The International Roofing Expo Has Another Record-Breaking Year

For the first time in over 30 years the International Roofing Expo came to Dallas, TX and finished with record-breaking attendance and the largest expo hall on record.

The 2020 International Roofing Expo® (IRE), sponsored by the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) and Roofing Contractor Magazine, concluded this month with record breaking attendance. Held February 4-6 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, TX, the IRE is the premiere roofing construction and maintenance event. Roofing professionals from across the globe, gathered to explore new products and services, participated in educational sessions, and experienced face-to-face interaction with their industry peers.

Everything is bigger in Texas, and the International Roofing Expo went big in Dallas.  The IRE returned to the city for the first time since 1988 and had another record-breaking year with 17,060 in attendance.  The exhibit hall continued to expand with 170,980 square feet of booth space featuring over 541 companies displaying thousands of products and services. Booth space sales for 2021 also opened on-site at the show and next year’s event is already 80% sold out. “Cutting-edge education, influential show-floor demos, and emerging technology helped to drive record numbers at IRE 2020,” said Ray Giovine, Group Director for IRE.

“The 2020 IRE has once again exceeded attendees’ expectations. With a record crowd, record number of exhibitors and record attendance at the education classes, the IRE has become the must attend event of the year! Plan now to attend the 2021 IRE in Las Vegas,” said Reid Ribble, NRCA ‘s CEO.

This year’s event included over 44 educational sessions as part of the conference program.  Attendees could select from sessions that covered technical skills, business management, industry trends, legal, safety, sales, marketing and more.  The NRCA hosted some of their popular sessions including  CERTA Train-the-Trainer, Fall Protection from A to Z, and Foreman Leadership Training classes.

In addition to a strong core conference program, those in attendance participated in over 35  free sessions on the show floor. Areas like the GAF Education Center, The Roofing Institute sponsored by Johns Manville, and exhibitor-presented seminar classroom provided solution-based sessions to help roofing professionals learn new ways to tackle everyday problems. The show floor was also packed with live product demonstrations where attendees could learn tips and tricks and ask questions to product professionals.

During expo hall hours, attendees could head to the parking lot and experience special events outdoors. SRS Distribution hosted their SRS Extreme Tailgate Party where you could enjoy a beverage and cigar with their senior management team.  Lifting Equipment Solutions conducted live crane demos, while Duro-Last demonstrated some of their top products. You could also watch as roof system installers took their hands-on NRCA ProCertification exams.

The IRE was excited to host their first ever female keynote speaker, sponsored by Malarkey Roofing Products. Charlotte Jones, the Dallas Cowboys Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer, shared strategies about setting high expectations, the pressure to deliver and continuing to raise the bar.  Charlotte’s session was moderated by Brad Sham, the American Sportscaster, and was welcomed with an overflowing ballroom packed with attendees and exhibitors.

The National Women in Roofing (NWIR) hosted their third annual one-day conference program designed for multidisciplinary women professionals in the roofing industry to learn about the latest business strategies and tactics and share their secrets to success. “With a sold out third annual NWIR Day, we are so pleased to be able to use the resources of our sponsors, the interest of our members, and the passion of our board of directors to empower women in the roofing industry,” said Ellen Thorp, NWIR Executive Director, and Jennifer Stone, Johns Manville; NWIR Co-Chair.

On Sunday, February 2nd, the IRE in conjunction with Rebuilding Together, hosted the 11th Annual Community Service Day, sponsored by Sika Sarnafil. “The International Roofing Expo Community Service day was a huge success! Over 65 volunteers across the country came together to repair two homes and perform improvement projects at a nearby elementary school.  The school staff and students were watching out the windows all day and ecstatic to see their new outdoor classroom, stage, garden shed, and new coop for their chickens. Mr. and Mrs. Collins were so relieved to have a new roof and the interior ceilings repaired from damage from the old leaking roof. Mrs. Trevino could not be happier to have her home sealed and secured with the exterior siding of her home replaced and repaired. It was a big day with a lot of moving parts and the volunteers jumped in and worked incredibly hard to get everything done. The last part of our mission statement is that we are rebuilding lives and that’s exactly what was accomplished during the service day. Lives were changed that day and there will be a lasting impact of the work completed during the service day. It was a beautiful day,” said Garrett Jones, Executive Director, Rebuilding Together, North Texas. In addition to materials being donated by many manufacturers, K-Post Roofing & Waterproofing and Certainteed donated materials and labor to install a new roof on one of the homes. Sika Sarnafil provided Rebuilding Together North Texas with a donation of $15,000.

During the International Roofing Expo there was no shortage of networking events. First time attendees gathered together for the opportunity to connect at the First-Time Attendee reception on Monday, February 3rd. On  opening night of the show, February 4th, the IRE hosted its annual Welcome Party sponsored by Tremco.  Held at the Bomb Factory in Deep Ellum, the lively party featured music from local Hall & Oates cover band, The Rich Girls. The NRCA also hosted its annual Industry Awards Ceremony and Cocktail Reception and NRCA ROOFPAC partnered with NWIR to present “An Evening in the Lone Star State”, a three-hour reception featuring a live auction and comedy show.

The IRE debuted a new interactive show featured, Regina the Roofer, the show’s chatbot.  She was available on the IRE website and through SMS text messaging. This feature allowed IRE participants with the ability to send her questions about the event and receive an instant response. “We are beyond thrilled with the level of interaction Regina received pre-show and onsite,” said Shelby Snelson, IRE Show Manager. “Providing attendees and exhibitors with instant access to show details was a great way for us to improve our level of service we provide them.”

The show will return to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas February 24-26, 2021. As the show and the industry continues to grow, the IRE is expanding the areas on the show floor for next year.  A new Siding and Window Pavilion will include manufacturers and suppliers showcasing products that service these segments. This new pavilion will allow the IRE to better serve the exterior contractor market.

Attendee registration for the 2021 International Roofing Expo will open this fall. Attendees interested in attending the 2021 IRE can sign up for the IRE newsletter at www.theroofingexpo.com. Exhibitors interested in booking a booth at the event can contact the IRE account executive team at sales@theroofingexpo.com. 

Learn more about the International Roofing Expo.

About International Roofing Expo
The International Roofing Expo is the must-attend event for commercial and residential roofing professionals to stay abreast of market directions, trends and cutting-edge technology. The official show sponsor is NRCA; the official show publication is Roofing Contractor; and the digital destination and official residential publication is Replacement Contractor. Formerly owned by NRCA, the show was sold to Hanley Wood Exhibitions in May 2004. Hanley Wood Exhibitions was acquired by Informa Exhibitions U.S. in December 2014.

About Informa Markets
Informa Markets creates platforms for industries and specialist markets to trade, innovate and grow. Our portfolio is comprised of more than 550 international B2B events and brands in markets including Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Infrastructure, Construction & Real Estate, Fashion & Apparel, Hospitality, Food & Beverage, and Health & Nutrition, among others. We provide customers and partners around the globe with opportunities to engage, experience and do business through face-to face exhibitions, specialist digital content and actionable data solutions. As the world’s leading exhibitions organizer, we bring a diverse range of specialist markets to life, unlocking opportunities and helping them to thrive 365 days of the year. For more information, please visit www.informamarkets.com.