ASHRAE Winter Conference and AHR Expo

After previous events were rescheduled or hosted virtually during the past two years, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) announced that its 2022 Winter Conference as well as AHR Expo will occur simultaneously—both as an on-site event January 29 through February 2, 2022, in Las Vegas, Nevada, and as an online hybrid learning opportunity. 

With more than 50,000 members from over 132 nations, ASHRAE is a diverse organization dedicated to advancing the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world.

The physical portion of the conference will be held at Caesars Palace, where HVAC&R professionals can participate in-person for this highly anticipated conference offering the latest industry updates, a chance to reconnect with peers, attend the AHR Expo, and more. Although several conference offerings will also be made available online, this combined event in Las Vegas will mark ASHRAE’s first large in-person event since the COVID-19 pandemic. 

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

In-person attendees can expect typical ASHRAE Winter Conference offerings in terms of social events, tours, and the much-ballyhooed Technical Program. Virtual attendees will have access over a dozen livestreamed sessions via the conference’s virtual environment that will undoubtedly look familiar to attendees of ASHRAE’s 2020 and 2021 virtual conferences.

Additionally, virtual or hybrid committee meetings can be accessed online by ASHRAE members. Once the meeting is selected, attendees can click “Enter Session” on the date and time of the meeting to join remotely. Whether a member is in Las Vegas or half a world away, ASHRAE is committed to ensuring participation across the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration industry.

Furthermore, all attendees, both in-person and virtual, will receive access to the “Virtual Conference Environment,” where all registrants can access livestreamed sessions, playbacks of livestreamed sessions, and all audio recordings synced with slides of all sessions within the Technical Program for on-demand viewing as well as downloadable conference papers and the opportunity to chat with conference sponsors.

COMMITMENT TO LEARNING AND SAFETY

ASHRAE is also is working to provide small tour experiences for in-person attendees to visit the facilities that support the city’s infrastructure and related businesses. The tours range from large public works efforts to the cutting edge of HVAC&R technology in action.

Attendees can tour the River Mountains Water Treatment Facility, which began delivering treated Colorado River water from Lake Mead to the Las Vegas valley in 2002. Currently, the facility can treat up to 300 million gallons of water per day but was designed to expand to meet Southern Nevada’s needs. In the future, the River Mountains facility will be able to treat up to 600 million gallons of water a day. The facility uses ozonation and sodium hypochlorite to disinfect the water. The treatment facility received the Partnership for Safe Water’s Excellence in Water Treatment award in 2018, making the Southern Nevada Water Authority only the fourteenth of the nation’s 50,000-plus water systems to earn this elite designation.

For attendees looking to explore the flexibility and adaptation of local business, another tour offers a look at the Resorts World central utility plant, which started its life in 2007 as part of the failed Echelon Casino project. The central plant was designed by JBA Consulting Engineers and constructed by Bombard Mechanical. The Rockwell Group purchased the central plant, and it was intended to operate as a separate entity, selling BTUs to the Echelon Casino. The 2008 Great Recession put a halt on the Echelon project. The hotel tower was stopped at the foundation and construction on the low-rise casino had yet to begin. However, the central plant was 80 percent constructed with major equipment in place. 

Finally, take a look at one of the Western United States’ growth industries and enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of the world’s largest marijuana dispensary and entertainment complex featuring the world’s first marijuana production display kitchen. Discover how the marijuana industry utilizes C1D1-rated systems to provide butane and ethanol THC extraction and distillation, infusion technology including brewery/beverage creation and packaging, gummy candy kettle use, and chocolate bar molding and cooling tunnels. 

EARN PDHS/CEUS

In addition to what attendees can learn off-site, the ASHRAE Learning Institute (ALI) will offer a full slate of instructor-led seminars and short-courses during the Winter Conference and AHR Expo. Attendees can choose from six-hour, three-hour, and two-hour courses on topics related to the latest technology and trends affecting the HVAC&R industry. Professional Development Hours and Continuing Education Units are available. 

MODERN PUMPING TODAY, January 2022
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