Here's a quick preview of this year's ISH North America in Las Vegas.



Educational opportunities will abound at ISH North America Oct. 1 - 3 at the new Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino Convention Center in Las Vegas.

In addition to the trade show floor, where attendees can view and discuss the latest offerings from leading manufacturers, ISH NA will host six different tracks of information-packed seminars led by industry experts covering: Kitchen & Bath, Plumbing, HVAC, Hydronics, Business Management & Marketing I, II and III, and Environmental Systems.

Among the workshop speakers who will be most familiar to Supply House Times' readers are: Kevin Price, director of the American Supply Association's Center for Advancing Technology; Don Arnold, an independent designer who has written about products and market trends for Supply House Times for more than 20 years; and Hank Darlington, consultant, trainer, writer and a regular columnist in Supply House Times.

Kevin Price will lead a seminar titled, "Proving The Value Of Technology - Case Studies On How And Why Technology Saves You Money" on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 3:30 p.m.

Don Arnold will speak on "What Makes It Tick? The Inside Story On Newer Plumbing Technologies" Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 9 a.m. and again at 1:30 p.m. His presentation will include trends in ceramic, electronic and thermostatic valving and new materials being used in the construction of fittings and fixtures.

Hank Darlington will address the subject: "Grow Your Gross Profit Margin - Starting Today!" on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 3:30 p.m. and offer suggestions on "How To Manage For Showroom Success" in a workshop on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 1:30 p.m.

Supply House Times' editor Jim Olsztynski will moderate a panel on "PVF Liability & Safety" on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 3:30 p.m., featuring Robert Vick of Nibco, Steve Letko of Weldbend, Tom Foster of Charlotte Pipe, and Mike Abeling, chairman of the Industrial Piping Division of ASA.

Olsztynski will also moderate a discussion regarding "Code Wars: Why The Confusion Continues" on Friday, Oct. 3 at 9 a.m., with Julius Ballanco, P.E. (president of JB Engineering and Code Consulting, P.C. and monthly columnist for both Plumbing & Mechanical and PM Engineer magazines), Allen Inlow (representing IAPMO), Lynne Simnick (representing ICC) and Ron Stiegler (representing NSPC).

SmartHouse Presentation

ISH North America will feature the bathroom portion of the SmartHouse that was one of the highlights of the 2003 ISH trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany.

Video showings of the SmartHouse, short presentations by Udo Wirges of ZVSHK (German Central Association Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning), and a virtual photographic tour of the entire SmartHouse will be available.

The SmartHouse showcases the latest developments in home automation.

Sponsor List Is Growing

The American Society of Sanitary Engineers has recently joined the ranks of ISH NA sponsors. This professional sanitary organization's membership is comprised of contractors, engineers, inspectors, journeymen, apprentices and others from the plumbing industry.

Other sponsors include: American Backflow Prevention Association (ABPA), Association of Industry Manufacturers Representatives (AIM/R), Association of the European Heating Industry (EHI), Association of the German Heating Industry (BDH), Canadian Association of Pump Manufacturers (CAPM), Canadian Water Quality Association (CWQA), Construction Contractors Alliance (CCA), International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials

(IAPMO), Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA), Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada (MCAC), Plumbing Contractors of America (PCA), Professional Institute for Air Conditioning in Buildings (FGK), PVF Roundtable, Quality Service Contractors (QSC), Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES), Union Affiliated Contractors (UAC), and World Plumbing Council (WPC).

Also, as reported in the June issue of Supply House Times (page 6), the Radiant Panel Association has elected to join the ISH North America show partnership, which includes Messe Frankfurt, Inc., the American Supply Association, the Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating and the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors - National Association.

More than 500 companies are expected to present their latest products and services at the 2003 ISH North America. Show organizers are projecting about 15,000 attendees.

For more information contact: Neil Stalker, show manager, at Messe Frankfurt. Phone: 770-984-8016, ext. 419 or toll-free: 866-984-8016. Email: neil.stalker@usa.messefrankfurt.com or visit the Web site: www.ish-na.com.