According to a post-show survey of 2012 Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Exposition (AHR Expo) attendees, 93 percent of respondents ranked energy efficiency-related areas as the most important products/technology to see at the trade show.

Sixty percent of respondents ranked energy efficiency as “very important” and 33 percent as “somewhat important.”

Other products/technologies that ranked as important are:

• Green building/sustainability: 82 percent;

• Automation and controls: 80 percent;

• Alternative energy (solar, geothermal, etc.): 74 percent; and

• Indoor air quality: 79 percent.

Other Survey Findings

Another important reason attendees listed for visiting the HVACR exposition was to meet with current suppliers (93 percent), which was also ranked very high by exhibitors (96 percent of exhibitors listed meeting with current customers as important).

Not surprisingly, many of the attendees’ top reasons for visiting the AHR Expo were similar to those of the suppliers’ reasons
for exhibiting.

Attendees’ reasons for visiting included the following:

• Look for new suppliers/vendors: 93 percent;

• Find solutions to address needs: 81 percent; and

• See what’s new: 97 percent.

Exhibitors’ reasons for being at the expo included the following:

• Generate new sales leads: 92 percent;

• Demonstrate products: 83 percent; and

• Display new products: 65 percent.

In keeping with the desire to see new technologies and products, 50 percent said they visited the Building & Automation Control Pavilion, while 32 percent visited the Software Center and 31 percent visited the New Product Technology Theaters.

“That is why trade shows are such a valuable resource for both attendees and exhibitors,” said Clay Stevens, president of International Exposition Co., which produces and manages the AHR Expo. “There is no better opportunity than AHR Expo for industry professionals looking for innovative products and solutions to meet with nearly 2,000 suppliers from around the world who are unveiling new products and solutions.”

Another interesting survey finding is that both exhibitors and attendees are using digital and social media. Nearly two-thirds of attendees said they remember seeing online promotion about the show, and 9 percent use the social media channels Facebook and Twitter. Meanwhile, 67 percent of exhibitors use online promotion, while 20 percent are active on Facebook and 17 percent use Twitter.

Publication date: 04/30/2012