A number of booths will be able to use virtual reality and augmented reality. Attendees will be able to immerse themselves in one of these booths and get a 360-degree panorama.

The 2021 Innovation Award winners, as well as the announcement of the 2021 Product of the Year Award, will be recognized in a special ceremony during the 2021 Show on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021.

The organizers of the fairs made this decision to give participants more certainty in their planning for the rest of the year, given the uncertainty of the healthcare situation across the world and ongoing travel restrictions.

Service World Expo will employ multiple safety measures, including temperature screenings, complimentary face masks, hand sanitation stations and increased cleaning and sanitation of common areas. 

With the theme “Expand Your Vision for Success,” the virtual conference will offer high-caliber keynote speakers, timely and relevant educational sessions and new virtual networking events, with the added benefit of experiencing it all from the comfort of an office or home.

It’s an exciting time for the plumbing and heating industries. 

With the start of a new year so begins a new tradeshow season, first kicking off with Design and Construction Week, held Jan. 21-23, in Las Vegas, followed by the AHR Expo, held Feb. 3-5, in Orlando, Florida

During the five-day show, 2,532 exhibitors (1,664 from abroad) from 57 countries presented their new products and innovations.

In March, the Lovely Christy and I joined our friends from Service Roundtable in Frankfurt, Germany, for the massive ISH trade fair. With more than 2,500 exhibitors focused on sustainability, cutting-edge design trends, and technological innovations, it was a mind-expanding experience, to say the least.

The plumbing and mechanical industry is changing quickly, and the biggest catalyst of that change is technology. New products are coming to market, the Internet of Things is influencing product design, and connectivity is becoming less of a novelty and more of a commodity.