April/May 2022

AMCA Members-Only Newsletter

May 9, 2022

Call for Articles and Authors for 2022 Edition of AMCA inmotion

Credit: MongtaStudio/Bigstock

By SCOTT ARNOLD, AMCA Manager of Industry Content

AMCA members have an excellent opportunity to contribute to the discourse in the HVAC and buildings industry and position AMCA—and, by extension, themselves—as a thought leader and a source of valuable information by creating content for the 2022 edition of award-winning AMCA inmotion magazine.

Audience and Reach

The 2022 edition of AMCA inmotion will be published in November, with AMCA once again partnering with ASHRAE for production and distribution. Approximately 47,000 physical copies of the 2022 edition of AMCA inmotion will be polybagged with the November 2022 issue of ASHRAE Journal and mailed to subscribers in the United States, Canada, and the Middle East. Digitally, the 2022 edition of AMCA inmotion will be e-mailed to all 115,000-plus ASHRAE Journal and High Performing Buildings (HPB) subscribers around the world and be available for free download on the AMCA and ASHRAE websites.

In terms of numbers, that is tremendous reach. It is all the more impressive when you consider the recommending, specifying, and buying power of ASHRAE Journal and HPB readers. These are engineers, architects, facility managers, and building owners focused on building systems, energy efficiency, indoor-air quality, and sustainability. (To learn more, click here and download the ASHRAE Media press kit [registration required].) As a contributor, you can be confident not only that your content will be seen, but that it will be seen by the leaders and decision-makers AMCA—and, likely, your company—are actively trying to engage.

What’s more, the 2022 edition of AMCA inmotion will be distributed at the 2023 International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo)—“the entire world of HVACR under one roof”—in Atlanta.

Objectives and Focus

AMCA inmotion not only is an educational tool, one, per AMCA’s mission, intended to “advance the knowledge of air systems … on behalf of AMCA members worldwide,” but a promotional one, meant to position AMCA as a trusted expert. A former colleague of mine, successful entrepreneur, bestselling author, in-demand speaker, and popular podcaster Joe Pulizzi, calls this “content marketing,” which he defines in his book “Epic Content Marketing: How to Tell a Different Story, Break Through the Clutter, and Win More Customers by Marketing Less” as “the art of communicating with your customers and prospects without selling.”

Far more than us, our products, or our services, Joe reasons, our customers “care about themselves, their wants, and their needs. Content marketing is about creating interesting information your customers are passionate about so they actually pay attention to you.

“… Instead of pitching your products or services, you are delivering information that makes your buyers more intelligent,” Joe continues. “… The essence of this strategy is the belief that if we, as businesses, deliver consistent, ongoing valuable information to buyers, they ultimately reward us with their business and loyalty.”

This is not to say articles introducing readers to products within AMCA’s scope or explaining who AMCA is and what AMCA does no longer have a place. Certainly, you will find those types of articles in the 2022 edition of AMCA inmotion. What we are looking to do is to balance them with articles that are more topical/timely and/or focused on solutions to problems the reader may have. In other words, quoting another of Joe’s books (“Managing Content Marketing: The Real-World Guide for Creating Passionate Subscribers to Your Brand”), we are looking for content that is “engaging, eminently shareable, and, most of all, focused on helping customers discover (on their own) that” the product or service of AMCA members “is the one that will scratch their itch.”

The 2020 edition of AMCA inmotion is a particularly strong example of that. In 2021, the magazine was the recipient of three national and international awards, based largely on the ripped-from-the-headlines (at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic) cover article, “UV-C for HVAC Air and Surface Disinfection.” Comments from judges for one of the competitions included:

“Thank you for covering such an important topic for 2020 as preventive measures for containing coronavirus spread. What a service you did for your association membership ... and for the public.”
“It’s fantastic that you were able to mobilize and move as quickly as you did to create a cover story to address COVID-19 concerns with HVAC.”
“On-time topic … a resourceful publication.”
“Captivating subject matter.”
“It’s rich content.”

“UV-C for HVAC Air and Surface Disinfection” was republished by Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) and translated into Japanese and republished by The Society of Heating, Air-Conditioning and Sanitary Engineers of Japan.

Though still relatively early, the 2021 edition of AMCA inmotion, with the cover article “AMCA COVID-19 Guidance for Large-Diameter Ceiling Fans,” is being similarly embraced. Recently, the issue received two honors in PRNEWS’ 2022 Nonprofit Awards program and was republished by HPAC Engineering magazine.

Pedigree

2022 will be the 20th edition of AMCA inmotion, which began life as a biannual supplement to HPAC Engineering in October 2006 before moving to Consulting-Specifying Engineer magazine for its Spring 2009 issue. It has been an annual publication since 2010 and a supplement to ASHRAE Journal since 2011. (For an index of feature articles and links to the digital editions of all back issues of AMCA inmotion, click here.)

In recent years, AMCA inmotion has made the leap to nationally and internationally recognized publication. To date, the 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 editions have collected a total of 11 honors, sharing the awards stage with campaigns from the likes of ESPN, Delta Air Lines, WWE, Mastercard, LinkedIn, Anheuser-Busch, and Aflac (to see the complete list of honors, click here). To every bit as much as editing and design, this success is owed to the strength and utility of AMCA inmotion’s content.

We Want to Hear From You

This is where you come in. Whether you are an industry veteran looking to share your years of hard-earned knowledge and experience for the betterment of our buildings or an up-and-coming professional wanting to get more involved in the association and perhaps raise your profile in the process, we want to hear from you.

“But I am not a writer,” you may be saying to yourself.

That is OK. A former trade-press editor, I have more than two decades of experience helping HVACR and buildings subject-matter experts who are not writers by training craft highly impactful technical content. If needed, I could help you to focus your ideas, organize your thoughts, and clarify and streamline your prose. The result, I am confident, would be something of which you could be proud.

Regardless of how you feel about your writing ability, you may not have the time or simply the desire to write. That is OK, too. Proposing an article would not necessarily put you on the hook for writing it. As long as you would not mind someone else picking up the ball and running with it, so to speak, we would be happy to try to find someone to execute your idea.

That said, if you are motivated to write, but do not have a specific topic in mind, we want to hear from you, too. If there is not an idea in need of an author that suits you, I am confident we can put our heads together and come up with something.

Submission Guidelines

If you are interested in proposing an article and/or writing for the 2022 edition of AMCA inmotion, please know:

Articles must be noncommercial and nonproprietary with respect to the discussion of products and services.
Depending on the topic, articles for AMCA inmotion generally are 1,000 to 2,000 words in length and include at least one or two graphics.
A completed draft is expected by a date in early to mid-summer that will be determined upon acceptance of your article proposal.
All articles are subject to a double-blind peer/technical review. As editor-in-chief, I will work with you and the reviewer(s) to resolve any issues.
AMCA contracts with a freelance graphic designer who can assist with diagrams, tables, and other artwork.
Prior to publication, you will have two opportunities to review your article: following the initial edit and once the layout and design are complete.
If you serve on an AMCA committee that aligns with the topic of your article, you will be identified as a member of that committee in the article’s byline. Otherwise, the byline will contain only your name. Your professional title and company affiliation will be noted in a brief biography at the end of the article.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected] or +1 847-704-6335. Otherwise, I am looking forward to receiving/hearing your ideas. If you are interested in contributing, please contact me by Friday, May 20.

Thank you for your consideration.

ICYMI: Hassan Abou Jawhar Named Director of AMCA Europe, Middle East

Credit: Scaliger/Bigstock

Hassan Abou Jawhar, longtime manager of government and industry relations in Europe and the Middle East for AMCA, recently was promoted to the role of director of AMCA’s Europe and Middle East regions.

Fluent in English, French, and Arabic, Abou Jawhar “will manage the day-to-day operations of the association in the two regions and bring a highly analytical approach to the role, along with an eye for the intricacies of governmental policy,” AMCA Executive Director Kevin Faltin said.

Abou Jawhar will relocate from Brussels, Belgium, to a new AMCA office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, “so he can most effectively represent the association with the tremendous growth opportunities in the region,” Faltin added.

Abou Jawhar, who has worked with AMCA as part of global association-management and communications company Kellen since 2018, holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Université Saint-Louis - Bruxelles and a master’s degree in international relations, diplomacy and conflict resolution, from Université Catholique de Louvain. Additionally, he has completed post-graduate work in economic diplomacy at Brussels Diplomatic Academy.

2022 AMCA European Region Meeting Set

Registration is open for the 2022 AMCA European Region Meeting, which will be held July 19 at Sheraton Stockholm Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden.

The meeting will include a strategic discussion featuring the AMCA International board of directors as well as reports from the AMCA European Region Steering and Engineering committees and AMCA International staff. The meeting will conclude with a networking dinner.

For more information and to register, click here or contact AMCA Event and Meeting Manager Christine Rogers at +1 847-704-6254 or [email protected].

AMCA to Exhibit, Educate at 2022 NFPA Conference & Expo

Source: National Fire Protection Association

AMCA will exhibit and be part of the education program at the 2022 NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) Conference & Expo June 6-9 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in Boston.

AMCA will conduct two 60-minute education sessions and give a 30-minute exhibitor presentation:

June 7, 1-1:30 p.m., Theater 2: “Code Compliance & Emerging Issues – Ceiling Radiation Dampers, Questions Answered” by Michael Bulzomi, chair of the AMCA Fire and Smoke Damper Subcommittee.
June 7, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Room 253AB: “Parking Structure Ventilation and Jet Fan Design” by Geoff Sheard, DSc, past president and chairman of the board of AMCA.
June 8, 8-9 a.m., Room 258AB: “Fire and Smoke Dampers & the Benefits of Remote Periodic Testing” by Kent Maune, vice chair of the AMCA North America Region Air Control Advocacy Committee.

AMCA will exhibit at Booth 468.

For more information and to register for the 2022 NFPA Conference & Expo, click here.