The IIAR Natural Refrigeration Conference & Heavy Equipment Expo is said to be the largest exposition dedicated to the ammonia and natural refrigeration industry.

With more than 150 exhibitors and over 1,700 attendees, this expo, scheduled to take place March 18-21 at The Broadmoor Hotel & Resort in Colorado Springs, Colo., provides unrivaled opportunity for the industry’s leading manufactures, contractors, trainers and other service providers to showcase their latest innovations and products.

The show kicks off with motivational keynote speaker, Vince Poscente, author on the topic of peak performance, overcoming adversity and sustaining resiliency in a competitive landscape. Prior to public speaking, he was vice president of marketing at International Investment Properties, and before that, was executive director of the Alberta Luge Association and liaison with the host broadcaster for the 1988 Olympic Winter Games. He also went from recreational skier to the Olympics in four years, and became a 5-time Canadian record holder, ranking 10th in the world. Poscente is also the founder of the Heroes Climb initiative.

Networking. On March 19, IIAR attendees can convene at The U.S. Olympic Complex in Colorado Springs, the flagship training center for the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Olympic Training Center programs. As part of the IIAR event, athletes will guide attendees through the facility and describe how they prepare for the Olympics. This networking event will also include athletic demonstrations in jousting, boxing, gymnastics and Olympic shooting.

Technical program. The IIAR Technical Program is the core of the expo, and consists of peer-reviewed technical paper presentations, international paper presentations, panels and workshops designed to explore technical or regulatory topics specific to the industrial and commercial natural refrigeration community. Topics cover ammonia defrost systems, impact of air treatment on food safety, best practices in managing OSHA inspections, emergency response in an ammonia facility, facts and myths in choosing construction material for evaporative condensers, re-evaluating lubricant selections, use of water as a refrigerant, regulatory and insurance updates in refrigeration and more.

Education program. The Sunday afternoon IIAR Education program covers Mechanical Integrity for Ammonia Refrigeration Systems, highlighting the importance of mechanical integrity, how it relates to process safety management and the General Duty Clause. Topics to be covered include components of a mechanical integrity program, minimum requirements of inspection, testing and maintenance, mechanical integrity procedures for equipment, piping, vessels and safety systems, when corrective action needs to be taken and preventative maintenance, audits, training and quality assurance.

Go to www.iiar.org for more information on the show, exhibitors and more.