2014 HVACR & Mechanical Conference

I just got back home from the 2014 HVACR & Mechanical Conference in Baltimore. I am still sorting through all my contacts and to-do lists. Like all good things, it seemed to fly by. I learned some things, talked HVACR with old friends, and made some new friends. I am always impressed by the dedication and quality of the people who attend this conference. Jamie Kitchen gave an excellent session on CO2 refrigeration systems. Steve Coscia discussed soft skills for HVACR. Tom Grunstra discussed mini-splits. Jack Bartell gave a great overview of the new ACCA Manual Zr and John Brown covered Airflow Management with zone systems in a later presentation. There were many other excellent offerings as well - too many to mention. The two exhibit nights were lively, with several new products on display. I am sure there were many instructors who would have liked to attend but were unable to. Travel is particularly tough at many schools these days. If you missed this one, don’t despair – the Educators & Trainers conference in Las Vegas is right around the corner. I hope to see you there! You can get more info on it at http://www.hvacexcellence.org/nhetc/

Save the Date!

The HVACR & Mechanical Conference this year is March 2 – 5 at the Conference Center at the Maritime Institute in Baltimore Maryland.
You can see the conference sessions by clicking HERE. You can Register HERE.
If you need a way to sell your supervisors on attending, use the letter provided HERE.

The HVACR & Mechanical conference is supported by a who’s who list of industry organizations. Industry professionals are plentiful at this conference. People who are national training or service reps for companies like Danfoss, Tecumseh, or Genteque are there. There are plenty of opportunities to learn beyond the scheduled sessions. It is really pretty hard NOT to learn something while you are in the company of so many industry heavy hitters. Sharing meals with people who love what they do, have years of experience, and represent the best of our industry is awesome. The training sessions are very good as well. I will be speaking 8:30, Monday, March 3 on “Surviving the Paper Chase.” I will give you some ideas on how to manage all the “other stuff” that comes along with teaching.

The conference is free – the 16 conference sponsors underwrite the cost of putting on the conference. Of course, there are still travel and hotel costs. The Rees Foundation is offering scholarships to instructors to help pay the cost of attending. To find out more about the scholarships, go to the Rees Scholarship Foundation site

My advice to anyone fortunate enough to attend this year’s 2014 HVACR & Mechanical Workshop is to find someone who knows something and share a drink, a few laughs, and pick their brains. Go ahead and save the date now: March 2 – 5.
See you there!

HVACR & Mechanical Workshop 2012

I just got home from the 2012 HVACR & Mechanical Conference in Colorado Springs. The weather was great, the location was perfect, and the conference was really one of the best I have been to. What sets the HVACR & Mechanical Conference apart from all other conferences aimed at the HVACR educational community is the presence of the industry. Not only is the conference sponsored by a who’s who list of industry organizations, industry professionals are plentiful at this conference. National training or service reps for companies like Appion, Danfoss, Tecumseh, or Genteq are there, providing plenty of opportunities to learn beyond the scheduled sessions. I frequently found myself seated next to someone who knew a great deal more about a particular aspect of HVACR than I do. Although it can be argued in my case that it is not too difficult to find someone who is more knowledgeable than I am, I think most people attending the conference picked up valuable information during breaks or downtime from the industry professionals they were around. It was really pretty hard NOT to learn something. At breakfast on Wednesday I found myself sitting with a group of people who love what they do, have years of experience, and represent the best of our industry. I realized how much I enjoyed those informal sessions with people I truly admire. So my advice to anyone fortunate enough to attend next year’s 2012 HVACR & Mechanical Conference: find someone who knows something and share a drink, a few laughs, and pick their brains. Go ahead and save the date now: March 11–13 2013 in Colorado Springs at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort.