More than 54,000 registered HVACR professionals (34,000 attendees and 20,000 exhibitor personnel) filled the aisles of the 2011 International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 in Las Vegas to see all of the latest products and innovations on display from 1,938 exhibiting companies.

In addition to becoming the largest western AHR Expo in the show’s 80-year history, this year’s event was also the largest show held outside of Chicago or New York. The total attendance surpassed the 2004 Anaheim show by more than 40 percent while the 1,938 exhibiting companies and 379,360 sq ft of exhibit space were 16 percent bigger than the Anaheim show. The 1,938 exhibiting companies also rank as the second largest number for any show. The exhibitors included more than 200 first-time exhibitors and nearly 400 international companies from 31 different countries.

Show highlights included:

• More than 130 conference sessions, seminars, and workshops on a variety of critical industry topics, including 31 free sessions from several endorsing associations and organizations.
  
• Seventy-Three New-Product-Technology Theater free presentations where companies unveiled their latest products and technologies.
• Nine Emerging-Technologies Sessions from exhibiting companies presenting new solutions.
• The Building Automation & Control Showcase featuring over 100 companies presenting state-of-the-art solutions.
• The Software Center with more than 50 companies showcasing the latest advancements.
• The Sustainable Technologies Demonstration Training Trailer featuring interactive displays of equipment that could be included in a Platinum-rated U.S. Green Building Council LEED-certified building.