Issue: 12/04

Attendance at ISH North America, Oct. 14-16, Boston, was up 14% from last year's show, show organizer Messe Frankfurt reported, with a total registration of 13,456 people from more than 40 countries. The third edition of the trade show also featured 537 exhibitors from 16 countries.

The show featured a number of events to interest attendees. The New Product Showcase competition featured more than 100 separate products. The Best Overall Product went to NVent's PermaLynx, a press-to-connect small-diameter copper pipe joining system developed in a joint venture between NIBCO Inc. and Victaulic. The NVent system also won in the Plumbing & Piping category. Awards for other categories went to the following exhibitors:

  • Kitchen & Bath: Elkay's line of stainless sinks;

  • HVAC: Armstrong's E12+E14 circulator;

  • Software: Perfinex's Techsoft;

  • Tools: Tools That Rock's ladder tray; and

  • Hydronics: DeDietrich's GTI 4-120 boiler, burner and control panel.

Additional events of interest at the show included the Radiant Panel Association's "RPA Radiant House," which offered an opportunity to examine onsite installations of radiant components. The "SmartHouse" presentation at the show showcased advanced building technology from Europe. Also, hundreds of participants were all ears as industry icon David Kohler, president of the Kitchen & Bath Group of Kohler Co., shared his vision on the kitchen and bath industry during a sold-out lunch presentation.

For the third year running, the PHCC-NA-hosted "International Apprenticeship Contest" drew record participation from plumbing apprentices, who were challenged to assemble a three-piece bathroom including a toilet, a sink with a faucet and a shower pan with a faucet. The PHCC-NA awarded cash and other valuable prizes to the top three participants:

  • First Place: Paul Vanderven, St. Louis, MO;

  • Second Place: Robert L. Schlueter, Jr., Cincinnati, OH; and

  • Third Place: Whitley Bailey, Coconut Creek, FL.

Featuring numerous improvements, the ISH North America Seminar Program also proved to be an attendee magnet. The comprehensive educational program presented prominent speakers in seven industry-specific tracks: Kitchen & Bath, Plumbing, HVAC, Hydronics, Business Management & Marketing, Radiant Heating and Environmental Systems. Over 1,000 people took part in a total of 58 sessions, some of which were sold out with standing room available only.

Now that the 2004 event is over, ISH North America will proceed on an every-other-year schedule, putting the already eagerly anticipated fourth edition of ISH North America into McCormick Place in Chicago on Sept. 28-30, 2006. For more show information, visit www.ish-na.com.