AHRI's 2013 Annual Meeting
Date: November 16, 2013 — 20, 2014
Location: Omni La Costa Resort & Spa
GENERAL INFORMATION
The AHRI Board of Directors and staff look forward to welcoming you to the beautiful AAA Five-Diamond Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, site of the 2013 AHRI Annual Meeting. This peaceful and picturesque resort, located on Florida’s northeast coast barrier island, features breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and is surrounded by 26 acres of lush vegetation. The resort is 30 minutes from Jacksonville International Airport (JAX).
Immerse yourself in southern charm at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. With miles of pristine beaches to explore, you’ll find yourself enjoying a world of outdoor activities, including world-class golf and tennis, sailing, fishing, kayaking and horseback riding, as well as the quaint historic village of Fernandina Beach with its unique restaurants, boutiques, and homes that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. With average daily temperatures of 72 degrees, you may also enjoy basking in the glow of the sun as you swim, relax or walk along the sandy shore. This luxury hotel in Florida provides a welcome impediment between you and the world beyond.
Located on a grand stretch of the island’s 13 miles of coastline, The Ritz-Carlton features 446 ocean view guestrooms with balconies, including 43 Club rooms, 42 suites and three Presidential-style suites; four restaurants and four cocktail lounges, including SALT, Florida’s only Five-Diamond restaurant; the Ritz-Carlton Spa and a 24-hour fitness center; indoor and outdoor heated pools with whirlpools; a full-service beauty salon, and five retail shops. The resort features on-site tennis facilities and an18-hole private championship golf course right out the front door of the hotel.
November temperatures average 72 degrees high and 56 degrees low, with about two inches of precipitation.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17
AHRI REES SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION 5K FUN RUN/WALK (6:00 – 7:00 AM)
Join your colleagues, AHRI staff, fellow runners and walkers for the first Annual AHRI Fun Run/Walk to benefit the Rees Scholarship Foundation. Enjoy Amelia Island while getting in your daily exercise by running or walking at any pace that allows you to keep smiling and enjoy the sunrise while finishing with a sense of accomplishment! $20 of the $70 participation fee will go directly to the Foundation. Each participant will get a receipt of contribution for tax purposes. The fee includes a water station at the midway point; water, juice, Gatorade, tea, coffee and fruit at the end; fitness towels; and an AHRI 5K Fun Run tee-shirt. Simply select the "AHRI Rees Scholarship Foundation 5K Fun Run/Walk" session when you register, and list your t-shirt size in the “Registration Questions” section of the Event Registration.
FIRST-TIME ATTENDEES WELCOME MIXER (5:00 – 6:00 PM)
Members attending the Annual Meeting for the first time are invited to a mixer prior to the Need-to-Know session to meet AHRI staff and other first-timers, hear first-hand about the schedule of events, and learn how to navigate the many sessions and activities to get the most out of your first AHRI Annual Meeting. Please register for the mixer on the registration form.
ANNUAL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS AND NEED-TO-KNOW SESSION (6:00 - 7:15 PM)
In this popular session, you will learn about the benefits of your company’s membership in AHRI; be introduced to AHRI staff so that you can put faces with names; be briefed on the federal, state, and global issues facing our industry and how your association is responding to those issues; and review the 2013 Annual Meeting program of events and activities.
“TOES IN THE SAND” WELCOME RECEPTION AND DINNER (7:30 - 9:30 PM)
Join friends, colleagues, and AHRI staff at the “Toes in the Sand and Beverage in Your Hand” welcome reception and dinner on the Ocean Front Lawn overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Dress is resort casual. November evenings can be chilly at 56 degrees, so plan your wardrobe accordingly.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18
ANNUAL CHAIRMAN’S BREAKFAST, INDUSTRY AWARDS, AND
KEYNOTE ADDRESS (7:00 - 9:00 AM)
Join AHRI Chairman Harry Holmes for the Annual Chairman's Business Meeting Breakfast, during which he will report on the state of the association and present the AHRI Industry Awards. Following the awards, Harry will introduce keynote speaker Robert O’Neill, one of the most highly-decorated combat veterans of our time. A team leader with the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, also known as SEAL Team 6, O’Neill has deployed more than a dozen times, and he held combat leadership roles in more than 400 combat missions in four different theaters of war.
COMBINED INDUSTRY SESSION (4:00 - 6:00 PM)
This session will include a discussion of issues affecting manufacturers of heating, water heating, air conditioning and commercial refrigeration products, including policies at the federal, state, and international levels that will impact manufacturing in 2014 and beyond.
COCKTAIL RECEPTION (6:00-7:00 PM)
Join us for a cocktail reception on the Talbot Ballroom Colonnade to catch up with friends, meet new colleagues, and welcome first-time attendees. Following the reception, dine on your own at one of the on-property restaurants or in nearby Fernandina Beach, which features a number of quaint and quality dining choices. You may check with the resort's concierge in the lobby for assistance with making dinner reservations and transportation arrangements. In addition, a resort concierge will be in the AHRI registration area during registration hours on Sunday and Monday, November 17-18, to assist with restaurant reservations. Due to the limited number of nearby restaurants, we strongly suggest that you make a reservation before Monday evening.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19
SPOUSE EVENT: Begin the Day with Beach Yoga and Breakfast (7:00 - 10:00 AM)
Join other AHRI spouses and friends for a 55-60 minute yoga class for all levels, beginners to advanced, on the resort’s South Beach. An indoor alternate location will be available, if needed, due to weather conditions. The class includes an experienced instructor, Yoga instructional packet, mats, fitness and large towels, bottled water, Gatorade and fruit. Enjoy a light, healthy breakfast on the beach following the class.
INCOMING CHAIRMAN'S LUNCH AND SPORTS AWARDS (12:30 - 1:30 PM)
Join incoming chairman Bob McDonough for the Incoming Chairman's Luncheon and Sports Awards, during which Bob will outline plans for his tenure as AHRI Chairman. Following his address, Bob will introduce the 2014 Golf and Tennis Chairmen, who will present the entertaining and popular awards.
CHAIRMAN'S RECEPTION AND DINNER-DANCE (7:30 - 11:30 PM)
Join colleagues during the closing reception and Dinner-Dance to relax and dance to the high energy sounds of We are The Strike, known for their larger-than-life music and their performances with such artists as Kelly Clarkson, Carly Rae Jepsen, Jason Scheff of Chicago, The Piano Guys, and Mason Jennings. We will honor outgoing chairman Harry Holmes and welcome newly elected chairman Bob McDonough. This black tie-optional affair will celebrate another successful AHRI Annual Meeting. You will not want to miss it!
RECOMMENDED ATTIRE
Suggested dress for daytime committee meetings, product section meetings, breakfast, and lunch is resort/country club casual (sport shirt, polo shirt, open collar, sport jacket). A sport jacket should be worn to evening functions, except for the Chairman's Dinner-Dance, which is black tie-optional.
REGISTRATION
Registration for the AHRI Annual Meeting is open only to employees of member companies, qualified sponsoring company representatives, working press representatives, and invited guests.
Registration Fees
Early Registration (by October 4): $750.00
Regular Registration (Oct. 5 - Nov. 1): $800.00
Late Registration (After Nov. 1 and on-site): $850.00
The registration fee covers attendance at all general sessions and product section meetings; the Welcome Reception and Dinner; Annual Chairman’s Breakfast, Industry Awards, and Keynote Address; Incoming Chairman’s Luncheon and Sports Awards; and the Chairman's Dinner-Dance. Sporting events, sightseeing tours, the spouse event, the CRM Dinner, and shuttle bus motor coach transportation to Jacksonville International Airport following the Annual Meeting are priced separately and are not included in the registration fee. Please include payment for these activities with your registration fee.
Spouse/Guest Registration
The registration fee for a spouse or guest (not a business colleague) accompanying a member registrant is complimentary and entitles that person to attend the Welcome Reception and Dinner; Annual Chairman’s Breakfast, Industry Awards, and Keynote Address; Incoming Chairman’s Luncheon and Sports Awards; and the Chairman's Dinner-Dance. Spouses and guests may not attend product section meetings.
Payment
AHRI accepts Visa, MasterCard, and American Express.
Cancellations
Registration cancellations will incur a $100 administrative fee. Refunds will be provided, less the $100 fee, if AHRI receives cancellation notices via email or fax by November 1. After November 1, no refunds will be given. Email cancellation notice to Brittany Buchanan at bbuchanan@ahrinet.org or fax to AHRI Meetings and Events at 703-562-1942. Attendee substitutions will be allowed. Contact Brittany Buchanan (bbuchanan@ahrinet.org) to request a substitution.
TO REGISTER
Please check the appropriate areas of the registration form to indicate which product section meetings, general sessions, social functions, sports activities and tours you and your spouse/guest will attend. Your registration confirmation will be emailed to you at the email address you provide.
Please complete the “Registration Questions” section of the registration form by listing your emergency contact information, any dietary restrictions, your golf handicap and foursome request, rental clubs request, tennis rating, any tour restrictions, your t-shirt size if you will participate in the AHRI 5K Fun Run/Walk, your departure information if you want return shuttle bus transportation to the Jacksonville International Airport on Wednesday, November 20, and other personal information we may need to make your participation more enjoyable.
On Site
Pick up your Annual Meeting packet and name badge at the AHRI Registration Desk in the Seaside Room, adjacent to the main lobby, on Saturday, Nov. 16, or in the Ritz- Carlton Ballroom Foyer on Sunday-Tuesday, Nov. 17-19. If you were unable to register by November 1, you may register on-site during the following times:
Saturday, Nov. 16 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Sunday, Nov. 17 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Monday, Nov. 18 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday, Nov. 19 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Press
Registration is complimentary for the first two (2) representatives from a qualified working press organization. After the first two representatives, press from the same company will be charged the full registration fee.
OPTIONAL SPORTS AND TOURS
Sporting events and tours have been arranged for your enjoyment during the AHRI Annual Meeting. Operation of the individual tours is subject to a minimum number of registrants. If a tour does not meet its minimum, it will be cancelled, and you will be notified and receive a full refund or the option of joining another tour on a space-available basis with the original fee applied. Include payment for all tours and sporting events with the AHRI registration fee. See the Sports, Tours, and Spouse Event tab of the registration site for further details.
AHRI POLICY ON PRIVATE SOCIAL FUNCTIONS
The AHRI policy pertaining to private group social functions during the period of the Annual Meeting is as follows:
"Member companies are encouraged to avoid scheduling any private group social functions during the period of the AHRI Annual Meeting. If any such functions are held, they should be scheduled in all cases so as to avoid any conflict with programmed AHRI meetings or social functions."
QUESTIONS
AHRI Meetings & Events