Costs, energy efficiency among trends highlighted by AHR Expo attendees, exhibitors

The ASHRAE Journal recently surveyed exhibitors and pre-registered attendees about their thoughts on trends in the industry and the future of the marketplace.

By Plant Engineering Staff January 17, 2008

Energy efficiency, along with first costs and product costs, are top concerns of attendees and exhibitors at next week’s AHR Expo , taking place at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York.
The ASHRAE Journal recently surveyed 1,300 exhibitors and 10,500 pre-registered attendees about their thoughts on trends in the industry and the future of the marketplace.
“The responses show that both attendees and exhibitors are optimistic about business prospects in the coming year,” saidFred Turner, ASHRAE Journal editor. “The industry feels good about the U.S. market, about expanded presence outside the U.S. and about growth in most market segments.”
When asked about top concerns to customers, attendees noted that first costs ranks most important (68%) followed by reliability (65%), energy efficiency (64%) and comfort (54%).
The same question posed to exhibitors showed that product costs ranked first (74%), followed by energy efficiency (64%), maintainability (60%) and sustainability (52%).
Looking ahead, health care is expected to be the strong market segment this year for attendees followed by large commercial. Attendees also see retrofit/renovation as their best prospect for business in 2008.
Market growth outside the U.S. continues to grow with as nearly 80 percent of exhibitors having a presence or plans for a presence in Asia/Pacific. This was followed by Europe (72 percent), Mexico (71 percent), Central/South America (57 percent) the Middle East (56 percent) and Africa (23 percent).