EMAIL INTERVIEW – Ken Smyers and Ken Sinclair

Ken Smyers, with DMS Controls Group, LLC, in Pittsburgh, has over 30 years of experience in the HVAC, Building Automation, and Controls Industry and is Co-Founder of the ControlTrends Awards, which was established to recognize the superstars and heroes of the HVAC and Building Automation Industries.  Ken is also very much involved with Eric Stromquist and ControlTrends.org, a leading internet source for HVAC and Controls information.

2016 ControlTrends Awards

We have two new categories this year: ControlTrends Woman of the Year and ControlTrends Most Impactful Video of the Year.

Sinclair:  Tell us about the 2016 ControlTrends Awards.

Smyers:  ControlTrends is excited to announce that the 2016 ControlTrends Awards.  The Awards will be held the Sunday night before the start of the AHR Show -- January 29, 2017, from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM, at the Hard Rock Cafe, on the Las Vegas Strip -- the epicenter of Las Vegas excitement and entertainment. The musical legacy the Las Vegas Hard Rock Cafe provides serves as an ideal venue to celebrate the superstars and heroes of our HVAC and Building Automation industries.

Sinclair:  We know the ControlTrends Awards Nomination Phase has already started, when does it end?

Smyers: Right, the 2016 ControlTrends Nomination Phase is well underway and will continue till December. There has been a great response so far. The Nomination Phase is our industry's opportunity to nominate its favorite products, solutions, vendors, technical support people, and executives. For those that have not participated yet, please be sure to go to the ControlTrends website and nominate the people, products, and solutions your think are deserving of a ControlTrends Award.  Click here for the 2016 ControlTrends Awards Nomination Ballot.

Sinclair:  Congratulations on your fifth Annual ControlTrends Awards. Will there be anything new at this year's show?

Smyers: Thanks, Ken, we appreciate all you do to support us. Yes, we do have two new categories this year: ControlTrends Woman of the Year and ControlTrends Most Impactful Video of the Year. One category is an excellent opportunity to recognize the women superstars in our industry, and the other puts a spotlight on the successful marketing ideas and initiatives. Also, we are collaborating with BACnet International, and we look forward to their participation at the 2016 ControlTrends Awards.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]Sinclair:  The ControlTrends Awards are all about recognition and honoring our industry’s great achievers, and the ControlTrends Hall of Fame Award is always a high point. What can we expect this year?

Smyers: We are going to make the night magical. The ControlTrends Category Awards, of course, will make for an exciting and memorable night.  We will continue to pay particularl tribute to many other important areas of our industry with The Young Gun Awards, The Project Haystack Award, The BACnet International Awards, The Petock Award, as well as The ControlTrends Hall of Fame Award.

Sinclair:  Thanks for the update, and we look forward to hearing more about the 2016 ControlTrends Awards in the near future.

Smyers: Great, and thank you again as always. We will keep you posted as more information becomes available and when we begin the final voting period. ControlTrends also looks forward to covering your educational and collaboratory sessions at the 2016 AHR Show.