Welcome to Phoenix and the 2025 IIAR Industrial Refrigeration Conference & Heavy Equipment Expo!

I’m excited to welcome you to Phoenix as part of the 47th IIAR conference. It’s hard to believe that our organization recently blew past five decades of work on behalf of this industry! Much of that work happens at our annual conference, so welcoming you this year is more than just a hello, it’s a call to dig in, get involved, network, and help your colleagues carry on this awesome tradition of advancing natural refrigerants here and around the world.

Now is a truly global moment for our industry. The legacy of the movement that began in 1970 with a small group of engineers who wanted to shape standards – is here. Walking through the halls of IIAR conferences in the last few years, I’ve noticed how we’ve grown into our mission. I see faces from all over the world, from different countries, ethnicities and genders. With that in mind, it’s my pleasure to mark this milestone by introducing myself as your first female conference chair.

Diversity in thought, development and discussion is our great strength. As we hurtle into the next chapter – of environmental challenges, economic changes, and the need for ever more efficient and advanced technologies – our industry will be well prepared to compete.

This year, our keynote speaker, Robert Bilott, will be on hand to speak about his 20-year fight to expose the dangers of PFAS or “forever chemicals.” His epic legal battle against DuPont consumed his life and exposed the worst case of corporate coverup and environmental contamination in modern history. It’s a story I think we can all draw strength from as we work to advance natural refrigerants to meet the environmental needs of our planet.

Again this year, IIAR is also broadening the scope of our technical program. For the first time, we’ve introduced tracks to better organize our technical discussions and meet a broader range of educational needs. These new educational tracks represent a deeper dive into our subject matter and include: System Design; System Safety; Carbon Tracking/ Decarbonization; Facility Management; Heat Pumps and Intro to Refrigeration.

I’m also excited to announce that this year’s conference will feature many activities designed for fun and relaxation, including an NRF-sponsored bingo tournament and the new NRF lounge where you can go Sunday through Tuesday to get some down time with colleagues, catch up on email or grab a cup of coffee.

As always, please join me in thanking your hardworking IIAR staff for completing another successful event. And if you’re new here, don’t hesitate to reach out, get involved and find the IIAR committee or volunteer work that makes the best use of your talent! Welcome to Phoenix and enjoy the conference.

Best Regards,

Jeanna Emmons,
2025 Conference Chair