Record numbers, pressing industry change and an abundance of innovation made for a
week of excitement
WESTPORT, Conn., – The AHR Expo (International Air-Conditioning, Heating,
Refrigerating Exposition) took over Orlando 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.”
To read more about topics leading into Orlando, see our 2025 AHR Expo Trend Report.
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. Please visit their
podcast feeds to access.
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. To view footage from the 2025 panel series, visit this link.
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. You can find more information, including an informative video, on
our website, here.
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 last week 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.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information about the 2026 AHR Expo to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada please visit
ahrexpo.com.
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.
The AHR Expo is produced and managed by:
International Exposition Company, Inc.