Victoria Schaefer Talks TACCA Live: Texas HVAC Conference, Contractor Growth & Future of the Trades

Get an insider’s look at Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Association (TACCA) and the upcoming TACCA Live HVAC industry event in Conroe, Texas. Camille Porco, our stand-in host of this episode, sits down with Victoria Schaefer, Executive Director of TACCA, to share why this conference is a must-attend event for Texas HVAC contractors and professionals in the trades.

Discover how TACCA Live helps HVAC businesses grow, stay compliant, and stay ahead of industry changes. From marketing and pricing workshops to leadership sessions and CE credits, this event is built to give contractors practical strategies they can apply right away. Plus, get details on AI in HVAC, networking opportunities, breakout sessions, keynote speakers, and exhibitor highlights.

Timestamps

 00:00 – Introduction: Meet Victoria Schaefer and her journey in HVAC advocacy
 01:13 – What is TACCA Live? Texas’ top HVAC contractor event
 02:59 – Who can join TACCA and why it matters for HVAC businesses
 05:13 – Education and CE credit opportunities for Texas HVAC contractors
 06:32 – Workshop highlights: marketing, pricing, financials, leadership
 07:09 – Expert spotlight: Key sessions featuring Jennifer Bagley
 08:34 – The Consultant Corner: 1:1 business coaching
 10:12 – Registration options: full event and new one-day passes
 11:34 – Networking: how in-person connections drive contractor growth
 12:40 – Easy registration and hotel info
 13:09 – Keynote and guest speakers: Dr. Andy Neely, Barton James, and more
 14:53 – Breakout sessions for every role in your HVAC business
 15:27 – Who should attend: contractors, office teams, emerging leaders
 16:09 – 40+ exhibitors: products, jobs, and Texas-focused opportunities
 17:39 – Event logistics reminder and closing tips

Guest Details

Victoria Schaefer
Executive Director, Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Association (TACCA)
Victoria leads the state’s top organization for licensed HVAC contractors. With deep experience in trade association leadership, she focuses on contractor education, industry advocacy, and helping Texas HVAC businesses thrive in a rapidly evolving marketplace.

Relevant Links

• TACCA Official Website & Event Registration
• CI Web Group
• Catalyst for the Trades
• Follow TACCA on LinkedIn
• Follow TACCA on Facebook
• Follow TACCA on Instagram 

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Transcript

Camille Porco  [00:00:02]:
Hello everyone. Welcome to Catalyst for the Trades. My name is Camille Porco. I'm the director of strategy here at CI Web Group. I'm filling in for Ms. Jennifer today. And I have the fabulous Victoria from TACCA.

Victoria Schaefer [00:00:17]:
Hello everybody.

Camille Porco  [00:00:19]:
Hi. Do you want to introduce yourself right quick in your role and kind of how long you've been with TACCA?

Victoria Schaefer [00:00:24]:
Sure. I actually have a unique story, but I have been the executive director of TACCA since last April. So in 2025, and I mean 2024 and this is my second time at TACCA, I worked for five years under a very well respected executive director named Todd McAllister who was there for I think maybe 19 years. And so when I heard that they were looking director now, I, you know, I threw my name into the hat.

Camille Porco  [00:01:09]:
Yes. Awesome. I love that. So we're going to be talking today.

Victoria Schaefer [00:01:13]:
About the TACCA Live event. Yeah. So we have a big industry event in Texas called TACK Alive. We, you know, we been having it for several years. Last year was our first back into TACCA Live after a couple of year break. So we are going to be having it this November 4th through 6th at Margaritaville. You know, it's five o' clock sometime everywhere sometimes. So yeah, we're, we're really looking forward to having it there.

Victoria Schaefer [00:01:46]:
We think it's going to be a great venue for our contractors and also all our suppliers. The education is going to be fabulous.

Camille Porco  [00:01:53]:
And you said it was in Conroe at Margaret.

Victoria Schaefer [00:01:58]:
Lovely.

Camille Porco  [00:02:00]:
So tell us about the registration timeline for the event. Did that?

Victoria Schaefer [00:02:07]:
No. We will even have on site registration. So yeah, we will. We are set up to be able to take on site registrants as well. But we are starting to really fill up. If you don't know this industry, contractors, they sometimes wait till the last minute.

Camille Porco  [00:02:28]:
Awesome. So what is cacao?

Victoria Schaefer [00:02:34]:
Sorry, I'm having problems with my, with my headphones.

Camille Porco  [00:02:37]:
You're good. Pull it out. A nice reset.

Victoria Schaefer [00:02:42]:
Yeah, no, no kidding. Thank you. Thank you for giving me that look. Okay, we're good.

Camille Porco  [00:02:51]:
We're ready to go. Nice. Awesome. So tell us about tacka, what is taka? And then let's talk a little bit about the Tack Alive of the.

Victoria Schaefer [00:02:59]:
So TACCA is the Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Association. We are the premier contractor association for AC contractors that are licensed here in Texas. So in order to be a part of us, you have to be a licensed contractor. And we work very closely with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and we also are a big advocacy group for just to look out for contractors best interests in Any sort of legislation that is coming down the pipe and, or even trends, you know, that are being introduced in the legislature. But we also offer education for contractors. And this is our big, you know, education event that we premiere in person every year. You can earn your contractor ce, which means the TDLR mandates that every, every licensed contractor needs eight hours of continuing education to stay current. And this, this conference will satisfy it.

Victoria Schaefer [00:04:06]:
So, you know, yeah, it's not just, you know, coming and learning, it's also getting your annual CE done. And we have a little bit of fun too, so that, that always helps.

Camille Porco  [00:04:18]:
Triple whammy, what more could you want?

Victoria Schaefer [00:04:21]:
Right, Right. I thought that maybe initially that we would have to plan some technical training. And while we do, we have some experts coming in with technical training. We also, my, my committee that helps me plan this event also says that they really come to learn, you know, the latest and the greatest for technology business practices. You know, things that are buzzing about. And of course, AI is always a big one. And so, you know, that's where we're partnering with you and also with Lemon Seed.

Camille Porco  [00:05:01]:
Awesome. Yeah. So tell me a little bit about that. I know our CEO Jennifer Bagley is going to be speaking. Tell us about maybe what you're hoping she's going to talk about or educate contractors on.

Victoria Schaefer [00:05:13]:
So she actually has two sessions with us. One is with Lemon Seed Marketing. And so Jen Bagley is going to come and they're gonna kind of tag team that session talking about developing a marketing plan for 2026. So contractors, they, you know, they work in a very cyclical environment and if they can get some takeaways for how to develop that marketing plan and be able to take that home right away into their company and use those tangibles, I think it's just fantastic.

Camille Porco  [00:05:51]:
Yeah, definitely. Because I know that things around us are always changing. Software, platforms, technology, everything is evolving. Market the way our consumers are looking, it's always changing. So it's definitely important to kind of continue that education. And there's never a time when you stop educating or leveling up yourself and your business. So that's awesome. And then can you give just kind of like a quick overview of some of the different topics you're going to have at the event? Why, like a contractor would really want to come? Is there going to be a lot of networking people in different, you know, areas of the business?

Victoria Schaefer [00:06:32]:
Sure. So we are offering some pre conference workshops, like I said that, that Jennifer is participating in with Lemon Seed, Crystal Williams, but we also have two other pre conference sessions at that same time one of them is going to be on pricing strategy. So you know, if a contractor is needing help with their pricing strategy then this is the session to go to. We also will have a speaker from BDR coming in talking about your books, analyzing your books, being able to.

Camille Porco  [00:07:08]:
Take.

Victoria Schaefer [00:07:09]:
A look at that and really get some tips on how to strengthen the profitability of your company. So those are the pre conference sessions but we also have Jen speaking at our breakout session which she's going to give a phenomenal topic about future proofing trade businesses and AR marketing, tech and talent in the new AI economy. So I'm, I'm really interested in that. AI is one of those things that some of our contractors are a little fearful of and you know, getting involved. So we of course want all the information we can get from the experts in that and I know that Jen has, has the market on that. And Camille, you too, you do, thank.

Camille Porco  [00:08:00]:
You, I appreciate that. Yeah, she's a, she is our future forward leader here for sure. She's always kind of been very much prioritizing, staying ahead of the curve and trying to find ways to do things and how it's going to evolve over time and stay in front of that. So I'm sure she's going to have a lot of really great, incredible points to kind of share with the contractors there. I'm looking forward to that. I'm sure that'll be a good one. Tell me a little bit about some, some of the different sponsors. I think there was something regarding a consultant corner.

Victoria Schaefer [00:08:34]:
There is and that's also a new add on for the value for this year where you can get with your full conference registration a 30 minute one on one with an expert. So we have of course Crystal and Jen if they, if they tag team that too on marketing or using AI in your business. We have Ron Collier who is putting on the pricing strategy but he has a lot of experience also with just business development, leadership, performance based pay. That's a real trend right now in home services is performance based tray. So if you're wanting to get into that and how that works, that's a good 30 minute consult that you'll just be able to explain something that you've got that you want a solution for or ideas on and that's what the consultants corner is. We also have Rick Guderman who is with MAP Consulting and he's all about leadership and management. I was fortunate enough to go through the MAP training program in February and it is just a wonderful program that really Makes you think about management in a new perspective and just how to get your team all going in the right direction.

Camille Porco  [00:10:05]:
Yeah, that's awesome. I love that. And then who's able to attend? Is it anyone? Is it TACCA members?

Victoria Schaefer [00:10:12]:
So any, anybody can attend. We have, you know, the full conference reg badges and registration has been open for a while. We like I said we can even take walk up registrations. Here's a little secret that is coming up. We on Monday are going to start marketing one day pass registrations as well. So anybody who is local and just wants to go for a day and they can't take that time away from their business, then they can register for a one day badge. And you know, if you want to catch those pre conference workshops that you are really into being able to go set your marketing plan, you know, with Jen and Crystal, that's great. And.

Victoria Schaefer [00:11:00]:
Or you can go for Wednesday. That's going to be packed as well with a lot of fun stuff and a fun reception that night. Of course the exhibitors are just. The show floor is going to be amazing and we're really looking forward to that too. So just a lot of stuff going on. What else can I say about it? Last year we had. Last year I heard that the networking was just fantastic and just from all of our members.

Camille Porco  [00:11:34]:
Yeah, I feel like the networking is definitely a huge piece of going to an event like this because it's. Your contractors are able to link up with different distributors, products specialists in different fields and even if they don't necessarily contact that person right away, it's a contact you have when you do need that kind of help or support. And I feel like the face to face relationships go just so much further than if you were to look someone up online and try to connect with someone that way. So I think it's, I think all, you know, in person, face to face networking is amazing and I know for contractors it can be, it can be difficult to get away from the business really for any business owner. Right. Because there's a million different hats you're wearing, you know, trying to take care of. So stepping away can be a little bit difficult at times. But that sounds like this one's going to be really rewarding if they're able to get that, that time and that opportunity to show up.

Camille Porco  [00:12:34]:
So how can they register? I know you mentioned they could register at the door. Is there another way? Is it online?

Victoria Schaefer [00:12:40]:
Right. Okay, so online at tacca.org there is a registration that we have it under an event or you can just look at that slider. Click on it. It'll take you to a dedicated page just for Attack Alive and you can register there as well. There's a big button on the top that allows you to do that. We did choose our keynote speaker recently and it is Dr. Andy Neilli. And Dr.

Victoria Schaefer [00:13:09]:
Andy has a best selling book on leadership principles that he learned from a rescue dog and just a beautiful story that he's got and he is going to come and also speak about just leadership in general. And you know what that looks like. He has some four principles that he really, you know, goes home with to film a little teaser with him yesterday. So be on the lookout for that. Follow us on social media. You know all the information will be coming out about the conference and registration for those pre conference workshops as well as the consultant corner. They're going to fill up quickly. So let's see what else.

Victoria Schaefer [00:14:02]:
We also have Barton James, who is CEO of ACCA coming to our conference and he will be speaking on Thursday. We also have information about the rebate so topic Alistair from Spear is going to be coming and talking about all the money that is flowing in for energy efficiency in Texas and Todd Titus who is with Hardy how to how important grassroots advocacy is. So we're looking forward to the full program and all that it offers including all of our breakouts sessions that you can really tailor to the experience that you need for this conference to be helpful for you.

Camille Porco  [00:14:46]:
Yeah. Okay, so there's going to be a lot of different breakout options for them to choose just based on what they really want to learn about that day. Yes.

Victoria Schaefer [00:14:53]:
And so there are 1, 2, 3, 5. I think there are five breakout sessions with three a piece.

Camille Porco  [00:15:03]:
So yeah, a lot of options for.

Victoria Schaefer [00:15:06]:
Them as well as general sessions. So you know we have our keynote speaker again, the couple that I mentioned and Martin with Apple.

Camille Porco  [00:15:15]:
So awesome. And then like is this event really for the contract like the business owners? Is it for the installation text? Is it just for everyone within the industry?

Victoria Schaefer [00:15:27]:
So it has been for owners and the lead contractor primarily but we are hoping to engage more of the company side as well. So if the office manager or the marketing director wants to come, I think it is a good fit for them as well to join TACCA. You, you pay based on the size of your company and then the entire company gets benefits. So we are hoping to engage more people within the business so that it just provides better value.

Camille Porco  [00:16:03]:
Yeah, I love that. That's awesome. Do you have any idea right now about how many exhibitors are going to Be there.

Victoria Schaefer [00:16:09]:
Right now we have our exhibit floor has right now three booths available and they are. We have over 40 exhibit booths. So I think, I actually think it's like 43. So I think we, you know, we're filling up. We also have some booths for different, different groups. I do know that tdcj, the Texas Department of Criminal justice here in Texas, they have a lot of AC jobs so they're looking to recruit contractors to help bid out for some of their jobs and just a wide variety of steadfast companies that are in the H Vac space here in Texas.

Camille Porco  [00:16:55]:
Yeah. That's awesome. I love that it's a Texas specific event too because you see all these events all the time everywh in Vegas or in Florida or wherever it is. And so I love that there's one here in, in Texas for us Texas peeps.

Victoria Schaefer [00:17:09]:
That's right. Yeah. And that's what Tacos for. TACCA is for Texans. We are the, the TACCA contractor of choice in Texas.

Camille Porco  [00:17:19]:
I love that. I think that's awesome. I think that about covers all the things I had on my list. Is there anything else you feel like is really gonna important to mention regarding, regarding this event? When you said registration's always open, they can even pay at the door. It's at. It's Margaritaville and Conroe.

Victoria Schaefer [00:17:39]:
Margaritaville and Conroe. And just those three days. So you know, take a look at the schedule and see, you know, what kind of interests you. And if you need your full CE right now, this is the best time for that in person marketing, I mean in person networking and just learning in this great environment. So thank you so much for having us on this today and helping us promote Attack Alive. We are looking forward to it. It's two weeks away.

Camille Porco  [00:18:14]:
Yeah, it is really close. Thanks for jumping on, Victoria. It was nice to learn a little more about the event, share it with some of our followers and listeners and hopefully we can make sure that we get as many of our Texas contractors signed up and attending as possible. Just because I know it's going to be incredible. Yeah, these events don't, don't come often, especially for just us Texas residents. So I'm looking forward to it. I think it's going to be great. I think that the breakout sessions and the keynotes are going to be really interesting as well and hopefully provide a lot of value for contractors and anyone within the space.

Camille Porco  [00:18:49]:
So thanks for jumping on with me and just talking through it. I'm definitely looking forward to staying in touch. Do you have social media accounts that you post updates on is everything.

Victoria Schaefer [00:18:59]:
I do. I do. So they are LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and so it's all TACCA, Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Association.

Camille Porco  [00:19:12]:
T A, C, C, A. Got it.

Victoria Schaefer [00:19:16]:
So. And if you ever have questions, you can always email me at Victoria@TACCA.org awesome.

Camille Porco  [00:19:24]:
Well, thank you so much again, Victoria. I hope that you and everyone listening has a fabulous weekend and you go and get registered, start following TACCA, stay up to date on what's going on there, because they do have some really cool things that are in the works, so.

Victoria Schaefer [00:19:38]:
Oh, one last thing. One last thing.

Camille Porco  [00:19:40]:
Yeah.

Victoria Schaefer [00:19:41]:
Monday, our room block. That's our last day. That is the deadline. So Monday's our room block deadline. If you're wanting to go to Margaritaville and get a great price on the room, go and book your room this weekend because I don't think it'll be extended end of day on. On Monday. And so if you're planning to come, book your room.

Camille Porco  [00:20:05]:
Yeah. And we definitely want a room. Right. It's going to be more fun if we're on the. On the Margaritaville premise.

Victoria Schaefer [00:20:10]:
So.

Camille Porco  [00:20:10]:
Yeah.

Victoria Schaefer [00:20:11]:
On island time.

Camille Porco  [00:20:12]:
Right? Exactly. Awesome. Well, thanks, y'.

Victoria Schaefer [00:20:15]:
All.

Camille Porco  [00:20:15]:
Y' all have a great weekend.

Victoria Schaefer [00:20:17]:
All right.