Krista and I are attending the AHR Expo in Orlando, FL this week – and we had a great first day yesterday! Co-sponsored by ASHRAE and AHRI, this is THE show for the air-conditioning, heating and refrigeration industry. There is some great stuff that I didn’t want to miss. So I walked the entire show floor yesterday. The amount of Band-aids that I put on my blisters this morning is proof of the size of the show.

Of course, our clients have some exciting stuff happening at the show, too.

American Hometec (booth #3419) is launching its Model AHQ-C-1o tankless water heater at the show. The response on day 1 was overwhelming, and we are looking forward to many more great meetings today.

CALMAC (booth #3542) is discussing various case studies, most notably the Sarasota installation which has saved the County’s school system over $8 million in energy savings. At the show this week, CALMAC will be a part of the ASHRAE Golden Circle Recognition.

And IES (booth #2066) is part of “The Software Center” – a feature at the Expo showcasing the latest software applications for the HVAC&R industry in one place.

This show is a great way to kick-off 2010 – and we look forward to a notable year in the HVAC&R industry…the bar was set high this week at the Orlando Convention Center.

See you in Vegas in 2011!

This week, Mike Harris and I attended what seemed to be a very successful IT Expo in Miami. The show floor was lively, and there was a strong sense that the companies in the IP communications industry are moving forward.

While some companies may still be transitioning from TDM, confidence was high that an all-IP environment isn’t far off. Despite some reports of its demise, there were a strong number of companies offering VoIP services. Though there was a trend to offer it as part of a bundled service.

What we did find surprising, however, was the number of businesses that are reinventing what many may assume is long gone – the fax. Our unofficial count showed about 14 fax companies at the show, all optimistic that this is a hot, new sector in IP communications. One company even had a unique giveaway – you could plant a tree for someone in any country – as a reminder that the paperless fax is indeed “green.”

So even though we didn’t win the big Jeep giveaway, Mike and I both came away with a new understanding – and appreciation – of an industry which is going through an exciting evolution.