AHR Expo Innovation Awards To Celebrate 10th Anniversary At 2012 Chicago Show
Widely recognized as one of the most prestigious honors in the HVACR industry, the 2012 AHR Expo Innovation Awards competition will mark its 10th anniversary at the Chicago Show on January 23-25. Entries must be received by September 19, 2011.
Created in 2002 by ASHRAE, AHRI and AHR Expo, the awards program was designed to recognize the most innovative and useful products among the thousands on display at the AHR Expo. Entries submitted by exhibitors each year are judged on the basis of innovative design, application, market impact, and value to the HVACR industry. The Awards are also meant to promote and encourage new product development in ten major categories:
- Building Automation
- Cooling
- Green Building
- Heating
- Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
- Refrigeration
- Software
- Tools & Instruments
- Ventilation
- Plumbing
Winners of the Innovation Awards will be recognized at an awards ceremony during the Show in Chicago and will receive special placards to place in their booths, as well as an etched crystal award to be displayed in their company headquarters. In addition, one of the ten winning entries will be selected as the 2012 AHR Expo Product of the Year. Exhibitors can submit one product per category, but AHR Expo Innovation Award winners from the previous year cannot resubmit the same product.
Entry Fees Donated To Local Charities
All of the AHR Expo Innovation Awards entry fees are donated to a local charity in the city where AHR Expo is held that year. Since the program’s inception, tens of thousands of dollars have been donated to a variety of charitable organizations across the country. The 2011 Innovation Awards competition had a record number of entries, up 18 percent from the previous record.
“We are very honored that the AHR Expo Innovation Awards has achieved the industry stature that it has in such a brief period of time,” said Clay Stevens, President of International Exposition Company, which produces and manages the AHR EXPO. “In addition to recognizing innovative, energy-savings products, we have been able to donate nearly $100,000 to worthy charitable organizations.”
Stevens pointed out that the original awards program honored innovation in seven categories but has been expanded over the years to reflect the many industry segments that are represented at the world’s largest HVACR-exclusive exposition. Sponsored by International Exposition Company (IEC), the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), all entries are reviewed and evaluated by a panel of industry judges based on the competition criteria.
The 2012 AHR Expo will take place at McCormick Place North and South Halls and will feature more than 1,800 exhibitors from around the world showcasing hundreds and hundreds of innovative new products to over 55,000 attendees and exhibitor personnel.
Source: International Exposition Co.
