ASHRAE Events – SAIRAC

The 2025 ASHRAE Winter Conference and co-sponsored AHR Expo are taking place in Orlando, Florida, Feb. 8-12. The conference schedule is packed with 9 technical tracks, ASHRAE Learning Institute Courses, hundreds of business and technical committee meetings, as well as social events and tours. Below are a few things to look forward to.

Plenary | Saturday, February 8th 3:15 p.m.

Join 2024-2025 ASHRAE President, Dennis Knight, for a Society update. Jeff Littleton, ASHRAE’s Executive Vice President, will provide the Secretary’s Report and Society Honors and Awards recipients will be recognized

Keynote Speaker – Jim Davidson

Jim Davidson is a resilience expert who has survived not just one epic mountain disaster, but two. From his realworld survival experiences, he distills hard-won lessons about forging the resilience to overcome change, challenge, and uncertainty. While climbing Mount Everest, Jim and his team survived massive earthquakes and avalanches on what became the mountain’s deadliest day ever. Jim later returned to Everest and summited successfully. His riveting survival stories have been featured in documentaries for National Geographic, Smithsonian Channel, Netflix, and Discovery’s hit show, “I Shouldn’t Be Alive”. Jim has been featured on NPR, CBS, CNN, and hundreds of other media outlets.

From his 42 years of adventures, Jim shares compelling stories and practical tips about how to persevere and how to endure uncertain times through resilience strategies and post-traumatic growth. Davidson provides motivating keynotes and interactive workshops on resilience, teamwork, leadership, and change management. His energizing messages have been shared in-person and virtually with audiences in more than 35 countries. Jim has scaled high peaks from Argentina to Nepal, and from Bolivia to Tibet. While leading expedition teams around the globe, Jim has guided his teammates through storms and setbacks to reach lofty summits. The U.S. National Park Service has commended Jim twice for volunteering on successful high-altitude rescues in Colorado and Alaska. His latest book, The Next Everest, was published in six international editions and was selected as an Amazon Editor’s Pick. Jim’s survival memoir, The Ledge, was a New York Times bestseller. He worked for twenty years as a hydrogeologist and managed his own environmental consulting firm. In his youth, Jim worked for his father painting high-voltage electrical towers carrying 230,000 volts.

Welcome Party | $80 Saturday, February 8th | 6:30 p.m.

Join us on Saturday, February 8th at 6:30 p.m. for the ASHRAE Welcome Party at the Orlando Auto Museum at Dezerland Park. Attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy a private automotive collection of over 2,000 vehicles, valued at over $200 million. The museum consists of 20 themed rooms containing sports cars, antique vehicles, micro-cars and motorbikes. In addition to these wonderful offerings, their collection also houses many vehicles from Hollywood motion pictures, including Batmobiles, James Bond, and the Fast and the Furious franchises. Attendees will also have the opportunity for photo-ops inside some of the museum’s most iconic cars. The Welcome Party venue is completely indoors, so don’t let the unpredictability of Florida weather cause you to miss the excellent opportunity. Tickets include access to the museum, as well as hor-dourves and two drink tickets. The dress code is casual.

YEA Hospitality Reception Sunday, February 9th | 4:00 p.m.

PRESIDENT’S LUNCHEON Monday, February 10th | 12:15 p.m.

Women in ASHRAE Breakfast Monday, February 10th | 7:00 a.m.

Life Member Lunch Tuesday, February 11th | 12:00 p.m.

Members Night Out | $80 Tuesday, February 11th, 6:15 p.m. Reception/Cash Bar | 7:15 p.m. Dinner and Entertainment