Building Trust Through Influence: A Bold Approach to Trade Show Engagement For Bosch Home Comfort Group

The annual AHR Expo is the ultimate stage for HVACR brands, attracting over 50,000 attendees. For Bosch Home Comfort Group, the 2026 event presented a unique opportunity to introduce a newly unified portfolio of HVACR solutions following a major acquisition. The stakes were high, and the competition for attention was fierce.

To maximize this valuable opportunity, Bosch’s reach needed to expand beyond traditional media. While traditional media continues to show value, contractors are increasingly looking for authentic peer validation via channels like social media and podcasts. It was critical that Bosch break through the noise, extend its presence beyond the booth and create meaningful, contractor-relevant touchpoints that resonated both on the show floor and across digital platforms.

The solution lay in an integrated approach that leveraged influencers — trusted voices within the industry — as a powerful extension of the brand’s PR strategy able to validate the brand and create meaningful, measurable engagement.

To meet the challenge of standing out at the AHR Expo, Bosch Home Comfort Group partnered with Godfrey to craft an integrated strategy that redefined B2B trade show PR. The solution was rooted in leveraging influencers as a core component of the brand’s communication strategy.

In HVACR, influencers are trusted contractors, podcasters, educators and technical content creators who have built highly engaged audiences within the industry. Many of them are active contractors, using platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram and industry podcasts to share installation insights, troubleshooting advice, product reviews, business guidance and commentary on evolving industry trends.

Unlike traditional social media influencers focused on lifestyle content, these creators serve as peer-to-peer educators and trusted industry voices. At events like AHR, their podcasts, social media content and live product walkthroughs drive authentic contractor-to-contractor conversations that carry significant trust and influence.

The first step toward integrating these powerful voices into Bosch’s strategy began with an insight-led influencer selection process. Godfrey analyzed where HVACR contractors go for reliable industry information, evaluated social engagement metrics and prioritized authenticity to identify trusted voices within the HVACR community.

The strategy unfolded in three phases:

• Pre-Show Preparation: Godfrey initiated personalized outreach to influencers, leading the content planning process while collaborating closely with each influencer. Content concepts were thoughtfully aligned with the influencer’s unique style, voice and audience, ensuring authenticity while maintaining strategic alignment with Bosch’s innovative profile.
• On-Site Activation: At the AHR Expo, the Bosch booth became a dynamic content hub. The Godfrey team helped orchestrate live podcast recordings, real-time product walkarounds and interviews with subject matter experts, among other in-the-moment content, like run-ins with their audience. Influencers were empowered to create and share directly from the show floor, amplifying Bosch’s presence far beyond the physical booth. Our team focused on creating content that delivered long-term value, giving both Bosch and influencers assets they could reuse across channels and future content initiatives.
• Post-Show Amplification: The momentum continued after the event, as Bosch’s broader PR and social media efforts seamlessly integrated influencer-generated content. This extended the reach of the campaign, turning event moments into long-lasting digital assets.

By fully integrating influencers into the PR strategy, Godfrey helped Bosch Home Comfort Group achieve a transformative presence at AHR, proving that authentic, contractor-led storytelling has a bold future in B2B industrial marketing.

Godfrey's influencer-focused strategy delivered exceptional results for Bosch Home Comfort Group, including:

• Massive Visibility: The campaign generated nearly 3.3 million total PR impressions, with influencer activity alone driving over 500,000 impressions. This demonstrated the power of contractor-to-contractor validation in amplifying brand messaging.
• Influencer-Led Engagement: Influencers played a pivotal role in the campaign’s success, leading 58% of all media touchpoints and contributing to 36% of earned media clips. They also accounted for 62% of booth tours and 64% of executive panel attendees, showcasing their influence across multiple high-value interactions.
• Content That Resonated: Seven live podcasts, all led by influencers, were recorded directly from the show floor, generating over 250,000 highly targeted impressions. These authentic, unscripted moments extended Bosch’s reach far beyond the event.
• Cost-Effective Impact: With only two paid activations, the campaign achieved remarkable organic reach, underscoring the efficiency and effectiveness of an influencer-driven approach that was both strategic and integrated.

Bosch Home Comfort Group not only exceeded its goals for the show but also set a new standard for trade show success. The campaign demonstrated that when trusted voices validate a brand, the result goes beyond impressions to create meaningful engagement.