While there are no official numbers, I
think it’s safe to say that the 2011 AHR Expo in Las Vegas was a success. Not only was it a
success for show organizers, but for sheet metal
manufacturers.
I just returned home after attending two days
of the three-day show, and the Las Vegas Convention Center was packed with
attendees. It was hard to get to some of the booths because of the sheer number
of people who wanted to get a look at all of the new products at the
show.
And speaking of new products, I met with several
manufacturers that were beaming with pride over the products they had on
display. Some of the products were so new they were built specifically for the
show. From hand tools to large sheet metal machinery, many of the new products
were built with efficiency in mind. If the product wasn’t more efficient to
install, it was more energy efficient, providing definite cost savings to
consumers.
Snips saw several new innovative products during
the event. Some of those products will be featured in the pages of Snips, and
on our website in video format.
Besides the AHR Expo, ASHRAE
also had its winter meeting in Las
Vegas. The educational sessions at the ASHRAE
conference were just as crowded as the trade show floor at the convention
center. ASHRAE members packed rooms to hear about new energy opportunities and
the latest on ASHRAE standards. ASHRAE is definitely moving forward with its
agenda to make buildings more energy efficient.
If there was
one thing I took away from my time in Vegas, it's that the industry is moving
forward with green building and sustainability, whether contractors are ready
for it or not. The green building train keeps chugging along, and you might
want to jump on board before it gets too far down the track.
