By SHAUNICA JAYSON, American Boiler Manufacturers Association
With expectations already elevated a mile high, ABMA has announced that 82nd Airborne Staff Sgt. Travis Mills (U.S. Army, Ret.) will be its opening keynote speaker next spring at BOILER 2024 in the Denver suburb of Aurora, CO.
The second ABMA Boiler Technology Conference & Expo, designed specifically for the entire boiler supply chain, will take place May 1-3, 2024, at the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center. It promises to have more exhibitors, more attendees, more networking opportunities, more educational sessions and tours— enough to simply make it bigger and better than even our successful BOILER 2022 inaugural event.
General attendee registration for next May will open in late September, so please go to BOILER2024.com to learn more.
For his part, conference keynote Mills is a "recalibrated" veteran, motivational speaker, actor, author and an advocate for veterans and amputees. He is also the Founder & CEO of the Travis Mills Foundation, formed to benefit and assist post-9/11 veterans who have been injured in active duty, or as a result of their service to America. Notably, Mills documented his story in The New York Times best-selling memoir, “Tough as They Come.”
In addition to the news of Mills' keynote, ABMA also has revealed that there will be two special field trips at BOILER 2024, separate boiler room tours at the Gaylord Rockies host hotel, as well as at the massive Denver International Airport. These tours will enhance the attendee experience and offer opportunities to witness two innovative boiler room operations that have been optimized to address energy efficiency goals along with their unique hot water and steam needs. Epic challenges that both facilities have managed to surmount daily.
“We are excited to offer our attendees the opportunity to tour these exceptional boiler rooms as an enhanced feature for BOILER 2024,” stated Scott Lynch, ABMA President & CEO.
Hotel, Airport Boiler Room Tours
Specifically, the Gaylord Rockies property was built in 2018. Its boiler room is set up to serve an 85-acre resort that includes a 1,501-room hotel, seven food and beverage outlets {with kitchens), laundry, retail, commercial and convention space, indoor/outdoor recreational park, and a convention facility that sits on 1.9 million sq. ft.
The boiler room has a heating capacity of over 100 million BTUH and includes four (4) condensing boilers, 6 million BTUH each, w/ low NOx burners; four (4) conventional style boilers, 20 million BTUH each; two (2) steam boilers (for laundry purposes only); six (6) 4,000 gallons domestic water storage tanks; CHP plant with two (2) engines of 2.5 megawatts each, and a heat exchanger, sized for 13 million BTUH transfer.
Overall, the facility processes 18,000 gallons of domestic hot water (DHW) and 9,000 gallons in kitchens, restaurants, and for public space use.
Built in 1995 and located 25 miles from downtown, the sprawling Denver International Airport (DIA) is the third busiest airport in the world. Its impressive boiler room meets the needs of nearly 70 million passengers per year and over 35,000 employees. The facility includes six (6) hot water boilers, each ranging from 20 to 60 million BTUH, serving all DIA facilities with an area of 6.6 million sq. ft.
Both tours will require registered attendees to sign up prior to arriving on-site. Space will be limited.
Conference Keynote Travis Mills
On April 10, 2012, Staff Sergeant Travis Mills of the 82nd Airborne was critically injured on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan by an improvised explosive device (IED) while on patrol, losing portions of both legs and both arms. He is one of only five quadruple amputees from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to survive his injuries.
Thanks to his amazing strength, courage, an incredible will to live, the heroic actions of the men in his unit, the prayers of thousands, and all the healthcare providers at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, near Washington D.C., Mills today remains on the road to recovery. Every day is a battle, but he continues to astound friends and family alike with his progress and with his amazing spirit.
In September 2013, Travis and his wife Kelsey founded the Travis Mills Foundation, a nonprofit organization, formed to benefit and assist post 9/11 veterans who have been injured in active duty or as a result of their service to our nation. The veteran and their families receive an all-inclusive, all-expenses paid, barrier-free vacation to Maine where they participate in adaptive activities, bond with other veteran families, and enjoy much-needed rest and relaxation in Maine’s great outdoors.
The Travis Mills Group LLC was started shortly after, where Mills consults with and speaks to companies and organizations nationwide inspiring all to overcome life’s challenges and adversity. His motto: “Never give up. Never quit.”
Over the last decade, Mills has appeared on local and national news shows, including Fox News’ Happening Now, The O’Reilly Factor, CNN, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. His story and his work with the Travis Mills Foundation will be an amazing and inspiring kick-off to BOILER 2024.
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