial Spaces, Best Practices and Financial Resources, by AHRI
  • State of the Industry, with Chuck White, PHCC, Dominick Guarino, NCI, Farooq Mehboob, ASHRAE and more.
  • Principles of Building Commissioning: ASHRAE Guideline O and Standard 202 wioll be described.. The course presents defining characteristics of the new construction commissioning process defined by Guideline 0, The Commissioning Process, and ASHRAE/IES Standard 202, Commissioning Process for Buildings and Systems. 
  • Plus 16 more topics.

Podcast Pavilion

Podcasters are making their marks in HVACR. These young and independent experts, many who are working business owners and technicians, are taking advantage of podcasting technology to build a small but devoted followings. Some examples:

  • HVAC Jerks will present eight live podcasts Feb. 5-6-7.
  • Power Women of the Trades: 12:00-12:50, Feb. 8
  • HVAC School, with Bryan Orr, will make three presentations.
  • Refrigeration Mentor Trevor Matthews (see bit.ly/refmentor)  
  • Elizabeth Orlieb's Refrigerant 365 will make two presentations.
  • Service Business Mastery, 1:00-1:50, Feb. 8. 

Visit ahrexpo.com and click on Education Schedule for all educational presentations.

Have a great show experience!

About the Author

TERRY MCIVER | Content Director - CB

A career publishing professional, Terence 'Terry' McIver has served three diverse industry publications in varying degrees of responsibility since 1987, and has also worked in marketing communications for a major U.S. corporation.

He joined the staff of Contracting Business magazine in April 2005.

As director of content for Contracting Business, he produces daily content and feature articles for CB's 36,000 print subscribers and many more Internet visitors. He has written hundreds of news, features and contractor profile articles for CB's audience of quality HVACR contractors. He can also be found on the road, covering HVACR industry events or visiting with manufacturers or contractors. He also has significant experience in trade show planning.

Each year, Terry plays a major role in the planning and hosting of the Contracting Business "Refrigeration Roundtable," a private, idea-sharing meeting that brings together supermarket contractors and refrigeration contractors.