Ahead of the Curve
April 29-May 02, 2024 St. Louis, MO
Conference Summary
This summary captures a four-day conference which took place from April 29 through May 2, 2024. The conference offered two educational tracks — the Business Track and the Certification Track. The Business Track enabled conference attendees to identify market opportunities and proven methods for capitalizing on them while the Certification Track presented opportunities to increase knowledge and skills and complete a supervisory exam for certification. Local 104 had multiple members who presented at the conference, including three presenters for the Certification Track —Tim Perry, Pat Pico and Chris Coatsworth — and one presenter in the Business Track, Randy Young. Chris Walker from Cal-SMACNA also presented in the Business Track.
The event brought together 190 conference attendees from all over the United States and Canada to learn marketing strategies and company promotion as well as provided opportunities for supervisor certifications. Local 104 had 20 members and contractor representatives in attendance.
The conference began Monday afternoon with registration check-in followed by a meet-and-greet reception and the ICB/TABB Hall of Fame recognition dinner. At the recognition dinner, Matt Sano, of Fisher Balancing in New Jersey, was inducted into the TABB Hall of Fame and joined the list of 20 past recipients, including Local 104 members Tim Perry (2006) and Pat Pico (2018). The conference concluded Thursday with the supervisor exam sessions.
Session 1: Keynote Speaker – Sean McGovern (JCAHO) The Joint Commission
The opening speaker’s presentation was tailored for contractors who aim to understand and meet the unique requirements of hospitals. Starting with a clear outline of The Joint Commission’s purpose — a dedication to enhancing public health care through collaborative evaluations and inspiring high-quality, safe, and effective care — this course zeroed in on the specific needs of hospitals in regard to ventilation and fire life safety. Contractors gained valuable insights into the stringent standards set by The Joint Commission, which equips them with knowledge to seamlessly align their services to ensure hospitals’ compliance and patient safety.
Session 2: ASHRAE – NFPA – UMC – Panel for Codes & Standards: Benefits of being involved
This session was an introduction to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and the Universal Mechanical Code (UMC). This session explored the basics of each organization, tapped into invaluable resources, and explained the benefits of active involvement with industry-leading organizations. The course culminated in a panel discussion on codes and standards, which offered attendees a chance to interact with industry experts and clarify real-world applications.
Session 3: Updates in HVAC Research and Technology
This discussion included many of the latest breakthroughs and trends in HVAC research and technology. Mark Modera shared his insights, findings, and the future trajectory of HVAC innovations. This course offered a unique opportunity to engage with cutting-edge information directly from a leading voice in HVAC research. It also provided:
- An introduction to University of California, Davis’s Western Cooling Efficiency Center (WCEC)
- The usage of ASHRAE Standard 215 in measuring duct leakage with a tracer-gas implementation
- Proposed research on return ductwork compared to open plenum
Session 4: Opportunities in Duct Cleaning
This course unveiled the hidden opportunities within the industry in duct cleaning. This session dove deep into market analysis, efficient cleaning techniques, customer engagement, and best practices to establish and grow your duct cleaning venture.
Session 5: Vendor Tradeshow
Vendors from across the country showcased their latest product offerings, demonstrated advancements in their technologies, offered technical assistance, and addressed inquiries from attendees.
Session 6: Evergreen Telemetry and TESTO
Evergreen and Testo had a joint session which focused on instrumentation.
Session 7: Codes and Standards Committees
Leaders from SMART and SMACNA delved into their collaborative efforts, detailing their partnership’s progress and shared vision. The discussion highlighted their combined strategies and endeavors to expand their market presence. Attendees gained a clear understanding of the synergy between these two organizations and their joint commitment to driving growth and increasing market share in their respective sectors.
Session 8: Fire Safety Inspections Success: SMART & SMACNA Collaboration
This presentation spotlighted the collaborative achievements of SMART and SMACNA in real-world “test cases” and demonstrated their combined efforts in the successful implementation of periodic inspections for Fire Smoke Dampers (FSD) and Smoke Control Systems (SCS).
Session 9: Ventilation Verification Success: SMART & SMACNA Collaboration
This session was a focused discussion highlighting the synergies between SMART and SMACNA. It explored real-world cases where their joint efforts led to successful Ventilation Verification implementations. They discussed the challenges, strategies, and triumphs of these projects, showcasing the power and potential of their collaborative approach.
Session 10: ITI Training
In this session, the ITI and NEMI’s collaborative efforts were discussed, including how they work with locals and JATCs to increase work hours utilizing the ITI curriculum in the areas of Ventilation Verification, Indoor Air Quality and Fire Life Safety.
Session 11: SMOHIT
This session provided attendees with an in-depth look at the extensive resources offered by SMOHIT, giving conference attendees insight into its strategic plan.
Prepared by Richard Graham May 30, 2024
