HVAC Pulse - Why Do We Go To Trade Shows?
Hi all,
AHR Expo is next week. It's the main event, the Super Bowl if you will, of our industry. Thousands of people will fly into Chicago this weekend to attend the show and hundreds of manufacturers will set up extravagant booths.
Right after the holidays, when everyone gets back into the swing of things, the question inevitably comes up, "Are you going to AHR this year?" When the answer is yes, it's always with a sense of dread.
Why is that?!
I totally get it. I've only been to a handful of shows in my career, but I can see how it can be a burden. You'll have to travel unless you live in one of the host cities and that means leaving your loved ones and depending on your situation, can be difficult for yourself and your partner and children. You'll also be away from your desk. I get we are all connected via smartphone nowadays but what can you do aside from quickly answering an email? Leaving means coming back to a bursting email inbox.
So why do we really go?
For me, the most memorable parts of going to these shows are meeting up with old colleagues. We all know the HVAC industry is small and we've all made contacts through the years, but people come and go and move on to different companies. AHR is the one event where you're guaranteed to run into old friends and former coworkers. It's a great time to catch up with those folks.
Another reason to go is to see all the cool, new stuff! It's basically CES but for the HVAC industry. It's the one time every year where HVAC manufacturers can come out and show the industry new products, new tech, and anything else they've been working on.
And finally, actual work does get done but not your usual work. On the sales side, a lot of sales engineers use this as an opportunity to bring customers out on a trip. Whether to get more business from a client or to show appreciation for past business, using AHR as a venue for customer trips is pretty common.
For rep firms like PSG, we use it as an opportunity to look for new lines to add to our line card.
So while going to a trade show can throw a wrench in our work and personal lives, there is tremendous value in going.
For everyone going, safe travels and I look forward to seeing all the posts and pictures from the show.
If You Watch One Thing
Everyday Home Repairs is a YouTube channel that does tutorial videos on...everyday home repairs (genius channel title). As a recent new homeowner, I have been referencing this channel. A lot.
Today I was surprised when Scott posted a video that tackles a myth we have been trying to debunk for years: that heat pumps don't work in extreme cold. Check out his video to see his findings.
Links
Active Vs. Passive Learning - Morgan Housel, the author of The Psychology of Money, on active vs. passive learning. Active learning meaning someone tells you what to learn, versus passive learning, meaning letting your mind wander and absorbing observations from various activities:
But if you study broadly enough you’ll see how interconnected every field is – many fields fall under an umbrella of “how the world deals with uncertainty and competition.” If you find something that is true in more than one field, you’ve probably uncovered something particularly important. The more fields it shows up in, the more likely it is to be a fundamental driver of how the world works.
You'd be surprised how often you can apply things you learn elsewhere to your current role.
"Heat Pumps Don't Work In The Cold" - Another real world example of how heat pumps DO work in extreme cold.
Not Your Grandpa’s Heat Pump – Cold Climates Applications - And just to beat it into your brains, these aren't your grandpa's heat pumps.
Once again, have fun at AHR if you're attending and please forward to a colleague if you enjoyed reading.
Thanks for reading! Whenever you're ready, here are ways I can help you.
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