ASHRAE Journal - January 2012 - 4

ASHRAE® JOURNAL
1791 Tullie Circle NE Atlanta, GA 30329-2305 Phone: 404-636-8400 Fax: 404-321-5478 ASHRAE Online: www.ashrae.org

Publisher W. Stephen Comstock EDITORIAL
Editor Fred Turner fturner@ashrae.org Managing Editor Sarah Foster sfoster@ashrae.org Associate Editor Rebecca Matyasovski rmatyasovski@ashrae.org Associate Editor Christopher Weems cweems@ashrae.org Associate Editor Jeri Eader jeader@ashrae.org Editorial Assistant Chad Bedwell cbedwell@ashrae.org

COMMENTARY
Chicago and AHR Expo
AHR Expos in Chicago have always been the largest, but this year’s Show on Jan. 23 – 25 at McCormick Place will be the biggest in the 82-year history of the Show. A near-record 1,962 exhibitors will be displaying products and technologies in a record 429,415 ft2 (40 000 m2) of net exhibit space. This means there will be nearly 10 acres of net exhibit space. It exceeds the previous record by more than 20,000 ft2 (1900 m2), and continues the trend of super-sized Chicago shows. “I’m never surprised when Chicago sets a record but I am surprised that it’s this big of a record in a challenging economy,” said Clay Stevens, president of International Exposition Company, the Show manager. Fred Turner Although attendees are still registering for the Show, he expects attendance to also be strong. “Generally speaking,” he said, “attendance at any given Show is related to the number of exhibitors.” CHICAGO HAS a special relationship with AHR Expo. The ﬁrst Show was held there in 1936 with 300 exhibitors, and rotated between Chicago and an East Coast city until 1972. Chicago has hosted the ﬁve largest Shows, all since 1999, and has hosted four of the ﬁve best attended. Stevens says Chicago’s appeal isn’t the weather. The location near population centers is likely one reason and easy access by air is another. “I also think Chicago has built up some momentum,” he said. “Both exhibitors and visitors have become used to Chicago being the biggest. If you’re picking Shows, you should include Chicago.” THIS EDITION features ASHRAE Journal’s Ofﬁcial Product and Show Guide. It was prepared for distribution on the Show ﬂoor, but it’s also a handy reference for the year. Included are more than 300 product descriptions and 200 ads. All provide online access to further information. A special part of the Show Guide is the AHR Expo Innovation Awards on Page S12. This competition is sponsored by ASHRAE, the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), and International Exposition Company. What makes it special is that products are judged by ASHRAE members who are experienced practitioners. These judges reviewed 158 products to determine winners in 10 categories. Thirty-one other products were awarded honorable mention. The 2012 Product of the Year will be announced during ceremonies at AHR Expo. IF YOU HAVEN’T attended a recent Show, you should deﬁnitely visit the 2012 AHR Expo. Much has changed as technology responds to the growing importance of energy efﬁciency. For example, this year’s Show will include some 60 exhibitors with solar products, and most other exhibitors have a “green” product or products that enhance energy efﬁciency. You also will ﬁnd almost 100 educational offerings at McCormick Place, including 18 ASHRAE sessions being held there as part of the ASHRAE Winter Conference. More importantly, you’ll get a chance to see what’s new in the industry, meet with equipment providers and participate in the world’s largest HVAC&R event.

PUBLISHING SERVICES

Publishing Services Manager David Soltis Production Jayne Jackson Tracy Becker

ADVERTISING

Manager of Advertising Sales, ASHRAE Media Greg Martin gmartin@ashrae.org Advertising Production Coordinator Vanessa Johnson vjohnson@ashrae.org

CIRCULATION

Circulation Specialist David Soltis dsoltis@ashrae.org

ASHRAE OFFICERS
President Ronald E. Jarnagin

President-Elect Thomas E. Watson, P .E. Treasurer William P Bahnﬂeth, Ph.D., P . .E. Vice Presidents Constantinos A. Balaras, Ph.D., P .E. Ross D. Montgomery, P .E. T. David Underwood, P .Eng. Timothy G. Wentz, P .E. Secretary & Executive Vice President Jeff H. Littleton

POLICY GROUP

2011 – 12 Chair Publications Committee William S. Fleming Washington Ofﬁce washdc@ashrae.org
Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

ASHRAE Journal - January 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - January 2012