Roofing Contractors Help Break Western Roofing Expo Attendance Record

The 42nd annual Western Roofing Expo was the best yet in terms of attendance. More than 3,500 roofing contractors from throughout the region converged on Las Vegas last week for the Western Roofing Contractors Association’s signature annual event. That total well surpassed attendance figures for the 2015 Expo.

Highlights included innovative new product releases on the show floor, dozens of educational seminars, and formal and informal networking opportunities.

The Association also formally elected Brad Baker, owner of Professional Roofing in Bellevue, Idaho, the next president and named Michael Tory, of Tory’s Roofing & Waterproofing in Hawaii, immediate former president.

Roofing contractors, suppliers and manufacturers also helped raise money for the Davis Memorial Foundation, which provides academic scholarships to deserving college students across the western United States with the annual welcome party and silent auction, and golf tournament. 

Roofing professionals from across the globe gathered in the ‘happiest city on earth’ for the 2016 International Roofing Expo(IRE) from Feb. 17-19. Show organizers said more than 9,500 people and 460 companies visited the IRE show floor, which covered 120,600 square feet of display space at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

The overall attendance and number of exhibit booths (1,206) increased slightly from last year’s show in New Orleans, but were substantially higher than the last time Orlando hosted the IRE in 2012, officials said.

Plans are already well underway for the 2017 IRE in Las Vegas, but before you start making your arrangements, the Roofing Contractor team invites you to take a look at our exclusive photo gallery highlights of this year’s show. See someone you know? Please let them know by sharing the link to this page. 

Roofing contractors from throughout America’s heartland converged on Kansas City, Mo., last week for the 66^th annual Midwest Roofing Contractors Association Expo. Located in the center of downtown at the Kansas City Convention Center, the convention from Nov. 11-13 featured a variety of different events and speakers that appealed to a wide array of contractors, suppliers, manufacturers and everyone in between.

Attendees had several insightful educational sessions to choose from throughout the event, ranging from CERTA demonstrations to Cynthia Ryan’s presentation on the small mentoring groups she helped implement at Johns Manville. The show floor consisted of several dozens of exhibitors and special demonstrations of some of the latest products hitting the market.

Other highlights included: a community service day at the local Harvesters Community Food Network; a keynote address by former Kansas City Royal-turned roofing contractor Frank White, just a week after the city celebrated the 2015 World Series crown; and a “roaring 20’s” themed auction to benefit the MRCA Foundation’s professional development and industry research programs. 

The 93rd FRSA Annual Convention and Expo was held July 16-18 at the Hyatt Regency Orlando and the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. The convention consisted of three full days of education, networking, family fun, sports and friends along with two days of FRSA's trade show, the Florida Roofing & Sheet Metal Expo.

The 41st annual Western Roofing Expo kicked off Sunday, June 14 with a welcome reception and lively silent auction. Hundreds of contractors, suppliers, manufacturers and consultants filled the Champagne Rooms at the Paris Las Vegas to bid on a variety of items from a drone and GoPro camera to fine jewelry and sports-event packages. The silent and live auction items raised more than $48,000 for the Davis Memorial Foundation, which provides academic scholarships to deserving college students across the western United States. Auction organizers said the total raised far surpassed last year’s event and could provide scholarships for 10 students.

Founded in 2001, Colorado Youth Outdoors (CYO) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building healthy relationships between parents and children through outdoor recreational activities. CYO held its annual fundraiser shoot, the Maverick, May 1-3 at the Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch in Loveland, Colo. The three-day event featured a shooting course, sporting clays, meals, raffles, live auctions and more.

The 14th annual Maverick hosted 107 four-person teams, including participants from both the United States and Mexico, and raised more than a quarter million dollars to directly benefit CYO. Roofing-industry participants made up 70 percent of The Construction Shoot on Saturday, May 2, which alone brought in $300,000 for the organization. Roofing Contractor was on hand to enjoy the day with fellow roofing professionals and support the mission of CYO. 

Photos by Chase Swift