It’s amazing how quickly a year can go by. Our 2018 annual conference is here already, and while that means this is the last annual meeting during my term as Chairman, this year’s conference represents just the beginning of many exciting developments for IIAR and its members.

In each membership year, the annual conference is the place to kick off new programs and initiatives for the year ahead. In 2017, we met several important goals, and we will now build on those achievements in the months ahead.

As IIAR members, the programs we support are made possible by the hard work of our Committees and the volunteer members who run them. IIAR continues to focus on providing our members with the safety standards, regulatory support, industry technology and other member services that are necessary to operate an ammonia system in today’s environment.

Each opportunity for sharing knowledge and information, such as this conference, and our international seminars, is a chance for us to build and strengthen the resources we have available for our members.

We are constantly at work, developing the world’s largest and best information resource for our membership and the industry in general. One of the best parts of being IIAR’s Chairman over the past year has been the opportunity to be part of this work, and now, to showcase it at our annual conference.

Our exhibit hall this year is packed with the best in technology and expertise from across our industry. I hope you’ll take advantage of the opportunity to see the best your colleagues and business partners have to offer in the latest equipment, products and services available in natural refrigeration.

I’d also like to highlight the 2.5-day technical program consisting of peer-reviewed technical papers, experimental workshops and engaging panels on topics including emergency response in an ammonia refrigeration facility, hot gas defrost, use of water as a refrigerant, and stainless-steel piping in industrial refrigeration.

The IIAR tech program is an essential part of the work we do. It’s the best way to engage in the ongoing conversation about new ways of doing things with other professional engineers. I hope you’ll make it a priority to read the work of your peers or stop in to a live presentation and take part in a technical paper discussion.

Meanwhile, two other important technical resources will be available at this year’s event. Exclusive to the 2018 IIAR Conference is the Sunday afternoon Mechanical Integrity for Ammonia Refrigeration Systems Education Program. This education program provides a comprehensive outline of compliance regarding mechanical integrity for ammonia refrigeration systems with information on the basic components of a mechanical integrity program, minimum requirements of inspection, testing and maintenance as well as preventative maintenance, audits, training and quality assurance.

And in addition to that event, attendees will also be able to sit for certificate program testing at the show. The IIAR Academy of Natural Refrigerants Certificate Program is meant to help refrigeration professionals develop their skills and further their careers. Two certificate programs are currently available for testing, the IIAR 2 Certificate Course and the IIAR 4,5 and 8 Certificate Course.

As your outgoing Chairman, I would like to encourage you to join in as many of these conference events as possible. It has truly been an honor to serve as your Chairman. I am looking forward to seeing many of you at the conference. And beyond that, I’m looking forward to seeing where the achievements of the past few years take us as we move towards the future of our industry.