February 23, 24 and 25, 2021

The ACA/NE and ACA/NNE Annual Technical Training and Management was held virtually in 2021 instead of in-person to keep members safe as we continue to be challenged by COVID-19.
 
Contractor Benefits
The Conference  included educational workshops for technicians, owners, office and sales staff, as well as a legislative and regulatory update.
Technician Webinars
  • HVAC Safety Basics
  • ​Outstanding Customer Service
  • ​measureQuick App | A Connected System of Tools, Services and Technology to Grow Your Business
  • Efficiency Maine Program Updates, Direction, and Requests for Feedback
Management Webinars
  • ​Industry KPIs - What Are They and How to Achieve Them
  • From Marketing to Customer Service — How to Grow Your HVAC Business
  • ​Screening, Hiring and Retaining Employees and Employment-Related Liability
Sponsor Benefits
The Conference gave HVAC vendors the chance to promote their products and services with industry leaders. Given the nature of a virtual conference, the audience was more diverse audience and made up of people that have never attended an ACA/NE Conference. This audience offered more opportunities to develop brand awareness and interaction with target customers in the HVAC industry. 
Additional Conference Sponsor Benefits Included:
  • Live Products/Sales Presentation;
  • Access to contractors, business owners, principals and HVAC technicians at one time, and in one virtual place;
  • Home page banner ad;
  • Online lead capture and metrics;
  • Robust profile containing company and personnel contact information, customized with your logo and description as well as links to your social and website platforms;
  • Easy connections between vendor staff and attendees;
  • Option to schedule virtual customer meetings
Special Thanks to Conference Sponsors

​AMEX Gift Cards Sponsored by:

Congratulations to Conference AmEx Gift Card Winners!

​Mark Anderson, Anderson Fuel
Sean Callahan, Central Cooling and Heating
Scott Langen, Restivos
Danielle Rausch, Hometown Heat Pumps
Silas Worthington, Hometown Heat Pumps
Derek Vacca, Nashoba Air and Boilerworks
Tuesday, February 23, 2021​
8:00 am - 8:30 am








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​​8:30 am - 9:30 am

​9:30 am - 11:00 am
Opening General Session | Membership, Legislative and Regulatory Update
  • David Kerrigan, Kenney & Sams
  • Manny Chaves, Chaves Heating and AC, Inc.
ACA/NE is working on several legislative, regulatory and licensing issues to protect and promote HVAC contractors. Don’t miss your chance to get more information about these issues that can and will impact the way you do business! Issues will include:
  • Duct Testing
  • HVAC Construction Supervisor License (CSL)
  • Refrigeration License Legislation 
Opening General Session | Northern New England Update
  • Roger Willett, Mitsubishi Electric Cooling and Heating
In 2020, ​ACA/NE expanded its services to Northern New England (NNE) - Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. The NNE Group offers all of ACA/NE's great benefits, while staying focused on local legislative and regulatory issues, offering networking opportunities for contractors and vendors, and creating industry-specific educational programs for continued learning. Roger Willett provided an update on what the NNE Group has done over the last year, and also share future goals the Group is working towards.

Sponsor Presentations

Management Seminar
Industry KPIs - What Are They and How to Achieve Them
  • Vicki LaPlant, Service Roundtable
A company should always measure its performance against itself, but industry Key Performance Indicators specify the ball park in which the game is played. This seminar provided the current KPIs that a  company should be tracking and provide ideas on how to improve them.
​
Technician Seminar
HVAC Safety Basics
  • ​Mike Cappuccio, N.E.T.R.
Always work with a safety-first mindset! In the HVAC field you will encounter high voltage electricity, combustible gases, metal fabrication, and ladders. This course covered HVAC best practices and procedures on fire safety, personal protective equipment, ladder usage, electrical circuits, and shock risk, as well as Lockout/Tagout procedures.
Wednesday, February 24, 2021​
8:30 am - 9:30 am

9:30 am - 11:00 am
Sponsor Presentations

Management Seminar
From Marketing to Customer Service — How to Grow Your HVAC Business
  • Mike Cappuccio, N.E.T.R.
Marketing, Advertising and Lead Generation (Part 1)
Learn how to:
  • Reach customers
  • Recognize lead sources
  • Generate leads
  • Create a marketing budget
  • Determine how well your marketing effort is working
Customer Service Training (Part 2)
Learn techniques for increasing sales from marketing results, including:
  • Call handling
  • Sales presentations
  • Sales management
  • Customer satisfaction
​
Technician Seminar
Outstanding Customer Service
  • Marty Robinson, Dale Carnegie
Outstanding service starts with solid relationships, and there are principles you can follow to maintain professionalism and strengthen relationships with customers. You also need to have a process to resolve complaints, ensuring that you deal with the emotional and practical aspects of each customer’s issue. While basic telephone courtesy is a must, the finer points are often missed and can make a big difference.
Thursday, February 25, 2021​
8:30 am - 9:30 am

​9:30 am - 11:00 am
Sponsor Presentations

Management Seminar
Part One | Screening, Hiring and Retaining Employees
  • Hunter McHugh, Federated Insurance
A company’s hiring and employee retention practices communicate a lot about its culture. Many employers agree that bringing qualified applicants into their business is one of their primary challenges, and today’s competitive employment market can make it even harder to land top talent. This discussion focused on ways to find quality applicants in your industry, establish strong and consistent hiring practices, and reinforces the value of continuous recruiting and employee retention to distinguish you as an “employer of choice.”

Part Two | Employment-Related Liability
  • Hunter McHugh, Federated Insurance
Surrounding employment issues can be daunting. This message is directed toward owners, managers, and human resources personnel, and offers methods to help avoid the pitfalls of employment actions. It specifically reviews necessary documentation, hiring practices, and termination procedures. It also includes additional available resources and tips for avoiding litigation.

Technician Seminars
​measureQuick App | A Connected System of Tools, Services and Technology to Grow Your Business
  • Will D'Arrigo, ICF International and MassSave
measureQuick is a powerful mobile application built to help HVAC Contractors in the field. Tools connect to your mobile device and stream multiple data points to the app in real time. By capturing all these data points simultaneously, diagnosing system errors becomes easier to solve. The mQ app works on both Cooling and Heating systems as well! For the Mass Save program, contractors using measureQuick can also earn incentives and offer the Mass Save HEAT Loan service to customers in participating Massachusetts sponsored territories that will install Central AC and Central Heat Pump systems. More information on all these great features was shared during this session featuring a new innovation in the HVAC/R industry.

Efficiency Maine Program Updates, Direction, and Requests for Feedback
  • Andy Meyer, Efficiency Maine 
Representatives from Efficiency Maine presented program status' and updates, quality assurance, CMP Corridor Settlement updates, and Maine Climate Control Report. Additionally, Efficiency Maine sought attendee feedback on current trainings and rebate claims, as well as offered time for Q+A.

Contractor Fees

Members
First Attendee
2-4 Attendees
5+ Attendees (Corporate License)

​Non-Members *

$100 per person
$75 per person
$450 per company

​$125 per person

Sponsor Fees

Members
​
Non-Members
$400 per company

​$500 per company
​New for 2021 Virtual Conference - Corporate License
A Corporate License was available for companies registering five or more employees. The fee is $450. There is no limit to the number of employees from one company that can attend with a Corporate License.