In mid-January, ABMA successfully hosted its 2021 Annual Meeting. The meeting brought together the leading companies in the boiler industry for thought-provoking speakers, interactive sessions, and enjoyable social activities. But this meeting was unlike any other in the past. The event was converted to a hybrid event in the fall and then to a fully virtual event in December. It was evident from the start that we would not be able too replicate our usual Annual Meeting and going fully virtual added a few challenges. 

• Was it difficult to market a virtual event? Definitely!
• Was it challenging to bring interactivity to the event? Yes. Lots of creativity was needed. 
• Were there technology glitches? You bet!

ABMA successfully addressed the many challenges put in our path to create an event appropriate for the times while continuing to offer significant value to our membership.

This same desire to overcome challenges is happening throughout the boiler industry every day. Our members are committed to working with end-users to solve their problems and offer solutions that far exceed their expectations. They have adapted their services in these unique times and, in many ways, become more efficient.

As we look forward, ABMA is now planning to host its 2021 Summer Meeting at the beautiful Hyatt Regency Coconut Point in Bonita Springs, Florida. We remain optimistic with vaccines already in the field but are also realistic and know there will be challenges along the way. Like the Annual Meeting, we may have to change directions more than a few times. But, our 2021 Annual Meeting has proven that we do not need to be in one room to engage our members and gain valuable insights. Our goal is to make the right decision for our members and we’ll continue to monitor the situation.

This is also true for BOILER 2022, ABMA’s Inaugural Boiler Technology Conference & Expo, scheduled to take place April 11-13, 2022. We expected 2021 to be the year ABMA takes a huge step and directly engages our end-user community in a one-of-a-kind event for the boiler industry. This will not happen in 2021, but we’re shifting our focus and are excited about the potential for different opportunities for end-users to engage with ABMA that will be announced in the coming months.

Unfortunately, there are situations when even the strongest cannot overcome the challenges put in their path. Thus, to close my message, I want to say a few words about the passing of our beloved ABMA volunteer Bob Rizza. 

Bob was a larger-than-life figure who impacted so many people through the years. His contributions to the ABMA and the boiler industry were countless. Bob was always willing to raise his hand and understood the importance of giving back to an industry that had given so much to him. Bob, you will be missed by the great many you touched.

To stay up to date on ABMA, subscribe to our Boiler Weekly E-Newsletter at ABMA.com/news and monitor our social media channels #ABMABoiler on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, along with ABMA’s YouTube page.