A birthday to remember

2005 AHR Expo celebrates 75th anniversary
with record number of exhibitors

For the first time in the 75-year history of the AHR Expo, the show was held in Orlando, Fla., and as anticipated, it attracted a large number of industry professionals from around the globe. According to show management, the 2005 AHR Expo set a new record for number of exhibiting companies with 1,871 exhibitors taking up 372,955 square feet of exhibit space. The show was also one of the biggest shows in the Southeast in total attendance with more than 45,000 total attendees (over 27,000 visitors and 18,000 exhibitor personnel).

In 2005, the AHR Expo continued its trend of attracting a growing number of international exhibitors and attendees. A total of 311 international companies from 31 countries, including exhibitors in several country-specific pavilions, showcased their products at the event. Solid representation from around the globe included more than 34 companies from Europe, 86 from Pacific Rim countries and 123 Canadian companies.

More than 5,300 international visitors from 117 countries registered to attend the show. AHR Expo generally attracts some 20 percent of its attendance from over 100 countries outside the United States as many HVAC&R professionals travel thousands of miles to see the best the industry’s manufacturers have to offer. The 2005 Show included a larger presence of visitors from Mexico, and Central and South American countries.

‘The total of 1,871 exhibiting companies is a new all-time record for the show and it tells us that we are providing a valuable service to the industry,” said Clay Stevens, president of International Exhibition Company, which produces and manages the show. ‘With growing participation from the international community, it’s clear that the impact of the show reaches into every corner of the world.”

Highlights of the 2005 AHR Expo included a special 75th anniversary photo gallery in the registration area illustrating how the show and the industry have progressed since the AHR Expo first started in 1930.

For those who came to the show looking for educational opportunities, many of the AHR Expo Endorsing Associations conducted free sessions that presented practical information ranging from principles of business management to a variety of current technical developments, including building automation. As always, ASHRAE produced a large variety of sessions in conjunction with its annual Winter Meeting, which is held concurrently with the show. These included numerous short courses with a nominal tuition charge and a free public session on ‘Battling Humidity in Southern Climates.”

The U.S. Department of Energy presented information on how proper equipment operation and maintenance effects energy efficiency and the finals of the 2005 SkillsUSA competition were held at the show to determine who would represent the USA in the World Skills Competition in Helsinki.
Based on interviews with several exhibitors, AHR Expo 2005 was one of the best ever.

Here are some of their quotes:
‘The show is going great for us. We’re seeing a good mix of our customers: contractors, consulting engineers and distributors. We’ve increased our booth space from 2004, as well as our commitment to the show.”

‘We’re seeing the people we need to see from all corners of the globe, from engineers to end-users.”

‘This is a very international show as we have already seen people from Poland, Holland, Germany, China and many other countries.”

The 2006 AHR Expo will be held Jan. 23-25 in the North and South Halls of McCormick Place in Chicago.