Dubbed the ‘Grammys of HVAC,’ the annual HVAC Tactical Awards event at AHR Expo aims to celebrate success and social media connections across the industry. And while black tie isn’t the usual dress code for HVAC contractors, HVAC Tactical founder and event host Ben Poole said it’s important to dress up now and then “because when you dress great, you feel great — when you feel great, you act great, you do great things.”

HVAC Tactical started as a swag brand, then turned into a social media movement as it gained steam. Poole said social media has the potential to connect people in the industry, build momentum around the trades, and foster an attitude of comradery — of seeing fellow professionals as colleagues, not competitors.

“It helps elevate everybody around, right?” added Brett Wetzel, manager of technical training and troubleshooting at Coolsys, host of Advanced Refrigeration Podcast, and winner of the 2024 HVAC Tactical award for Mentor of the Year. “You get a 20-year veteran in the industry who is now helping a guy who's been in the industry for five years, and now the five-year guy can level up a whole lot faster.”