Women in HVACR is continuing to build momentum around leadership development, career growth, and workforce retention in the trades.
The organization selected Christine Cashen and Rebecca Heiss as keynote speakers for its 2026 annual conference, Built for Speed, which will be held at the JW Marriott Indianapolis in September. Women in HVACR has also described the conference as a gathering for trades professionals, manufacturer representatives, service companies, partner associations, students, educators, business owners, and senior management professionals.
For HVAC contractors, this is a workforce story.
The industry has spent years talking about the labor shortage, but hiring more people is only one part of the solution. Contractors also need to keep the people they already have, create career paths, build leadership pipelines, and make the trade more attractive to people who may not have traditionally seen HVACR as an option.
That is where organizations like Women in HVACR matter.
Why Contractors Should Care
Workforce development is not only about technician recruitment.
It is also about retention, mentorship, communication, leadership, and culture. A contractor who brings people into the trade but fails to support their growth will continue losing talent.
Events focused on women in HVACR can also help contractors rethink how they recruit. If companies only hire from the same narrow labor pool, they will keep fighting over the same limited group of candidates.
A wider, more intentional talent strategy can help contractors build stronger teams.
The Contractor Takeaway
The HVACR labor problem will not be solved by job ads alone.
Contractors need to build workplaces where people can see a future. That means training, mentorship, advancement, respect, and visible leadership opportunities.
Women in HVACR’s 2026 conference is a reminder that the industry’s next workforce breakthrough may come from developing people more intentionally, not just recruiting harder.
