Who’s Ready to Mingle at IRE 2021?

By Colin Sheehan, RCS Reporter. 

A rundown of what you can expect for the in-person IRE trade show happening this August in Las Vegas. 

Season 3, Episode 28 of Roofing Road Trips, features Ray Giovine from Informa who joins Heidi J. Ellsworth to discusses important changes happening at International Roofing Expo (IRE)’s in-person show this August in Las Vegas. Listen to this podcast to understand and prepare for changes that will ensure everyone's safety while socializing with their roofing friends again. 

This year’s IRE will look different than the previous trade shows. Last year’s event in Dallas was the largest turnout and largest amount of exhibitor participation ever. With more people getting vaccinated every day, Informa is expecting a strong turnout for both the attendees and exhibitors.  

“We are thrilled to be bringing the roofing industry back together in-person,” said Ray.  

Ray kicked off the conversation by diving into the changes attendees and exhibitors should be aware of before attending the event. Those of which include: 

No keynote speaker 

While the keynote address has always been a great way to bring the largest crown at the event together, considering Coronavirus precautions, it has been postponed until the New Orleans in February 2022. 

“This will help us prioritize the health and safety of our attendees, but we do look forward to bringing back the keynote again next year,” said Ray. 

A digitalized Community Service Day 

Every year Informa partners with a local chapter of Rebuilding Together to help make critical home repairs for those in need. Usually volunteers come early to the trade show to make those repairs, but this year they won’t be able to work on the projects physically. Instead, the 12th annual Community Service Day project will be digitalized. 

"That means we'll be working with Rebuilding Together Southern Nevada to help them raise funds, to complete vital projects in the area,” said Ray. “Our goal is to partner with local Las Vegas roofing companies to assist with a reroofing project.”  

The IRE community can still help in several ways including making a monetary donation when you register for the event, donating supplies to Rebuilding Together and helping spread the word about the event to those in your network. 

Removal of carpet 

An analysis from Informa’s sustainability team revealed carpet is one of the most significant contributors of waste from their events. By removing the carpet, Informa will be saving hundreds of dollars and thousands of pounds of waste at every future event.  

“The focus on sustainability is not happening in a void. It is the latest in a series of moves that Informa has been taking to significantly improve our impacts on the world along with the impact to our environment,” said Ray.  

Digital badges  

Digital badges will help create a seamless, efficient and modern experience for this year’s IRE. They will also support Informa’s efforts that prioritize the health, hygiene and safety of all attendees while also benefiting sustainability by eliminating paper and plastic waste. 

“Having a digital badge means no more standing in those long lines on opening morning," said Ray. “Also, we will have no more on-site registration. Everyone will be required to register online, to gain access to the event, but we will have digital badge assistance counters available for anyone who requires help.” 

Listen to the entire podcast to learn more about the changes happening at IRE this year and the exciting events to come.