The 2023 WWETT Show took place Feb. 20-23 in Indianapolis. Attendees descended on the city for networking, education, live demos and more.

The AHR Expo wrapped up the 2023 show in Atlanta with an exigent focus on reshaping the future of the industry – together. The stats indicate the industry’s resurgence: The 2023 AHR Expo hosted 42,794 verified visitor and exhibitor personnel, 1,779 total exhibitors, 425 of which were international, and filled 486,000+ square feet of exhibit space.

More than 200,000 professionals from across the globe flocked to Las Vegas for the 10th annual Design & Construction Week (DCW). This year’s show, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, boasted the highest attendance in DCW’s 10-year history.

Nearly 1,300 attendees and more than 130 exhibitors rallied in Charlotte, North Carolina for PHCCCONNECT2022, which was held Oct. 5-7. Overall attendance was up more than 79% percent over last year, according to the organization. PHCC also welcomed 61 young professionals to its new Rising Leaders Summit and hosted 74 new exhibitors on the tradeshow floor this year.

It’s been four years since the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) last held its convention and expo. The normally biannual event was canceled in the fall of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2022 ASPE Convention & Expo returned Sept. 16-21 in Indianapolis. The turnout and enthusiasm among attendees and vendors alike proved that the organization — and its members — were more than ready to get back to business.

Franklin Electric welcomed about 30 manufacturers reps to its Fort Wayne, Indiana headquarters Aug. 29-31 for Little Giant Product Champion training. The training included classroom sessions discussing various wastewater solutions offered by Little Giant as well as resources and sales tools, a factory tour, live product demos and more.

Washtenaw Community College (WCC) welcomed a record United Association contingent of approximately 3,000 union plumbers and pipefitters for the UA’s annual Instructor Training Program Aug. 13-19. The week includes classroom instruction, an International Apprentice Contest, certification exams and demonstrations and a graduation ceremony in which 154 will be honored for their completion of the certificate program and an additional 40 will earn associate degrees from WCC. Photos by Nicole Krawcke/Plumbing & Mechanical.

For the second year, National Backflow Prevention Day on August 16, 2022, recognizes the role of backflow prevention and cross-connection control and those who install, maintain, and test backflow preventers. It marks the day in 1933 when a backflow incident occurred at a Chicago hotel resulting in 98 deaths and 2,000 illnesses. The incident led to the founding of the Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research and to new safe plumbing regulations for backflow assemblies. Plumbing & Mechanical marked the day by asking for backflow prevention “selfies” and photo submissions. Take a look.

ServiceTitan hosted its first user conference since the COVID-19 pandemic at the historic Los Angeles Coliseum in late April. The annual user conference brought contractors across North America together to harness the power of technology and supercharge their business to reach the level of success they deserve. The event included more than 30 sessions, during which thousands of contractors learned how to tackle the most pressing trade industry challenges, including digital transformation, hiring and retaining top talent, developing unique marketing strategies, building a financial roadmap to success, and more. Attendees also received a sneak peak at the latest and greatest products and features of ServiceTitan’s software through informative demos and a keynote by Vahe Kuzoyan, co-founder and President of ServiceTitan.

Nexstar Network hosted its first-ever Networking Retreat March 23-25 in Incline Village, Nevada, beside gorgeous Lake Tahoe. The three-day event was limited to about 300 plumbing, HVAC and electrical contractors, and included motivation, networking and fun.