The Air Conditioning Contractors of America says registrations are up for its Feb. 15-17 conference in San Antonio.

The ACCA has high hopes for its 2011 convention in San Antonio based on the number of people who have already signed up to attend.

Advanced registrations so far are up by 20 percent, the Air Conditioning Contractors of America said.

“Talking to contractors, suppliers, and manufacturers from all over the country, everyone has expressed the same opinion that the HVAC contractor of the future will have to be educated in technologies as well as new ways to go to market in order to survive,” said John Sedine, 2010-2011 ACCA chairman and president of Engineered Heating & Cooling in Michigan. “The economy, political issues, and the move to ‘green’ renewable energy are forcing us to think out of the box. When times are good, contractors don't think they need as much help, but when things change they realize they do.

"ACCA has always been the place to go for technical information as well as contractor networking opportunities, and now co-locating with IAQA (Indoor Air Quality Association) and RPA (Radiant Panel Association) makes this conference bigger and better than ever. Contractors see the real value in the opportunities and information that are available in San Antonio, making it a can't-miss event,” Sedine said.

The conference will include 35 educational sessions on topics such as business management and refrigeration. Details are at this website.