Record numbers, pressing industry change and an abundance of innovation made for a week of excitement

The AHR Expo (International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition) took over Orlando February 10 – 12, 2025 for a fast-paced week of learning, reconnecting, perusing and demoing everything new coming to market in HVACR. Topics spanning industry sectors included tariffs, regulation updates, A2Ls, AI, equipment design and more.

“Orlando brought record numbers,” said Show Manager Mark Stevens. “There is a lot of movement happening around the industry —with business, regulation, administration shifts, equipment design and more, professionals were keen to gather and discuss it all.”

Networking opportunities in abundance

Monday morning showcased strong attendance, welcoming 50,807* attendees showing up to interact with the 1,878 exhibitors spread across the West Hall. Maximizing 516,060 square footage of space for booth displays, attendees gained access to all the latest the industry has to offer, including new products, technology, skill learning and demonstration.

Podcast Pavilion, located in Concourse E hosted a record 22 podcasters hosting interviews with industry personalities and covered all the latest topics impacting the industry. Podcasts were recorded and will be released by each respective podcaster in the coming weeks. 

Manufacturers built extremely valuable experiences for industry tradesmen, women and influencers by hosting events, competitions and meet-ups aimed at opening exciting channels of content creation and networking opportunities.

“The expansion of the network with new and creative ways to connect is providing outstanding visibility and collaboration for professionals. Five years ago the industry was struggling with

two-way communication channels, and now it exists in abundance between field professionals and the manufacturers developing the products and technologies,” said Nicole Bush, Director of Marketing at AHR Expo. “In-person events like the AHR Expo enhance the social connections made online by allowing for greater networking development, and this is proving to be incredibly valuable to our industry.”

Where the industry connects

The 2025 Education Program offered more than 300 sessions. Topics of the week addressed pain points, opportunities and methods to increase efficiency, business practice and cross-sector relationships. Of the sessions, 145 were new product presentations in New Product Theaters and seven panels in the AHR Panel Series.

“It’s exciting to witness the growth of our education program, both in terms of topic diversity and the expertise brought in to share valuable insights,” said Kimberely Pires, Special Projects Manager. “There’s a strong connection between the discussions happening in our sessions and their

real-world application on the show floor, which further offers attendees a deeper, more practical understanding of the latest trends happening around the industry.”

In the 2025 State of the Industry Panel discussion topics included tariffs and their potential impact, A2Ls and a visionary look to A3Ls, as well as a look ahead at market shifts in the coming year.

Participants included Dennis Knight, the 2024-2025 ASHRAE President, Stephen Yurek, CEO of AHRI, Talbot Gee, CEO of HARDI, and Dominick Guarino, President & CEO at National Comfort Institute, Inc.. Bryan Orr of HVAC School moderated.

Other popular sessions included topics such as the transition to A2Ls; the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the industry; cybersecurity considerations; workforce development, including actionable strategies to grow a team now; new regulations at the state, federal and global level, and more. 

You can review a full line up of the education program on our website.

2025 Product of the Year

The 2025 Product of the Year winner was announced at a banquet ceremony hosted on Monday afternoon. PassiveLogic, from the category of Tools & Instruments, took home the honorable title for their PassiveLogic Sense Nano. The Sense Nano is the first truly wireless sensor — communicating via Bluetooth mesh, while extracting its operating energy from the surrounding environment.

Goodbye, battery replacements. 

AHR heads to Las Vegas for 2026

In 2026 we head to the west coast to Las Vegas. Save the date for February 2-4, 2026 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Hotel blocks are expected to open for attendees late-Spring and registration will go live early Summer. Sign up for alerts and updates on ahrexpo.com.

Heard around the industry

The buzz was hard to miss as we gathered to discuss the latest happenings in HVACR. Some uncertainty, a lot of opportunity and many discussions surrounding regulations, A2Ls, new product launches and many more exciting things showcasing the movement around HVACR. The sentiment shared by attendees and exhibitors sheds light onto the dedication and accomplishment shared by our stakeholders this week. See below for a roundup of reflections on our time in Orlando.

“What an incredible week! It was a pleasure connecting with fellow HVACR colleagues and industry professionals to discuss how we are collectively driving innovation, advancing the energy transition, and adopting refrigerants with lower climate impact,” Jennifer Butsch, Director, Regulatory Affairs at Copeland.

“Walking the hall yesterday, I could feel innovation. From the simplest components to the most complicated equipment things are changing rapidly. Florida consumes air conditioning and indoor air quality products in order to make life livable and we thank you and the entire industry for visiting,” Laurence M., HVAC & Refrigeration Supply in Florida.

“AHR Expo 2025 Orlando was an immense gathering of HVAC Industry Professionals, Suppliers, Manufacturers, General Contractors, Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Contractors, Controls, Manufacturers and Integrators to name a few,” Jim Hillyer, Senior Strategic Account Development Manager.

“What an incredible couple of days getting to visit the AHR Expo in Orlando. Fantastic opportunity to network with our vendor partners, get a sneak peek into what’s coming, and to meet some of the local company presidents that could attend. Already looking forward to next year!” Tyler Shroyer, Vendor Relations.

“The 2025 AHR Expo is an amazing place to connect with like minded individuals surrounding your area of expertise! If you have not attended before I highly recommend you check it out,” Roman Baugh, Director of Commercial HVAC Services, Kalos Services, Inc.

“CANT WAIT! You guys outdid yourselves this year,” HVAChicks Jennifer Manzo, HVAC/r Engineer, Business/Coalition Owner and Service Tech.

Watch the full recap video on ahrexpo.com.

*Attendance numbers are tallied by Maritz (AHR Expo’s registration vendor) and take time to release final numbers. The number listed is an approximation at time of printing but may reflect higher attendance in the official attendance report.

ABOUT THE AHR EXPO

The AHR Expo is the world’s premier HVACR event, attracting the most comprehensive gathering of industry professionals from around the globe each year. The show provides a unique forum where manufacturers of all sizes and specialties, whether major industry brand or innovative start-up, can come together to share ideas and showcase the future of HVACR technology under one roof. Since 1930, the AHR Expo has remained the industry’s best place for OEMs, engineers, contractors, facility operators, architects, educators and other industry professionals to explore the latest trends and applications and to cultivate mutually beneficial business relationships. The next show,

co-sponsored by ASHRAE and AHRI, will be held Feb.2-4, in Las Vegas, NV, and is held concurrently with ASHRAE’s Winter Conference.

For more information, visit ahrexpo.com and follow @ahrexpo on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.