Australia's largest heating, ventilation, refrigeration and building services trade exhibition, ARBS 2026, has announced a comprehensive seminar program spanning more than 50 sessions across three days at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 5–7 May.

From net zero policy and refrigerant transition to indoor air quality, data centres, workforce development and smart building technology, the program reflects the full breadth of challenges and opportunities facing the HVAC&R and building services industry in 2026. Sessions span panel discussions, technical presentations, interactive workshops and site tours, with registration priced from free to $50 for most sessions, keeping access open for the full breadth of the industry.

ARBS Chair Prof. Tony Arnel said the 2026 program reflects the urgency and complexity facing the sector. "The HVAC&R industry sits at the intersection of energy transition, public health, workforce development and technological change. This program brings together the people and ideas that will shape the sector's next chapter."

Opening Keynote: The City, The Cloud and Net Zero

The program opens on 5 May with a free keynote address by Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece, exploring the intersection of data centre growth and the city's net zero ambitions, an increasingly critical challenge for the HVAC&R sector as digital infrastructure demand accelerates.

Net Zero and the Built Environment

The theme of decarbonisation runs throughout the program. A high-profile opening panel, 'Net Zero and the Built Environment: Turning Ambition into Action' (PD01), features Davina Rooney (Green Building Council of Australia), Matt Kean (Climate Change Authority) and Luke Menzel (Energy Efficiency Council), facilitated by Tina Perinotto of The Fifth Estate. The session examines the economic and practical steps needed to deliver a net zero built environment.

Further sessions explore heat pump deployment at scale (PD15), decarbonising HVAC&R without compromise (PD05), all-electric building case studies including an aquatic centre (SM08) and a hospital air quality trial (SM05), and what carbon neutrality truly means for manufacturers.

Indoor Air Quality: Clearing the Air

Another highly anticipated session, 'Indoor Air Quality: Clearing the Air' (PD03), brings together some of the world's leading voices on healthy buildings: Professor Jason Monty, Head of Electrical, Mechanical and Infrastructure Engineering (University of Melbourne), Associate Professor Suman Majumdar (Burnet Institute), Bill McQuade, President (ASHRAE), and Dr Bronwyn King AO (global IAQ advocate).

Facilitated by Dr Bronwyn King AO, the panel translates cutting-edge science and international policy into practical pathways for engineering and HVAC leaders. A related session by ASHRAE President Bill McQuade, 'Healthy Buildings: Designing for Life' (SM07), explores the five pillars of indoor environmental quality.

Further IAQ sessions examine humidity as a force multiplier for air quality (SM14), continuous ventilation in airtight buildings (SM10) and air filtration strategies for data centres (SM18).

Refrigerant Transition: Safety, Stewardship and the Road Ahead

With Australia's HFC phase-down accelerating, the refrigerant stream covers the full lifecycle from multiple perspectives. Key sessions include:

'Australia's Refrigerant Reality: Recovery, Risk and the Road Ahead' (PD21) – a look at legacy refrigerants, recovery rates and supply chain pressures, featuring experts from Refrigerants Australia, Actrol, A-Gas Australia, Temperzone and Refrigerant Reclaim Australia.
'Closing the Loop: Global Strategies for Refrigerant Lifecycle Management' (PD10) – an international roundtable with representatives from Japan (JRAIA), the United States (AHRI), Canada and Australia.
'Government Update on Refrigerants and HFC Phase-Down' (SM12) – a direct update from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
'RAC Permit Scheme Update' (SM15) – new initiatives from the Department and the Australian Refrigeration Council to strengthen compliance, training and consumer awareness.
'Clear and Present Danger: Are You Up-to-Date on Flammable Refrigerants?' (PD19) – a free session launching the revised Flammable Refrigerants Safety Guide, developed by AIRAH, Refrigerant Reclaim Australia and Refrigerants Australia with support from the ARBS Foundation.
'Innovation Meets Practicality: The Future of 1–60kW Refrigeration in ANZ' (PD12) – examining CO₂, hydrocarbons, HFOs and blends for the small commercial sector.
'Real-World Performance of Transcritical CO₂ in Small-Format Retail Stores' (SM22) 'R32 in Large-Capacity VRF Systems' (SM24) – opportunities, safety and workforce readiness.

Data Centres: Inside the Boom

A dedicated panel, 'Inside the Data Centre Boom: Energy, Cooling and the Reality of Building Them' (PD13), examines the practical challenges of designing, constructing and operating data centres, from managing enormous cooling loads to water use, infrastructure constraints and performance ratings, featuring experts from Greater Western Water, Vertiv and NABERS.

Building Codes and Compliance

With NCC 2025 publishing on 1 May 2026, just days before ARBS 2026, this timely panel 'Inside NCC 2025' (PD09) features Adrian Piani, CEO of the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB), alongside Brett Fairweather and Sonia Holzheimer, facilitated by ARBS Chair Prof. Tony Arnel.

Other compliance sessions cover the landmark update to ventilation standards AS 1668.2:2024 and AS/NZS 3666.1:2026 (SM23), and AIRAH's 'DA17 Update' (SM17).

Workforce Development and Inclusion

Workforce supply is identified as one of the industry's most pressing challenges, and the ARBS 2026 program dedicates significant attention to it across multiple sessions:

'The Workforce Challenge: Who Will Build the HVAC&R Workforce of the Future?' (PD04)
'Global Solutions: Tackling the HVAC&R Skills Challenge' (PD06) – international perspectives from Brazil, Canada and New Zealand
'Expanding the Workforce: Inclusion in HVAC&R' (PD08)
'Women at the Coalface in HVAC&R' (PD14)
'Leading the Change: Organisations Advancing Women in HVAC&R' (PD16)
'Breaking Barriers, Building Careers: Women in HVAC&R' (PD18)
'Unlocking Skills: Training and Workforce Programs for HVAC&R' (PD17)

IBTech: Smart Buildings and Digital Innovation

The IBTech seminar stream brings together building automation, digital technology and smart building professionals, with sessions including:

'Modernising BMS Maintenance – From Contracts to Commercial Strategy' (IB01) – an interactive workshop '
'Future-Proofing Existing Buildings' (IB09) – Justin McKee, NDY
‘Data-Driven HVAC: The Next Evolution of Building Performance' (PD07) – featuring presentations from Grosvenor Engineering Group, A.G. Coombs and Bueno Analytics
'AI in HVAC&R: From Hype to Real-World Application' (IB08)
'Scope 3 and Smart Buildings: From Data to Delivery' (IB10)
'How Digital Industrialisation is Transforming Construction and Building Services' (SM16)

Micro-Credential Workshops

New to ARBS 2026, a series of accredited training workshops provides structured professional development in a conference setting:

'Communicating HVAC&R Issues Clearly to Non-Technical Stakeholders' (MC01): A practical two-hour AIRAH workshop introducing the TBIR communication framework, earning AIRAH members two CPD points. Day 3, Room E.
'Building Services Engineering Fundamentals: Mechanical, Electrical and Hydraulic Systems' (MC02): A half-day CIBSE foundational course covering the three core building services disciplines, designed for engineers, designers, contractors, certifiers and project stakeholders. Day 2, Room E.
'The Five Decisions That Separate Projects That Survive Supply Chain Chaos from Those That Don't' (MC03): An AMCA interactive one-hour workshop on practical supply chain strategy. Day 1, Room C.

Global Perspectives

International voices feature prominently across the program, with speakers and content from the United States, Japan, Brazil, Canada and Europe. Sessions examining how global forces are shaping Australian HVAC&R, from refrigerant regulation and decarbonisation policy to workforce development and export markets, form a recurring thread across all three days.

Registration and Program Details

The ARBS 2026 Seminar Program is open to all ARBS 2026 registered attendees. Individual session tickets are available from free (government updates) to $50 (high-profile panels). Micro-credential workshops are priced separately. The full program and session registration is available at www.arbs.com.au/arbs2026.

ARBS 2026 takes place 5–7 May 2026 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Architecture & Design Team

ARBS

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