IIAR

IIAR’s 2025 Natural Refrigeration Conference & Expo will take place in Phoenix, Arizona, from March 2-5, offering the natural refrigerant industry valuable technical knowledge, networking opportunities, and industry-sponsored events.

“We have the largest exhibit hall in the history of IIAR, including heavy equipment, with two full mornings and one evening of exhibit hall time. The conference will feature quality educational sessions and plenty of social networking times, and we are continuing our focus on attracting end users and students,” said Gary Schrift, president of IIAR.

EMPHASIZING EDUCATION

IIAR’s 2025 conference will feature numerous in-depth learning opportunities. “We have almost double the number of sessions as those of past conferences and have designed the educational program to appeal to many needs by creating six educational tracks, including system design, system safety, decarbonization, facility management, heat pumps, and an introduction to refrigeration/natural refrigerant basics,” Schrift said.

With nearly 40 educational sessions this year—a record for IIAR—Eric Smith, IIAR vice president and technical director, said there will be something to learn for everyone. “Our refrigeration 101 track should prove to be valuable to those who are new or interested in the industry,” he said, adding that the introductory track will be especially useful to students attending the conference and give them an overview of the industry.

Robert Billot, a U.S. environmental attorney, will offer a keynote address. “He will be discussing how PFAS, a forever chemical, polluted a town in West Virginia from Dupont’s Teflon plant and how chemical companies are currently dismissing the presence of PFAS chemicals in many of the new HFO refrigerants that they are promoting as replacements for their high GWP HFC synthetic refrigerants,” Schrift said.

The closing forum will provide a panel dedicated to lessons for end-users. “Our end users are the ones who directly use refrigeration, and all of the manufacturers, contractors, consultants and indeed other end users would be interested in hearing about end user concerns and solutions to their operational needs,” Smith said.

In addition to the panels, industry experts will present in-depth technical papers and workshop sessions that cover critical industry issues, including safety, efficiency, and new technology. The conference’s educational program offers professional development hours to all attendees. Plus, all technical sessions will be recorded, and recordings will be free for all members and attendees.

“You can watch the sessions you’d like to attend in person, and then you’ll have access to the recordings throughout the year to watch what you didn’t see,” said Yesenia Rector, IIAR’s annual conference and expo, meetings, and international program director.

FORGING CONNECTIONS

The conference kicks off with the Natural Refrigeration Foundation’s (NRF) Golf Tournament on Saturday, March 1, at the Arizona Grand Golf Course. Then, on Sunday, March 2, we will have the IIAR Committee meetings throughout the day. Also, on Sunday afternoon, participants can take part in NRF Bingo. The foundation deviated from pickleball and cornhole, which has featured in the past because the facilities weren’t available. “We thought bingo would be a fun, inexpensive way for people to support the NRF,” Rector said.

Attendees will have numerous opportunities to connect during various networking events, including the Chairman’s Reception, an invitation-only VIP dinner for the IIAR and NRF Board, committees, NRF scholars, and other VIPs, and a fun-filled evening at Billiards and Bowling for all attendees. Attendees can also take advantage of the NRF Networking Lounge, which will be located near the technical program meeting spaces and will be open on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday afternoons during the education program sessions. “The lounge is a space people can visit to take a break between the education program sessions, work, relax, or sit down and have an espresso,” Rector said.

ENGAGING STUDENTS

The 2025 conference will continue to welcome students, encouraging university and technical college students to engage with industry leaders and learn more about career paths in natural refrigeration. NRF Scholarship recipients and any student attendees are invited to attend the full event, free of charge, where they can network with IIAR executives, board members, and exhibitors who will help them explore the showroom and introduce them to industry professionals.

ADVANCING CRITICAL INITIATIVES

Committee meetings will take place on Sunday, March 2. These meetings provide a forum for IIAR members to contribute to the organization’s in-depth work. “We have shortened all of the committee meetings to one or two hours maximum so that most could be held on Sunday and so that members could attend more than one committee meeting,” Schrift said. “The committee chairs use these meetings each year to mainly provide a committee initiatives update to all.”

The 2025 IIAR Annual Conference in Phoenix promises a comprehensive experience for all attendees, blending technical learning with ample opportunities for networking and professional growth.

Students can attend the conference for free. First-time attendees and end users will receive IIAR membership pricing for conference registration, regardless of whether they are IIAR members or not. “Please help spread the word about these opportunities,” Smith said. View the IIAR 2025 Conference detailed schedule online.