It’s been 15 years since I went to my first AHR Expo, walked around, and said to myself, “Wow, this crowd is pretty much all dudes.”
Of course, the crowd in the huge hall wasn’t entirely male. There were plenty of women working for exhibiting manufacturers on the marketing side, and there still are. The event also included more than a couple, uh, presenters? Spokesmodels? Women hired to hand out tchotchkes and basically make attendees look twice toward a booth, as if they might be doing the same next week when the boat show comes through town.