Attendees of HARDI’s Oct. 23-26 annual conference will be able to keep up with the event through their smartphones.

The Heating, Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International is launching an application that will provide access to presentations, speaker biographies and other meeting information.

The app will allow attendees to update their social media statuses and figure out which sessions they plan to attend.

It also offers the option of uploading and saving product brochures, which means HARDI members’ suitcases might be a little lighter on the trip home without printed materials, said HARDI marketing director Susan Little.

“We received numerous calls from members planning to participate in the booth program inquiring about alternative options of message delivery. Most of the discussions related to alleviating shipping costs and concern their customers would not bring back materials to share with their internal teams,” Little said. “This technology provides our members with the option to not ship and literally put their brand messaging and product information in the palm of their customers’ hand.”

Organizers said they hope it makes the conference easier and more enjoyable.

“We’re thrilled to be able to provide the opportunity for members to save money and interact with their peers and customers,” Little added. “Additionally, the reduced waste and printing allows us get closer to realizing our goal of eventually running a paperless event, and for the attendees it means there is no more shuffling paper or carrying around a tote bag full of printed materials.”

The application’s download link will be distributed in advance to members attending the conference, HARDI said.