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Chicago in January is not for everyone.

But for tens of thousands of HVACR professionals, Chicago this January will be the place to get acquainted with the latest products and technology, stay current on regulations and trends, update technical and business skills, and exchange ideas and rub elbows with peers from across the industry and around the world.

The 2024 AHR Expo, the biggest HVACR industry event of the year, is scheduled for Jan. 22-24 at Chicago’s McCormick Place, the largest convention center in North America. More than 1,800 exhibits are planned, and attendance is expected to be healthy.

Expo veterans say the show is particularly important in a time of rapid change in an industry that’s seeing a host of new regulations, a push away from fossil-fuel-burning systems and toward electrification, and technologies — like automation and artificial intelligence (AI) — that are changing the way business gets done. Not to mention the turmoil seen in the industry, and the broader economy, in the last few years, from a worldwide pandemic to supply chain snags to a shortage of trained workers.

HVACR CROWD: The AHR Expo in Atlanta in 2023 drew nearly 53,000 people. The next show, in Chicago, is expected to draw a big crowd as well. (Staff photo)

“It’s just one big opportunity to connect people to other people, to ideas that will be beneficial to them,” said Nicole Bush, director of marketing for the AHR Expo. “I think people really are ready to dive into what’s ahead.”

DUCT DEMONSTRATION: Drake Nelson cuts into a run of Johns Manville insulated duct board during a demonstration at the company’s booth at the 2023 AHR Expo in Atlanta. (Staff photo)

“You don’t have to go it alone, and this show is really the perfect opportunity to meet your industry partners,” said Kim Albrecht, director of marketing and training in the air-conditioning division at Rheem Manufacturing Co. “It’s a really important time to get together in person for a show like this, and to leverage those partnerships.”

Rheem, said Albrecht, is tuned into the momentum that decarbonization is gaining and will be showing off products that meet that trend, such as the heat pumps in the company’s new Endeavor product line and the ProTerra Plug-in, heat-pump water heater, which can be plugged into a standard outlet.

“We’re definitely going to spend time on products that are driving the decarbonization initiative” and are eligible for tax credits and other incentives, she said.

At Johnson Controls Inc., David Budzinski, president of the global light commercial and residential division, said sustainability also will be at the forefront. Visitors to his company’s booth, Budzinski said, will get an up-close look at products like the York YVWH water-to-water dual variable-speed screw heat pump, which uses the ultra-low GWP refrigerant R-1234ze; the York YMAE air-to-water inverter-scroll modular heat pump, which uses the low-GWP refrigerant R-454B; and a York residential hybrid HVAC system that combines a 15.2 SEER2 heat pump with a high-efficiency, two-stage furnace.

OIL-FREE COMPRESSOR: At the Emerson booth in Atlanta in 2023, Mike Oakley showed off a Copeland oil-free centrifugal compressor. Copeland is now a separate company, and Oakley is director of oil-free centrifugal compression solutions there. (Staff photo)

“Today’s homeowners and building operators expect more than comfort from HVAC systems,” he said. “They want healthy, energy-efficient homes and buildings that are aligned with environmentally responsible practices.”

Navien Inc., which made its mark with tankless water heaters, is coming to the Expo following the recent release of its first HVAC product, the Hydro-furnace, which has an annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) of 97% and a high-efficiency, electronically commutated motor (ECM). Visitors to Navien’s AHR booth will get to see the Hydro-furnace as well as other new commercial products and residential water heaters, said product management director David Hoskyn.

“The products that will be on display this year from many of the manufacturers, including us, will be a direct reflection of decarbonization efforts at every level,” said Hoskyn. “I think everyone is aware of the current push for electrification and the impact that is having on our industry right now.”

Bush said the Expo is about at capacity for exhibits.

“It’s a sold-out show floor, for all intents and purposes,” she said.

For HVACR professionals interested in attending the show, registrations, free through Saturday, Jan. 20, are welcome. See www.ahrexpo.com for details.

SPIN, A SELFIE: Lorenzo Chicchirichi takes a selfie at the Atlanta AHR Expo in 2023 after winning a Google Nest thermostat with a spin of the roulette wheel. (Staff photo)

AHR is about more than displays. Hundreds of educational sessions are planned over the three days, from free seminars to courses presented by the ASHRAE Learning Institute to new product presentations. The Expo will also feature panel discussions on some of the most popular topics in HVACR, such as refrigerant regulations, the labor shortage and talent gap, AI, and heat pumps and electrification.

“Every year, we have a very robust educational program that is a complement to what’s happening on the show floor,” Bush said.

The popular State of the Industry discussion is scheduled for 10-11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23, in Room E350. The panelists are ASHRAE president Ginger Scoggins, National Comfort Institute president and CEO Dominick Guarino, AHRI president Steven Yurek, Heating Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International president and CEO Talbot Gee, Association for Smarter Homes & Buildings CEO Greg Walker, and HVACRschool.com host Bryan Orr, who will moderate the discussion.

The State of the Industry panel debuted during the 2022 AHR Expo in Las Vegas. Bush said AHR strives to bring in speakers who can provide the best insights on current topics.

“We’ve got our ears to the ground throughout the year,” she said.

Other 2024 AHR Expo highlights will include:

• Two podcast pavilions. Podcasting from the show, Bush said, has proven quite popular. “I joke that we’re going to need about four more podcast pavilions in the next couple years,” she said.
• A dedicated food hall at McCormick Place, rather than food booths that are scattered about.
• The Innovation Awards. The 2024 Innovation Awards, which were announced in October, recognize the manufacturers of HVACR products in 10 different categories. They will be honored again during a closed reception on Monday, Jan. 22, and the overall Product of the Year winner will be announced shortly thereafter.

Bush said the Expo is an opportunity for professionals to get more familiar with facets of HVACR that are outside their individual specialties but affect the whole industry.

“It’s not enough anymore to be an engineer (just) doing engineering, or any role being siloed in the industry,” she said. “It’s not enough for all the changes that are coming.”

For many, meeting up with fellow Expo attendees matters the most.

“Our industry has always been about the people and the relationships,” said Navien’s Hoskyn, “and the Expo is where those connections are made or renewed.”