The 2026 show in Las Vegas delivered a week of innovation, collaboration, and industry momentum across the exhibit floor and education program. From product launches to meaningful connections, the event highlighted the ideas and technologies shaping the future of HVACR. Explore the recap below for key statistics, highlights, and moments from the show.
The 2026 Product of the Year winner was announced at a banquet ceremony hosted on Monday afternoon. Blue Frontier, from the category of Sustainable Solutions, took home the honorable title for their BF-DOAS technology - capable to cool & dehumidify and is an evolution away from refrigerants and the vapor compression cycle. It’s 300% more efficient than current technologies, contains a dispatchable thermal storage battery and can independently control db and dp, providing superior comfort. The hotter it gets, the more efficient we become.
On Monday, we welcomed student engineers from ASHRAE for a manufacturer’s panel of career engineers to discuss breaking into the HVACR industry. Representatives from Viega (Gail McGehee), SunEarth (Atma Bhawuk, PE), The Malco Group (Greg Guse), Grundfos (Ian MacHugh), Midea America Corp. (Eric Hervol) participated in a discussion of early career expectation and the potential to grow a lifelong career in the industry. Afterwards, students were taken on a tour of the show floor.
On Wednesday, we hosted a group of high school students from the dual-HVAC programs from Western High School, Northeast Career & Technical Academy, and CTTA, in partnership with Clark County Public Schools. For most students, the AHR Expo was their first interaction with the products, services and companies that make up HVACR. Students enjoyed a panel discussion hosted by representatives from Copeland (Lenny Diaddario), Viega (Pete Hinrichs), ESAB (John Henderson), Spirotherm (CJ Maderios), Save Energy Systems (Azard Mahamoon), Midea America Corp. (Stéphane Bessette), and Moderator Adam Mufich of NCI.
