United States. The last version of the AHR Expo 2018 held in Chicago registered, according to the organization, record figures in six aspects that include more than 72,000 total participants and 49,995 registered visitors.
The 70th edition of the event set four additional records, including the number of exhibitors, square footage of exhibition space and countries represented.
The organization confirmed that next year's Show will be held in Atlanta from January 14 to 16, 2019. The exhibition space is already sold out and 90 percent of attendees this year will forecast excellent or good business conditions for next year according to ASHRAE Journal research.
"The excitement generated by this year's record crowds of attendees and exhibitors was palpable from the showroom to the training sessions," said Clay Stevens, manager of AHR Expo. "Whether you're designing a building's HVACR system from scratch, or you want to make your existing spaces warmer, cooler, quieter, smarter, safer, or more comfortable and efficient, AHR Expo is the only place where you can see and experience it all, learn from the best experts in the industry, and stay at the forefront of innovation."
2018 AHR Expo in numbers
- Total attendance (including exhibitor staff): 72,075, up from 68,615 (2017)
- Total visitor attendance: 49,995, up from 48,568 (2017)
- Exhibiting companies: 2,155, compared to 2,118 (2015)
- Exhibition Space (SF) - 534,080, vs. 500,159 (2017)
- Countries represented - 169, compared to 165 (2017)
The winner of the Innovation of the Year Award
Innovation was ubiquitous at the show, and leading the field were the 10 winners of the coveted 2018 AHR Expo Innovation Awards, recognized at a ceremony honoring their achievements. Selected from this elite group and announced at the event as the 2018 Product of the Year was Danfoss, winner of innovation in the green building category, for its TTH/TGH Turbocor High Lift Compressor. Optimized for air coolers and heat recovery applications, Danfoss Turbocor models feature oil-free, variable-speed magnetic bearing operation for outstanding full and partial charge efficiency, low vibration and sound, a small footprint and reduced maintenance.
"The AHR Expo is the heartbeat of the industry. Everyone who is there is someone is here, either exhibiting or attending. We come to the Show to control the pulse of the industry and to have the opportunity to build relationships with new and existing customers in the U.S. This Show allows us to see how people are thinking about the coming year. Based on the Show so far, we're seeing a lot of confidence, and in our product category, the industry continues to grow and that's a huge opportunity for us in the U.S.," said Kevin Bergin, director of Aspen Pumps Inc.
Tim Stapula, marketing director of Wilo, exhibitor at the fair said: "We had a great booth to showcase the breadth and depth of our product line. And with our product managers and engineering design teams here, we answer questions and get direct feedback from customers that help shape our next generation of products."
