"I think it's great," said attendee Mike Pence, vice president of Control Air North, Hayward, Calif. "I think it's a lot more informative this year, (because) of the hands-on. I thought the exhibitors seemed a lot more knowledgeable about what they were exhibiting."

Officials from duct manufacturer Spiral-Helix didn't bring any large pieces of equipment with them, citing the show's short (six-hour) length. However, sales manager Tom Munro said it was still well worth exhibiting.

"It's a great show," he said. "We meet a lot of our customers."

Many contractors echoed Munro's comments.

"I like the expanded format. You get to hang out and talk to people a little bit more than in previous years," said Dan Harden, owner of Cornwall on Hudson, N.Y.-based Harden Sheet Metal