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

On track to have the best ControlTrends Awards show ever.
Last year’s Sunday night show in Orlando, FL, was a great success.

Smyers:  The 2016 ControlTrends Awards voting is in full progress! This year we hope to involve more of the global HVAC Industry than the four previous years.  We ask everyone to please take a few minutes to recognize the products, solutions, vendors, and most importantly, the people – that deserve to win one of the coveted awards. Vote now for the 2016 ControlTrends Awards! The voting period will end January 15th, 2017.

Sinclair:  That’s great news. So, how’s the show itself shaping up?

Smyers:  Well, as you can imagine, things are a bit hectic, but we are right on track to have the best ControlTrends Awards show ever. Last year’s Sunday night show in Orlando, FL, was a great success for the ControlTrends Awards because we were in better synch with the AHR EXPO show – that began the next morning. Many of our sponsors and vendors said that it was the ideal place and opportunity to spend quality time with their customers and colleagues, before shifting all their focus on the AHR EXPO.  We’ll keep that same harmonious relationship in Las Vegas, which means that on January 29th, 2017, we’ll see everyone at the Hard Rock Café on the Las Vegas Strip, from 6:30PM to 9:30PM.

Sinclair:  Okay, sounds like the place to be. What can we look forward to?

Smyers:  The Hard Rock Café is a great venue.  We look forward to a lot of fun, excitement, and entertainment – all starting on the red carpet with a magical atmosphere.  It will be an evening of industry recognition! Project Haystack will be giving out their annual award, and we are delighted to announce that BACnet International, one of the most important and influential organizations in our industry, is our Presenting Sponsor, and they will be giving out their BACnet International awards, including their Rising Star Award.

Sinclair:  Very good, and what are some of the other awards being presented?

Smyers:  There will also be the Young Gun Awards, the Petock Award, and the ControlTrends Hall of Fame Award.  We thank you and Brad White, once again, for your assistance with the Young Gun Awards and sustaining this very important way of recognizing the youth of our industry – that serve so well as role models.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]Sinclair:  It has been a year of disruptive technology, innovation, and acquisitions. Have these trends had a noticeable impact on this year’s ControlTrends Awards?

Smyers:  Yes, indeed they have, though many of the well-known manufacturers and vendors have stepped forward with new generations of very competitive products and solutions – that have made immediate and appreciable impact on the HVAC industry, but there were also many new players offering next-gen products and solutions that are vying very well for their share of the markets and ControlTrends Awards.  It’s going to be an amazing night.