2021 Virtual Annual Conference

The 2021 Virtual Annual Conference will begin on Monday, June 28 at 12:00 PM EDT, and will end on Wednesday, June 30 at 6:00 PM. On-demand seminars and conference papers will be made available at the start of the conference, and the live portion will contain a mix of standalone and concurrent sessions, similar to the schedule of the 2021 Virtual Winter Conference.

"Our world has experienced fundamental change in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The HVAC community continues to respond addressing challenges in how we design, build, and operate buildings." said Christine Reinders, 2021 Conference Chair. "We continue to evolve, adapt, and innovate, confronting these challenges head on. The 2021 Virtual Annual conference will focus on critical environments, hot climates, and future proofing. The technical program, including the research summit and professional development, fosters sharing of knowledge to allow us all to serve our communities and solve society’s greatest challenges."

The 2021 ASHRAE Annual Conference technical program is comprised of seven tracks, selected to represent areas of focus common among ASHRAE membership.

>> Learn more about new and expanded offerings for the 2021 Virtual Annual Conference

Conference Registrants Get a FREE 3-Hour Course from ASHRAE Learning Institute (ALI)!
Indoor Air Quality and ASHRAE Standard 62.1 with Hassan Younes, from the Global Training Center (GTC) in Dubai
Wednesday, June 30 from 6:00 am – 9:00 am EDT (Live participation only)

This GTC course (typically $120 USD per registrants) is available free to conference registrants. Indoor Air Quality and ASHRAE Standard 62.1 will be presented live in the virtual conference venue. Participants will need to be present during the live course to participate and earn PDHs. This course will not be recorded and archived for later viewing. Participants will be able to ask questions using the chat feature.

Course Description

Live Sessions Available for Attendees Across the Globe!

Several technical sessions have been scheduled strategically so registered attendees from around the globe can participate in live sessions during their core work hours! Sessions scheduled at 7:00 a.m. EDT are prefect for attendees joining live from the Middle East, Europe and Africa. Sessions scheduled at 7:00 p.m. EDT are prefect for US West Coast attendees as well as people joining live from Asia and Oceania!

 Interactive Technical Panels and Forums

All Technical Panels and Forums will be presented via Zoom. Attendees will be able to unmute themselves and turn their webcam on to ask questions during these sessions as well as use the chat box feature.

Panel topics include:

• The Efforts of ASHRAE Chapters to Help Reduce Risks of COVID-19 Transmissions
• Importance of Achieving Verified Net Zero Goals
• Lessons Learned from Adapting BAS to Meet Changing Requirements
• What Indoor Farmers Need and Want from their HVAC System
• Controlled Environment Agriculture and the Future of Secure and Sustainable Food Production

Forum topics include:

• Post Pandemic Resiliency Measures for Transportation Facilities
• Is there a Magic Formula for Combining Multiple Air Cleaning Technologies to Improve Air Quality?

Interactive Sessions: Roundtable Discussions and Meet Ups

Roundtables and Meet Ups are small group sessions hosted and moderated by Society grassroots committees and are meant to bring attendees together for an interactive discussion. A Roundtable is hosted by a moderator on a certain topic of interest, generally inciting a more technical discussion.  Meet Ups are perfect for a small group of people who wish to meet “face-to-face” during the virtual conference to engage in casual conversation. Attendees can unmute themselves and communicate with one another via their microphone and/or webcam. These interactive sessions will be scheduled from 5:00 – 5:30 p.m. ET on Monday, June 28 and Tuesday, June 29. Check the Schedule-at-a-Glance for a listing of these interactive sessions. Topics include:

• GAC Meet Up: ASHRAE Advocacy 101: How you can help ASHRAE serve society hosted by Government Affairs Committee (GAC)
• YEA Roundtable: How COVID 19 Impacted Careers of New Graduates and Young Professionals Roundtable hosted by Young Engineers in ASHRAE
• Certification Roundtable: ASHRAE Certification: Validation. Recognition. Career Development hosted by Certification Committee
• Standards Roundtable: Why Standards Matter - and other mysteries of the Universe Explained without consensus
• Communications Meet Up: How to Communicate in a Virtual World
• bEQ Roundtable: Enhancing Building EQ As Designed Rating with Standard 90.1

Research Summit

The Research Summit will be held on Wednesday, June 30 in the afternoon. The Summit will include more than ten 60-minute sessions for authors of Conference Papers to present a summary of their paper. The sessions will be presented in PechaKucha-style, allowing each presenting author to summarize their paper in 2 minutes with 1 slide. There will be up to eight presenters per session. After the paper summaries, all authors will be available for an interactive Q&A hosted via Zoom with conference attendees. These sessions will be moderated by members of the Conferences and Expositions Committee.

 Sponsored by:       

Connect with Sponsors LIVE!

Are you missing the business connections made at a face-to-face conference? While a virtual environment cannot completely fill the void of in-person connections, attendees can still connect with conference sponsors directly and live in the virtual conference environment. Starting on Monday, June 28, dedicated time has been established to allow for live interaction between attendees and conference sponsors. Check out the Schedule-at-a-Glance for more information on when to connect with sponsors live. Each day one luck attendee who visits the Sponsor Hall will receive a special gift!  

Sponsor Technology Demonstrations

Technology Demonstrations hosted by sponsoring companies provide the opportunity for attendees to join a 30-minute interactive session via Zoom to learn more about conference sponsors’ technology. Additional slots were added to the schedule for the 2021 Virtual Annual Conference. Check the Schedule at a Glance section for more information on scheduled sessions. Presenting Sponsors include:

Meeting of the Members

Monday, June 28 │12:00 p.m. EDT

The 2021 Virtual Annual Conference’s Meeting of the Members includes an update on the State of the Society by ASHRAE President, Chuck Gulledge and the Secretary’s Report from ASHRAE Executive Vice President, Jeff Littleton, including an overview of the proposed bylaws amendment. The Meeting of the Members will also include special awards presentations for recipients of the prestigious Louise & Bill Holladay Distinguished Fellow Award and the Andrew T. Boggs Award. President Gulledge will also recognize and thank major donors to the ASHRAE HQ Building Campaign.

A recording will be posted for all ASHRAE members to view at www.ashrae.org/president on Monday, June 28.

The 2021 Virtual Annual Conference will be ASHRAE’s third conference held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 may have caused cancellations on in-person meetings – but COVID cannot overshadow the many achievements of ASHRAE members! ASHRAE will honor award recipients that would have been presented in-person at the plenary session at the 2021 Annual Conference in Phoenix. Join us for four award recognition segments scheduled throughout the 2021 Virtual Annual Conference to honor those who have made significant contributions to ASHRAE.

ASHRAE Honors Recipients of Personal Honors

Monday, June 28 │12:00 p.m. EDT │Presented as part of the Meeting of the Members

• Louise & Bill Holladay Distinguished Fellow Award
• Andrew T. Boggs Service Award
• Major donors of the ASHRAE Headquarters Building Campaign

ASHRAE Honors Recipients of Personal Awards for General and Specific Society Activities Awards, Paper Awards and recognition of Scholarship Donors

Tuesday, June 29 │9:30 a.m. EDT

• Distinguished 50-Year Member Award
• Distinguished 75-Year Member Award
• Exceptional Service Award
• Distinguished Service Award
• Scholarship Donors
• Lincoln Bouillon Award
• Dan Mills Chapter Programs Award
• William J. Collins RP Award
• Donald Bahnfleth Environmental Health Award
• Government Affairs Award
• Homer Addams Award
• Ralph G. Nevins Physiology & Human Environment Award
• ASHRAE Journal Paper Award
• Science and Technology for the Built Environment Best Paper Award
• Standards Achievement Award
• Student Activities Achievement Award
• 2020 Crosby Field Award
• 2020 Technical Paper Award
• 2020 Willis H. Carrier Award

Extend your industry branding by becoming a conference sponsor – and reach conference attendees and their high interest in new products, technology and technical information. A base sponsorship starts at $3,000 and includes benefits such as a sponsor kiosk in the Virtual Conference Environment Sponsor Hall, logo visibility, complimentary registrations and more!

Additional Sponsorship enhancements are available as well including the opportunity to host a 30-minute Technology Demonstration, provide a virtual coffee break to attendees and much more!

>> Visit our Conference Sponsor page for more information or contact Greg Martin at gmartin@ashrae.org.

Thank you to the following sponsors of the 2021 Virtual Annual Conference! During the live event, sponsor representatives will be available in the Sponsor Hall to chat live with registered attendees. Dedicated time in the conference schedule has been allotted for attendees to engage with sponsors. See the Schedule-at-a-Glance at the top of the page for more details on dedicated time with sponsors.     

How do I access the technical program content?

A link will be sent to the email address you used to register with the Friday before the live sessions begin (Friday, June 25). Please ensure meetings@ashrae.org is in your safe list.

How do I get PDHs?

PDHs will be available for most sessions by passing a short quiz at the end of each eligible session. Following the quiz a PDH certificate will be available for download.

Do I have to be registered for the Virtual Annual Conference to attend a committee meeting?

No, registration is not required to attend a committee meeting virtually.

What if I have multiple employees from my company that want to register for the Virtual Winter Conference?

ASHRAE offers three tiers of Company packages that accommodate discounted pricing. Contact meetings@ashrae.org if you have questions related to Company Packages and pricing.

Do I have to be registered for the Virtual Conference to attend the live sessions, special events and meet-ups?

Yes! If you can’t attend the live sessions you can still access the recordings after the event.

Please contact meetings@ashrae.org with additional questions.