The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association’s (SMACNA) 64th annual convention, scheduled for Oct. 21-25  in Las Vegas, will address the multi-faceted capabilities and expertise of SMACNA members through a program of specialty forums spanning four market sectors.

According to the association’s press release, the forum programs include the HVAC Contractors Forum. “HVAC Industry – The Next Big Thing” will be presented by John Conover, president of Trane in the Americas region, who will delve into trends, past experience and his view of the current HVAC industry. He will also discuss the many factors that influence the HVAC industry ranging from small developments in technology, political drivers, employment concerns to global environmental concerns. Thomas Glavinich, an associate professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering at the University of Kansas, will discuss how green is here to stay and the impact these projects have on SMACNA HVAC contractors’ bid preparation and project management. SMACNA’s new publication “HVAC Guide to Bidding Green Projects” will be discussed in this forum, named “SMACNA HVAC Guide to Bidding Green Projects”.

“Achieve Optimal Stainless Steel Performance” is the architectural forum which will be led by Catherine Houska, an architectural consultant for TMR Consulting. She will focus on how stainless steel is a “hot” design material because it can be aesthetically spectacular while providing practical long-term performance benefits for sustainable construction. The industrial forum (“Winning Time and Materials Strategies) will examine job cost accounting on T&M projects with a focus on labor productivity and the impact of change orders. Finally, a residential forum, “Hot Topics in the Residential Market Sector”, will discuss and debate issues such as recruitment, training and retention of residential service technicians; merits of flat rate pricing; new home construction market; service contracts and venturing into other areas such as commercial work.

Additional business and education sessions spotlight a wide variety of topics including “Lean Applied to Construction – It Works!,” “Effective Safety Training Techniques” and “SMACNA’s Bid Specifications Reference Manual.”