The International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition is returning to the Las Vegas Convention Center Jan. 30-Feb. 1, and show organizers are predicting record-breaking attendance at the industry event.
“Although current advance registration numbers don’t provide any guarantee on final attendance totals, it’s encouraging to note that at this moment, visitor registration is running ahead of all previous shows when compared to the same number of weeks before opening,” said Clay Stevens, president of International Exposition Company, which organizes the show. “One of the factors that generally influences the number of visitors is the overall size of the show, and the 2017 event in Las Vegas will be the largest AHR Expo held in its 88-year history.”
The AHR Expo is one of the world’s largest HVACR and plumbing industry events and is held annually in key markets and major cities across the U.S., hosting close to 2,000 exhibitors and bringing in crowds of 60,000 or more industry professionals. The event is co-sponsored by ASHRAE and AHRI and is held concurrently with ASHRAE’s Winter Conference.
Approximately 80 percent of exhibitors have indicated they will be displaying new or enhanced products, systems, and technologies at the AHR Expo. These new products will reflect numerous ongoing industry trends, including those associated with burgeoning growth across both the residential and commercial construction markets.
“It’s exciting to see such enthusiasm around the rebounding North American building and construction industry and the subsequent growth in demand for the latest evolution of products, technologies and services the HVACR industry has to offer,” Stevens said. “With this resurgence, a spirit of ingenuity and creativity has flourished among HVACR manufacturers, and we’re pleased to present the venue at which the results of this will be displayed for 2017.”
The new products manufacturers intend to unveil at this year’s expo represent several major trends driven by the growing construction market, both in North America and the world over, according to show organizers. These themes include green building as a standard of design, a rapidly returning residential construction market, a strong focus on remodeling and renovation, an increasing pre-fab/offsite construction market, and skilled labor shortages.
In other action, several familiar companies recently were awarded AHR Expo Innovation Awards, including: Danfoss won the Building Automation category for its Danfoss Enterprise Services; Noritz won the Heating category for its Noritz Combination Boiler; and Taco Comfort Solutions won the Plumbing category with its SmartPlug Smart Hot Water Recirculation Control.
