Professionals from across HVACR descended upon the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, February 3-5 for the 2020 AHR Expo. Attendees and exhibitors engaged in three full days of innovation and learning and took an exciting look into the future of HVACR.

Spread across 506,090 sq. ft., exhibitors on the Show floor delivered new and never-before-seen products and tech, live demonstrations, networking opportunities and a revitalized energy for the future of the industry.

In every education session, council talk, podcast broadcast, exhibitor event and long walk across the Show floor, one thing was abundantly clear – the HVACR revolution has arrived in full force.

“The energy on the Show floor this year was hard to miss. From corner to corner, in every booth, education session, event program, everywhere, it’s clear that this industry is alive and thriving,” said Mark Stevens, Show Manager. “Leading in to this Show we knew there were some big changes happening across the industry and we saw that reflected in Orlando. It is truly an exciting time to be a part of the HVACR community and, if 2020 is any indication, it is just getting started.”

The 2020 Show welcomed over 50,000 attendees, 1,900+ exhibiting companies – 577 of which were international as well as 295 who were first time exhibitors.

Victor Grasso (@apprenticegrasso19 on Instagram), an HVAC Service Technician from New Jersey says of his first AHR Expo, “The videos of this Show online don’t do it justice. When you’re here you get to pick up the tool and feel how it actually works. It really assures me that if I purchase the tool in the future, I’ll know that I’m getting the right tool for the job. For a young person like me who is new to the trade, the Show introduced me to a whole other aspect of the industry. I found so many products and companies I would have never known existed. This definitely won’t be my last Show – I’ll be here for Chicago, Vegas, I’ll be here for life.”

“We have received incredible traffic at the Show this year. We’re excited to be here!” said Joe Oberle, Vice President of Corporate Development for Delta Electronics. “Our booth this year included fully integrated and automated products from our subsidiaries Delta Controls, LOYTEC, VIVOTEK and Amerlux, as well as Delta Electronics’ Industrial Automation and Fan business groups, under the theme ‘Smarter Buildings, Smarter Cities.’”

The 2020 Education Program

The 2020 Show featured more than 200 sessions in the Education Program. This year featured new sessions inspired by trends happening currently across HVACR, as well as those forecasted for the near future. Below is a list of some of the topics and features of the Show:

• Private Equity 101: What HVACR Founders Need to Know
• Skilled Labor! Overcome the Shortage to Protect Your Business
• Building for a Climate Emergency
• 2020 – Pivoting Towards a Post Carbon World
• Update on Refrigerants
• Applying Emotional Intelligence to Strengthen Business Model
• First Ever Podcast Pavilion

Awards Ceremony

The 2020 Product of the Year honor went to Danfoss for the Danfoss CO2 Adaptive Liquid Management Solution. Danfoss was also recognized as an Innovation Awards winner for the Cooling, Green Building and Refrigeration categories. Winners were selected in a total of 10 industry categories along with an overall Product of the Year winner and honored in a ceremony hosted during the AHR Expo.

“It was an honor to win Product of the Year for our Danfoss CO2Adaptive Liquid Management (CALM) at the AHR Expo in Orlando considering all of the other category winners,” said Peter Dee, Sales Director Food Retail, North America at Danfoss. “It exemplifies the Danfoss culture, people, and commitment to innovation. We continue to strive through innovation to help our customers and the industry meet their sustainability requirements and it is an honor to be recognized by the industry for these achievements.”

The Innovation Awards received the most entries ever this year since the program began 17 years ago. What’s more, the innovation featured by the winners, finalists and entrants is a true indication that the industry is in a season of change.

“The Innovation Awards is always an exciting time for us at the Show because we get to pause and give recognition to those in the industry who are challenging themselves to make HVACR better,” said Stevens. “This year really delivered, not only in the awards ceremony but also out on the Show floor. We congratulate all our winners – and Danfoss for developing a phenomenal Product of the Year with the CO2 Adaptive Liquid Management Solution – and challenge everyone in the industry to keep innovating, taking risks and working to better the industry.”

“Additionally, the Innovation Awards gives us the opportunity to leave a mark on the communities we visit through the donation of entry fees,” continued Stevens. “This year we were fortunate to give back the largest donation ever – $26,300 – to the Orange County Police Athletic League (P.A.L.) serving the Orlando/Apopka area. We are delighted to be able to support the strong youth program they have developed.”

Follow ahrexpo.com for updates regarding the 2021 AHR Expo, co-sponsored by AHRI and ASHRAE, to be held January 25-27 at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, and held concurrently with ASHRAE’s Winter Conference.

Additional photos of the AHR Expo are available here.

About AHR Expo

The AHR Expo is the world’s largest 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 a 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, 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.