HVACR Distributors to Explore ‘Frontier’ at HARDI Conference

The conference will feature keynote talks on leadership, market intelligence, creativity, and success in distribution. More than two dozen breakout sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of the conference week, will focus on four key areas: personal advancement, organizational development, external impacts, and business growth.  

The conference theme, “Frontier,” captures the moment, said Allison Greene, HARDI’s director of marketing and events. 

“We’re entering territory where experience still matters in a huge way, but familiar approaches may need to evolve,” Greene said. “We wanted a theme that encouraged curiosity, a willingness to explore, and optimism about the role distributors can play in shaping what comes next.” 

Distributors, Greene said, are concerned about the amount of change happening at once, in HVAC business consolidation, technology — including AI — the economy, and the workforce.  

“The uncertainty is around how those forces will intersect and what they will require distributors to do differently,” she said. “Where should they invest? Which technologies will deliver meaningful value? How do they prepare their people while managing the daily demands of the business?” 

On the flip side, distributors’ adaptability, relationships with customers, local market knowledge, and partnerships with manufacturers are strengths they can harness to get through challenging times, Greene said. 

“There is tremendous opportunity to build on those strengths through better use of data, new technology, and stronger partnerships,” she said. “‘Frontier’ reflects that combination of uncertainty and possibility, and the confidence to move forward together.” 

Greene said HARDI has heard repeatedly from members that they’d like guidance on making business decisions in the context of big changes in the industry.  

“That helped shape an agenda that connects broader economic and industry perspectives with specific conversations about sales, logistics, technology, and leadership. HARDI members need space to think about where the industry is heading and connect that with their own strengths and unique value,” she said. 

Asked to name conference highlights, Greene pointed to: 

• The breakout sessions with Mandy Long, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Dec. 8, repeated 10:45-11:45 a.m. the same day. Long, a tech executive and AI consultant, will talk about what the latest advancements in AI mean for HVACR distributors. 

“The technology is moving quickly, and distributors are asking increasingly specific questions about its value, risks, and responsible use,” Greene said. “Mandy brings a perspective that helps leaders connect those questions to decisions within their own businesses.” 

Long will be joined in the early session by John White, vice president of digital marketplace and customer experience at distribution giant Watsco Inc. 

• The closing keynote by Mike Marks, a distribution management veteran and founding partner of the Indian River Consulting Group. Marks will speak at the closing luncheon, which begins at 12:15 p.m. Dec. 10. 

“His message gets to the heart of ‘Frontier’: Future success will require distributors to do new things, beyond improving what they already do,” Greene said. “Mike brings a direct, practical perspective that challenges people to examine their assumptions and recognize opportunities.” 

Marks will also moderate a panel discussion on rethinking some of the ingrained sales practices that might be holding distributors back and adopting more effective practices. That’s scheduled for 9:30-10:30 a.m. Dec. 8. 

• The Solutions Center, where distributors can meet with service providers and learn about technologies and business tools designed to help them operate more efficiently and grow their companies. The Solutions Center is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 8 and from 7 a.m. to noon Dec. 9. 

• The Booth Program, a trade-show-style event that gives distributors opportunities to meet with companies that supply products and services to HVACR distributors. It’s scheduled for 2-5:30 p.m. Dec. 9. 

The first day of the conference will include a Women in HVACR discussion on workforce development, a town hall meeting for distributors, roundtable discussions with suppliers, and an opening reception, 6:30-8:30 p.m. on the hotel terrace. 

Outside the keynotes, meals, breakout sessions, and the Booth Program and Solutions Center, networking and informal discussions among HARDI members will play a big role in the conference. 

“A session can introduce an idea, and a conversation afterward can help someone understand how it might work in their business,” Greene said. “Bringing distributors, manufacturers, and service providers together creates opportunities to work through questions from several perspectives.” 

If distributors have just one takeaway from the conference, she’d like it to be “the confidence that they can help shape what comes next for their businesses, even while some questions remain unanswered,” Greene said. 

“That might mean testing a new tool, developing someone on their team, reconsidering a familiar process, or starting a different conversation with a supplier,” Greene said. “The important thing is to turn a new perspective into a deliberate next step. If attendees leave with a broader view of what’s possible and one meaningful action to pursue, we will have delivered on the spirit of ‘Frontier.’”