Air Quality, HVAC Shows Combine in '09

It's getting cooler to be inside. Two associations in related industries, but with different memberships, will combine forces for the first time, sharing a single tradeshow floor and still holding separate annual meetings.

The Indoor Air Quality Assn., which typically holds its Annual Meeting & Exposition in October, and the Air Conditioning Contractors of America, which holds its Indoor Air Expo in February, will meet at the same time Feb. 24–26, 2009, at the Fort Worth (Texas) Convention Center. They will share the Indoor Air Expo; ACCA will hold its annual convention at the convention center, and IAQA its annual meeting across the street at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel.

Glenn Fellman, executive director of IAQA, said products and services on both showfloors were of interest to members of each organization and attendees at both meetings.

"But surprisingly, a review of the IAQA and ACCA 2006 exhibitor lists showed little crossover in companies," Fellman said. "So putting them together to make one enormous Indoor Air Expo serves the best interests of the IAQA and HVAC industries as a whole."

IAQA's most recent show, held Oct. 14–17 at the Rio All Suites Hotel in Las Vegas, had just under 12,000 net square feet of exhibit space, 118 exhibitors and 1,100 attendees. ACCA's February show was approximately the same size.

ACCA President and CEO Paul Stalknecht said, "This means that Fort Worth in 2009 will be the biggest source of education, networking and learning opportunities ever seen in the indoor air industry."

ACCA is a trade association that represents heating, air conditioning and refrigeration contractors. IAQA is a professional organization involved in education and research on indoor environmental quality.

Each organization will hold a final meeting on its own in 2008. While IAQA just completed its meeting in Las Vegas a little over a month ago, ACCA will hold its Indoor Air Expo Feb. 5–7 in Colorado Springs, Colo.