ARBS 2026 seminar program unveiled

Australia’s 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.

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.”

The program opens on 5 May with a keynote address by Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece and the theme of decarbonisation runs throughout the program. Other sessions explore heat pump deployment at scale (PD15), decarbonising HVAC&R without compromise (PD05), and what carbon neutrality truly means for manufacturers.

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 1–60 kW 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) and ‘R32 in Large-Capacity VRF Systems’ (SM24) — opportunities, safety and workforce readiness.

The ARBS 2026 Seminar Program is open to all ARBS 2026 registered attendees. Individual session tickets are available from free to a small charge for some high-profile panels. Micro-credential workshops are priced separately.

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

For more information, visit www.arbs.com.au/arbs2026.

Image credit: iStock.com/onurdongel