HARDI members are proud. They are by nature professional, competitive, industrious, generous and supportive. Supportive to their industry, to their association and to their peers. Most recently, this behavior was evident in Chicago during the January 2006 AHR Expo and HARDI events surrounding the show.
Before the start of the show, Sunday has become a very important day for members. Several dozen distributors, manufacturers and reps participated in the Sunday afternoon “Excel Meetings” — organized roundtable discussions where members sit face-to-face and pick each other's brains on the issues, concerns and successes of running their businesses in the 21st century.
After the two-hour summit, the execs joined the more than 525 registered HVACR industry leaders for the Sunday evening Icebreaker reception. An impressive gathering designed for networking, meeting and greeting, HARDI's pre-expo cocktail and heavy hors d'oeuvres reception continues to increase in popularity as one of the essential functions to attend in conjunction with the AHR Expo.
Beginning Monday morning, it was easy to spot HARDI members among the expo crowd of a record 57,000 HVACR professionals in attendance. Many members affixed ribbons to their show badges proudly proclaiming to all that they were a “HARDI Member.” The ribbons were a very popular draw to HARDI's expo booth. Many members stopped by to review the numerous HARDI programs, products and services that prove the value of their membership. Some brought along peers, competitors and customers to show off their association and introduce prospective new members. Many of HARDI's proud took time out of their own schedule to work in the HARDI booth, talking with inquiring show attendees about their personal real benefits to belonging to the world's only association dedicated to the distribution of HVACR products.
Driven by unprecedented association support, new show features and a healthy economy, the 2006 AHR Expo set new records for exhibitors (1,981), square footage (411,175) and number of international exhibitors (400). According to Show Management, a total of 57,673 HVACR professionals (36,891 visitors and 20,782 exhibitor personnel) registered for the show.
“We are delighted with this year's record-breaking event as it reflects the growth of various industry segments within the AHR Expo and our ongoing efforts to add several Show enhancements,” said Clay Stevens, president of IEC, the show producer and organizer. “AHR Expo is the only HVACR-exclusive event in the world that offers HVACR professionals such an extensive overview of all segments of the marketplace.”
HARDI and its many members echo those sentiments. “The 2006 show was the fourth for HARDI as an exhibitor, and each year, it is more evident than the previous why it is imperative for our association to be represented,” said Don Frendberg, HARDI executive vice president. “Participating in the show gives HARDI staff and HARDI members exposure to critical industry and product information. We're honored to have an opportunity to be an endorser of the AHR Expo and thrilled with the reception we receive from the industry.”
As the largest and most comprehensive exposition in the HVACR industry, AHR Expo attracts thousands of attendees from all facets of the industry, including contractors, engineers, dealers, distributors, wholesalers, OEMs, architects and builders, industrial plant operators, facility owners and managers, agents and reps.
Since 1930, the AHR Expo has been the HVACR professional's single best resource for new products, ideas and services. It's a hands-on, interactive event that showcases a wide spectrum of equipment, systems and components. This unique industry forum, cosponsored by ASHRAE and ARI, creates a dynamic marketing environment unequaled in size and scope by any other industry event.
The 2007 AHR Expo will be held January 29-31 in Dallas, Texas, at the Dallas Convention Center. Watch HARDI's website (www.hardinet.org) in May for details on reserving a room at HARDI's host hotel.