Special Events & Program Highlights
Comfortech Action News – Opening General Session
Thursday, September 11 • 8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Not your typical opening general session! Sit back, relax and enjoy this HVAC Comfortech preview presented as a live news broadcast. Join Contracting Business editors Mike Weil, Terry McIver, Kate Hoban and other special guests for “Comfortech Action News”, an entertaining, yet informative look detailing all the activities at this years’ show.
The Stars of HVAC - Exposed! A Comfortech Action News Special Report, Friday General Session
Friday, September 12 • 8:00 – 9:45 a.m.
In this session we are going to name names… but in a really good way. This Comfortech Action News special report will go “undercover” and recognize the difference-makers our industry has produced this past year. Plenty of awards will be handed out, so come join us and be inspired as we expose the “Stars of HVAC”!
Technician Training Day – The Latest Technologies and Applications Your Techs Need to Know
Friday, September 12
Bring your technicians to HVAC Comfortech on Friday, September 12 for a full day of sessions geared specifically to their needs. For the unbelievable rate of only $99, your technicians will enjoy seminars, lunch and a pass for the exhibit hall. That’s a full day of training and networking for next to nothing!
Comfort House
Learn to Install and Maintain the Most Efficient HVAC Systems Possible!
The demand for energy saving heating and cooling systems goes way beyond SEER ratings and this year’s Comfort House demonstration shows contractors how to measure exactly how efficiently an HVAC system is performing.
Learn to examine airflow, static pressures, incoming and outgoing temperatures to determine actual delivered BTUs. And, when delivered comfort is not what it should be, learn how to pinpoint the trouble area.
You’ll use a sample CoolMaxx form and procedure to accomplish this diagnostic test that will result in real energy savings. The Comfort House demonstration is taught by National Comfort Institute, Inc.
Comfortech Idol 2008 Tournament of Champions
HVAC Sales Training In Action
Watch as three of the five Comfortech Idols compete for the title of Grand Champion in an HVAC sales contest loosely based on the hit TV show “American Idol.”
You’ll see real HVAC salespeople compete head-to-head by role-playing sales calls in front of a crowd of HVAC contractors. Each contestant will be critiqued by HVAC sales trainers and the audience will vote on which contestant they feel best exemplifies excellence in HVAC sales.
Comfortech Idol is both entertaining and educational. At Comfortech Idol you see how real, working HVAC salespeople respond to the tough objections like, “Your price is too high,” “I want to think it over” and “I want to get other bids.”
The Grand Prize is $2,500, Charlie Greer’s “Slacker’s Guide to HVAC Sales; The Lazy Man’s Way to Really Make it in Residential Replacements,” a write-up in Contracting Business, the Comfortech Idol trophy, and bragging rights. All contestants are awarded valuable prizes.
There is no charge to enter or watch Comfortech Idol. All Elimination Rounds” and the “Grande Finale” are free and open to all registered attendees of HVAC Comfortech.
NATE Top Tech Competition
There’s no other competition quite like it – the NATE Top Tech Competition - where the “best of the best” vie for annual bragging rights in the HVACR technician world. Held each year at Comfortech, an elite group of technicians who scored the highest on their NATE certification exams, have the opportunity to take the title of Top Tech. Overseen by some of the industry’s best regarded experts, contestants pit their knowledge and skills against a series of real-world HVACR scenarios that require analysis, diagnosis and resolution under the time constraints of the contest. Comfortech visitors can see the competition in person by visiting the NATE Top Tech area in the exhibit hall.
NATE Technician Certification
Wednesday, September 10
Be the best… take the test! Have your technicians and service managers certified, then join them for all of the HVAC Comfortech events!
TO REGISTER: Contact Becky Nix of the Metropolitan Atlanta Air Conditioning Contractors Association at 770-919-7004 or maacaemail@aol.com.
Comfortech Gives Back!
Saturday, September 13 • Noon – 5 p.m.
Have you been thinking about how you can help those less fortunate but don’t know where to start? Or maybe you’re a ‘big giver’ already. Either way, Comfortech 2008 is an excellent place to lend a helping hand. The afternoon of Saturday, September 13 will focus on giving back to the community through a program called HOMES (Home Owner Maintenance and Enhancement for Seniors) that helps seniors continue to live in their own homes more safely. Watch for program details here and in the pages of Contracting Business magazine.
Thank Our Troops
To commemorate the 7th anniversary of 9/11, HVAC Comfortech will provide attendees the opportunity to send thank-you cards to members of the military as well as to veterans for all of their sacrifices. Look for the special Military Card Display in the convention center when you arrive.
Join Us for an Event Specifically Focused on Women in Our Industry!
The 5th Annual Women in HVACR Conference
September 9-10
- Network with other women from all areas of the industry.
- Participate in Educational Sessions.
- Meet the 2008 Contracting Business HVACR Woman of the Year.
- Enjoy a Dynamic Keynote Speaker Address.
- Stay Current on Industry and Association Updates.
Event Cost: Members: $125 / Non-Members: $175
To Register Online, visit our website at: www.WomeninHVACR.org or contact our Administrator, Julie Eudy, at 636-352-1148 for sponsorship information and registration assistance.
First-Timers Meeting
Wednesday, September 10 • 7:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Omni Hotel at CNN Center
Are you attending HVAC Comfortech for the first time? The First-Timers Meeting will show you the lay of the land and introduce you to Comfortech veterans who are willing to share their knowledge and time with newcomers. Come find out how to make the most of your Comfortech investment!
Welcome Reception
Wednesday, September 10 • 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Grand Ballroom, Omni Hotel at CNN Center
This is your first big networking opportunity of HVAC Comfortech 2008! Catch up with old friends and make new acquaintances as you enjoy delicious food and refreshing beverages brought to you courtesy of Emerson and Contracting Business.
Thursday Evening Extravaganza at the New World of Coca-Cola
Thursday, September 11 • 8:00 – 11:00 p.m.
New World of Coca-Cola
Thirsty? Hungry? Need some down time after an intense day of learning? Then come to the New World of Coca-Cola to have fun with other Comfortech attendees while enjoying Cokes from around the world, adult beverages and a menu filled with everything from appetizers to desserts. It’s party you won’t want to miss!
Dessert Party
Friday, September 12 • 9:00 – 11:00 p.m.
Grand Ballroom, Omni Hotel at CNN Center
Chocolate, ice cream, cakes, pastries – sample these and many other delectable desserts, along with coffee, tea and specialty drinks at this final networking event of HVAC Comfortech 2008.
Prize Drawings…In the Product Showcase!
When you visit the industry’s top suppliers in the HVAC Comfortech Product Showcase located in the Georgia World Congress Center, you’ll also have a chance to enter not just one, but two drawings for valuable prizes!
#1 Grand Prize Drawing – Expanded for 2008!
EVERY attendee registration packet will include an entry ticket for the Grand Prize round. Fill out the ticket and drop it off at Contracting Business booth #114 by 2pm on Friday, September 12. The Grand Prize Round will begin approximately at 2:35 pm on Friday. YOU MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN.
PRIZES:
- $250 AMEX Gift Card
- Sirius Satellite Radio with one year subscription
- Nintendo Wii game system and one (1) game
- Grand Prize – 42” High Definition Television courtesy of LG Electronics
#2 Golden Ticket Drawing
Prizes Donated By Exhibitors
When you check in at the Registration Desk on site, look in your packet for a “Golden Ticket.” If you get one, you’ve already won a great prize like HVAC accessories and equipment, a gift certificate or maybe even a weekend getaway!
Take your “Golden Ticket” to Contracting Business booth #114 any time during show hours (10:45am-3:00pm, both Thursday and Friday, September 11 and 12) and pull a prize claim ticket from the tumbler. The ticket pulled will direct you to the booth where your prize awaits! A full list of prizes, and the exhibitors who kindly donated them, can be found in your attendee bag and at the kiosks around the registration area.
