ARLINGTON, Va. - The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) has announced that it will offer an expanded and wide-ranging educational program at its 2004 Annual Conference & Indoor Air Expo, Feb. 25-28, at the New Orleans Marriott in Louisiana.

"This year's conference will offer the largest and most comprehensive, cutting-edge educational program the contracting industry has ever seen," stated Paul T. Stalknecht, ACCA president and CEO. "The focus of the sessions is not going to be on abstract theory or motivation. We'll be offering contractors real, usable information that they can put to use as soon as they return to their businesses."

The association noted that, due to the popularity of last year's "Training Track" schedule, which offered a series of educational workshops grouped by subject, this year tracks will be expanded to include: Residential Contracting; Commercial Contracting; Refrigeration; Marketing/Management; and Legal Issues. There will also be a series of contractor panels on best practices.

Some of the topics planned include:

  • Increase Top Line Revenue Without Increasing Expenses

  • Under 15 Employees: Growing and Improving

  • Mold: Trends in Litigation & Insurance

  • Performance-Based Compensation: Making It Work

  • Training Your Competitors (Yes, You Read That Right)

  • Developing the Ultimate Service Technician

  • What a New Service Technician Wants

  • Assessing Your Company's Insurance Needs

  • Flat Rate Pricing: Friend or Foe

  • Make Energy Star Work for You

  • Fuel Cell Technology

  • Email Marketing: How & Why

  • Wage & Hour Issues for Contractors

  • Diversity in HVAC: Expand Your Customer Base

  • Launching a New Product/Service

  • The New Contractor/Distributor Relationship

  • Family-Owned Businesses: Successes & Failures

  • Women in HVAC: Getting Started

  • Your Company Is Worth More Than You Think

  • Commercial Facility Management Controls

  • Determining Your True Operating Costs

  • Financial Ratios: Decoding the Mystery

  • Selling Commercial Projects

  • Using New Technology to Make Sales

  • Understanding Service Maintenance Agreements

  • Thermal Energy Storage

    Early-bird registration for the conference is available online at www.acca.org/register or by calling 703-575-4477.

    Publication date: 10/13/2003