Innovation, Community and the Future of HVACR Dominate the 2026 Show Floor
by Debbie Hall
The 2026 AHR Expo in Las Vegas marked a pivotal time for HVACR (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration) professionals, showcasing innovations and fostering industry growth across 578,980 square feet and attracting over 53,315 attendees, underscoring its importance as a key industry event.
“This industry just keeps getting more exciting,” said Show Manager Jeff Stevens. “We’re proud to serve as the place where HVACR professionals come together to tackle emerging challenges and discover new opportunities. As the pace of change continues to accelerate, our work together is more important than ever in shaping a built environment that is comfortable, safe and efficient. AHR allows our industry to connect with the technologies, ideas and partnerships that move us forward.”
The AHR Expo attracts industry professionals globally each year. Since 1930, the show has served as a central marketplace and knowledge hub for OEMs, engineers, contractors, facility operators, architects and educators to explore emerging trends, regulatory shifts and technological breakthroughs, while cultivating critical business relationships. From legacy manufacturers to startups, companies of every size and specialty showcased the future of HVACR under one roof.
“AHR Expo is three days of productive engagement with valued customers, suppliers and partners,” said Steve Ribaudo, vice president and general manager of Commercial HVAC Americas at Carrier. “We wrapped up a truly energizing week in Las Vegas, where the team at AHR Expo and our incredible team put on an amazing show and customer reception.”
The sentiment was echoed by first-time and returning attendees alike.
“Still buzzing from AHR Expo 2026! An incredible experience packed with innovation that directly fuels my work in energy efficiency, building retrofits and retro-commissioning across NYC,” said mechanical engineer Marina Rezkalla with Carlton Energy. “From next-gen HVAC systems to smarter controls and efficiency strategies, the expo delivered real, actionable ideas for improving existing buildings and meeting today’s performance demands.”
“WOW, what an amazing experience,” added Steve Doring, owner of Paradise Heating & Cooling Ltd. “As a first-time attendee, I was blown away by the number of vendors and HVAC professionals visiting from all over the world. Truly inspired by the seminars, the hands-on tool demos and great conversations with industry professionals.”
Industry Priorities: Refrigerants, Data Centers and Workforce
The HVACR sector continues to advance smarter, more resilient approaches to heating, cooling and refrigeration within the environment. This year’s show floor and education sessions reflected those who navigate regulatory evolution, refrigerant transitions and growing performance demands while integrating digitalization and AI-driven optimization.
Topics included:
- Data center cooling strategies amid exponential computing growth
- Workforce development initiatives to address skilled labor shortages
- Refrigerant supply challenges and the transition toward next-generation alternatives
- Updated regulatory frameworks and compliance strategies
- Heat pumps, energy recovery ventilation (ERV) systems and electrification trends
The free Industry Program and expanded Education Program featured the 2026 Panel Series, drawing standing-room-only crowds on Monday and Tuesday. Panels tackled refrigerants, data centers, workforce development, industry communication channels and the annual State of the Industry discussion.
“Standing in the back of a packed room this morning, listening to the state of the industry at AHR Expo—it’s a stark reminder of why this industry works best when we’re actually together,” said Katie Blaufuss of Trane Technologies. “Manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, dealers and industry partners all in one room, listening, sharing perspectives, and wrestling with what’s hard right now and where opportunity really exists. This industry doesn’t move forward without all of those voices at the table.”
Recognizing Innovation
During a ceremony on Monday, the 2026 AHR Expo Innovation Awards honored standout contributions to HVACR advancement. Category winners included:
- Building Automation: Honeywell, Honeywell Connected Solutions
- Cooling: Daikin, Magnitude® WME-C Quad
- Heating: Copeland, heating-optimized modulating vapor injection portfolio
- Indoor Air Quality: Sharp Corporation, Airest
- Plumbing: IDC Fluid Control, LeakStop III
- Refrigeration: Copeland, transcritical CO₂ scroll compressor with dynamic vapor injection
- Software: Rebar, AI-Powered Takeoff Platform
- Sustainable Solutions: Blue Frontier, BF-DOAS
- Tools & Instruments: CSG Compressors (Houston & American Hermetics), SAMMi
- Ventilation: ABB Motors and Drives, ACH580 Variable Frequency Drives
Blue Frontier earned the prestigious 2026 AHR Expo Innovation Product of the Year Award, underscoring the industry’s accelerating focus on sustainable, high-efficiency system design.
Investing in the Next Generation
Workforce development was an integral part the event’s programming. Student engineers participated in ASHRAE youth initiatives for a curated tour and panel discussion. HVACR professionals shared insights on career pathways, the industry and long-term career sustainability, reinforcing the importance of mentorship and cross-generational knowledge transfer.
Looking Ahead
Co-sponsored by ASHRAE and AHRI, the upcoming AHR Expo will be held January 25–27, 2027, in Chicago, alongside ASHRAE’s Winter Conference, with registration opening this summer to encourage early engagement.
“It’s a great convention,” said Jim Kolchin, founder and CEO of iWallet. “I was at the show last year in Orlando and it was just as busy as this year. The software section was located at the back, but we saw strong traffic. It was a great show.”
If the energy in Las Vegas was any indication, the HVACR industry is not merely adapting to change—it is actively engineering the next phase of performance, sustainability and collaboration for the built environment.
Top Image: The winners of the 2026 AHR Expo Innovation Awards. All photos courtesy of AHR.
