I believe the best contractors use a portion of the winter downtime to catch up on new services and products and engage in continuing education for themselves and their teams. There are many options when it comes to educating yourself, including right here in the pages of Roofing Contractor and online at www.roofingcontractor.com. Manufacturers, suppliers, and industry associations offer a continuous array of training services; in print, online and live.
However, the largest of all of the live events that occur throughout the course of the year is the International Roofing Expo (IRE), held in conjunction with the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) annual convention. If you haven’t already made plans to attend this year’s event, you need to get busy and make plans today.
This year the International Roofing Expo (IRE) will be held in New Orleans, Feb. 6-8 preceded by two days of special events beginning with the National Women in Roofing Education Day on Sunday, Feb. 4. On Monday, Feb. 5, special training and social events will be offered by the NRCA. Monday will also be the day for the IRE’s 9th Annual Community Service Day, which began in New Orleans in 2010 working on homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
In addition to being held during the Mardi Gras season in New Orleans, which is a real bonus, I believe the 2018 IRE promises to be the best yet and a unique opportunity to improve your position as a leader in your roofing company and in your marketplace. In addition to the chance to network with the best and brightest leaders in the roofing industry, you’ll have the opportunity to tour the industry’s largest trade show and take advantage of an amazing lineup of conference presenters.
Not just a group of static displays, trade-show exhibitors will also conduct live demonstrations and training on the show floor. Special pavilions will be featured, including the Metal Marketplace, the Business & Technology Pavilion and the Product Showcase.
Beginning with a keynote address from Julius “Dr. J” Erving, the 2018 IRE Conference will bring together the top echelon of the roofing industry. The NRCA will deliver seminars on a wide variety of topics, including worker training and development, technical roofing issues and legal/contract updates, to name a few. You’ll have the opportunity to meet and hear from Roofing Contractor contributors, including Monroe Porter, Greg Hayne, Trent Cotney, Kevin Kennedy and Joe Bazzano. You’ll also hear from rising star roofing contractor Sean Shapiro on how to “Create your own skilled labor: As showcased by the mikeroweWorks Foundation.” Topics that will deliver the kind of information that can make an impact on your bottom line the day you return home include sales, service, safety, products and managerial skills, among many others.
Roofing Contractor is proud to be the official publication of the IRE and our team will be there in full force. While I’m looking forward to the entire event, I’m mostly excited about the prospect to meet you there on the trade show floor, at one of the educational seminars, or maybe even on the Rue Bourbon. See you in New Orleans!
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