Roofing contractors west of the Mississippi River will head to Las Vegas for one of the premier trade shows the industry has to offer — the 45th annual Western Roofing Expo from June 9-11.
Hosted again by the Western States Roofing Contractors Association (WSRCA) and consistently located at the Paris Las Vegas, this show continues to offer exciting networking and educational opportunities for roofing contractors in all segments of the industry. And a new wave of the latest products and service trends will be on display on an expanded showroom floor with roughly 200 different exhibitors.
Organizers hope to build off of an all-time record attendance exceeding 4,000 attendees in 2018.
Ready to Learn and Earn
The two-day expo features 20 educational seminars led by industry influencers and some of the leading minds in roofing sales, product development and application techniques. Whether in residential, commercial or industrial roofing, contractors can benefit their businesses by hearing directly from the experts and, in some cases, earn continuing education credits toward advanced certifications.
Among the highlights are panel discussions featuring veteran roofing contractors from across the country. On Monday, Charles Antis, founder and CEO of Antis Roofing, will join Rudy Gutierrez, president and CEO of SHELL Roofing Solutions Group, and a few other roofing contractors to discuss immigration and labor issues impacting the industry from 8:45 a.m. to 10 a.m.
On Tuesday, Five top roofing contractors who are members of the Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3) will participate in a roundtable discussion on technological innovations in roofing from 8:45 a.m. to 10 a.m.
The panelists include previous RC Contractor of the Year winners Steve Little, president of KPOST Roofing and Waterproofing of Dallas (2017); and Gregg Wallick, president and CEO of Best Roofing in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (2018). Joining them are no strangers to the industry or RC: Michelle Boykin, COO of Rackley Roofing in Carthage, Tenn.; Ken Kelly, president of Kelly Roofing in Naples, Fla.; and former RC Young Gun Josey Parks, CEO of J Wales Enterprises in Dallas.
Live demonstrations of many of the latest products are scheduled to start on the show floor Monday afternoon including: A session by Hunter Panels on how to maximize profits with tapered, pre-cut products from 1:30 p.m.-2 p.m.; a review of recent breakthrough innovations in commercial roofing facilitated by Carlisle SynTec from 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.; and liquid applied roofing and waterproofing, led by the experts from Sika Corp. from 3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
On Tuesday, experts with APOC will review failures in unreinforced restoration from 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., and EagleView Technologies will demonstrate how contractors can build a competitive edge with a digital workflow.
Tuesday’s activities will wrap up again with the fifth installment of the Roofing Games. For the fifth-straight year, roofing contractors will compete against each other by installing a Malarkey Roofing Products roofing system on a small deck while being timed by independent judges. Participants will be judged on accuracy, aesthetics, speed and quality workmanship.
Sense of Urgency
Preceded by an education and networking event hosted by the National Women in Roofing on Sunday, and the annual fundraisers for the Davis Memorial Scholarship, there are plenty of opportunities for roofing contractors to network and have a little fun.
The Davis Memorial Foundation has helped dozens of loved ones of roofing contractors from across the country achieve their academic dreams and further their careers for more than 20 years. Named in honor of Larry and Mary Davis following their tragic deaths in a plane crash, the non-profit operated by the WSRCA, has helped more than 300 students attend a college, university or trade school since 1995. Last year, the foundation issued a record 20 $5,000 scholarships to students across the country.
There’s also a bit of urgency to provide the tools and knowhow to roofing contractors who can only benefit from stepping up their involvement in the association and recommit to the industry’s future.
“It’s a very important message to relay,” said outgoing WSRCA President Tom Asbury, founder of Summit Roofing Services. “I belong to the NRCA and the Western States Roofing Contractors Association. They keep me up top to date with issues that affect the roofing industry, provide networking with other contractors, and help with legal support and technical issues.”
Click here for more information and to register for the Expo.
