A plumbing, hydronic can’t-miss event

Aug. 2, 2012
For 16 years, HVAC Comfortech has been known as the seminar series and product showcase for residential and light commercial HVACR contractors to attend. The event is better this year now that HVAC Comfortech has become part of Mechanical Systems WEEK, and HydronicsTech and PlumbTech have been brought into the fold. For the first time, CONTRACTOR has teamed up with sister publication Contracting Business.com — combining the editorial strength of both into a powerhouse live event. This combination is what gave birth to Mechanical Systems WEEK.

For 16 years, HVAC Comfortech has been known as the seminar series and product showcase for residential and light commercial HVACR contractors to attend. The event is better this year now that HVAC Comfortech has become part of Mechanical Systems WEEK, and HydronicsTech and PlumbTech have been brought into the fold.

For the first time, CONTRACTOR has teamed up with sister publication Contracting Business.com — combining the editorial strength of both into a powerhouse live event. This combination is what gave birth to Mechanical Systems WEEK.

Mechanical Systems WEEK is September 19-21 at the Schaumburg, Ill., Convention Center. We’ve taken over the entire convention center and the adjoining Renaissance Hotel for the event.

We’ll have a seminar track designed specifically for plumbing and hydronic heating contractors, featuring speakers such as Dave Yates, Mark Eatherton, Carol Fey and Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr. The Radiant Professional Alliance is co-locating its annual meeting with Mechanical Systems WEEK and RPA Technical Director Mike Geagan is going to stay over and teach at MSW too.

On the morning of Friday, September 21, keynoter Rich Trethewey of “This Old House” fame, will speak on, “Getting in and out of hot water: Lessons in a lifetime of hydronic heating.”

Water is the perfect energy transfer medium and needs to be part of America’s heating and cooling future, Trethewey points out. HVAC contractors need to offer both wet and dry solutions for homes and businesses. Radiant, geothermal, hydro air, solar and chilled water allow, “comfort to meet renewable energy.”

Our partners, The Service Roundtable, are also co-locating their meeting with us, including Service Nation Alliance, Plumbers (SNAP).

In a recent email, Ed O'Connell, O'Connell Plumbing Inc., in San Francisco, told his Service Roundtable colleagues, “This is the first time we've been included in the hugely popular Mechanical Systems Week, this year located in Chicago. There will be industry trade shows, seminars, big-gun consultants, vendors, the National Roundtable Meeting for all SRT members, and ending with the SNAP meeting (Service Nation Alliance, Plumbers) on Saturday. If you're a successful company then I don't need to tell you why you should go. By now you realize that everything, and I do mean everything(!), changes in an instant. This rodeo will keep us on top of those changes. If you're a failing to mediocre company then there's even more reason to go. Your ROI will be your thanks.”

The Service Roundtable made its debut at HVAC Comfortech 10 years ago this September, remains one of our staunchest supporters, and provides blue-ribbon contractors and consultant speakers who share their expertise with attendees. Plus, interactive exhibits, which started in 1996 with the Safe House, continue to bring a unique experience to those who walk the trade show with the National Comfort Institute’s Performance Town exhibit.

Of course, where would we be without the generous support of the industry’s suppliers and vendors? I’d like to recognize six companies that have exhibited at Comfortech every year since 1996: Aprilaire/Research Products, Callahan/Roach, Comfort Institute, EWC Controls, Team Management, and Wrightsoft. We thank these and all the many other sponsors and exhibitors who’ve supported this event over the years.

From our opening kick-off with Keynoter Jason Dorsey — who will talk about thriving in a multi-generational workplace — to our closing keynote with Rich Trethewey, we have 22 sessions being presented at least twice, allowing you to see everyone you want and need to see.

We are pleased to present our second GeoDay, courtesy of ClimateMaster, as well as the RPA Annual Membership Meeting, The Service Roundtable Fall membership and alliance meetings, the Refrigeration Roundtable, the Ninth Annual Women in HVACR meeting, and the National Comfort Institute fall meeting.

CONTRACTOR readers can get full registration for all of the seminars, keynotes, the trade show and entertainment for a special rate of $300, a deep discount off the regular rate of $495. We’ve been promoting the show to our Twitter followers and all of our readers can get the discounted rate by going to bit.ly/JqTYPu. The promotional code to get the discount is TWITTER in all capital letters.

Mechanical Systems WEEK is truly where the industry meets. Come celebrate our 16th year together in Schaumburg and “Get in your comfort zone.” We look forward to seeing you there!

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