The 2019 International Roofing Expo® Breaks Every Record and Heads to Dallas!

This was the largest and most well attended show in the 65-year history of the IRE.

Proving to be the most trusted source for leading-edge products, education, and networking, roofing professionals packed the halls of the Music City Center with energy and excitement at the 2019 International Roofing Expo® (IRE), sponsored by the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA).

Held February 11-13, 2019, in Nashville, Tennessee, USA the 2019 IRE spanned over 152,000 square feet, the largest in the show’s history. The event attracted a record breaking 14,295 roofing professionals from 65 countries; a 42% increase from the 2018 IRE. The show gets bigger every year with 497 companies who showcased products and services spanning 40 categories, making this the largest and most well attended show in the 65-year history of the IRE.

“We are blown away with the success of this year’s show, every metric was surpassed. We attribute the success to the thriving industry, our amazing media partners, and our show sponsor, the NRCA, who have all contributed to making this a remarkable event” exclaimed IRE Show Director, Tracy Garcia, CEM. “It’s a truly collaborative industry and event, giving buyers the opportunity to see new innovations while taking part in a powerful educational program”

"It was great to be at this year’s IRE,” added Reid Ribble, NRCA’s CEO. “I can tell you as a former roofing contractor, and now CEO of NRCA, this is the single most important event for roofing contractors to attend. Not only is it packed full with educational conferences and information for your business, but it’s also packed full on the exhibit floor where you can visit almost 500 companies, showing the latest equipment and materials that will make your business more profitable and better for your consumers. If you missed this year’s make sure you are here for the 2020 in Dallas!”

Exhibit Hall

The tradeshow floor was comprised of 1,520 booths, a 10% increase over the 2018 show. Exhibitors were pleased with the number of leads and inquiries generated during the show. “If you are not here exhibiting at this show and you are in the roofing industry, you are missing out, because this is THE show of the year. There are some regional shows that take place across the country, but this is the show I look forward to every year,” said CJ Sharp, ICP Building Solutions Group.

Of the 497 exhibiting companies, 106 companies were first-time exhibitors, including Bridger Steel, JRC Roofing, Raytec Manufacturing, and Stone Mountain Access Systems, just to name a few.

“Roofing Manufacturers and other companies in the industry should exhibit at the International Roofing Expo because there is no better forum to meet contractors, to meet people that you have worked with in the past, and to find new business opportunities as well as show off your newest products,” expressed Bob Sereno,  Tremco Roofing.

Educational Conference

The Expo Hall wasn’t the only thing breaking records this year, the IRE’s robust conference program had the most successful year yet. Offering over 122 education hours and 44 sessions, covering topics ranging from technical skills to workplace safety, all addressing a multitude of industry topics.

“This year’s conference program was the most well-attended in the event’s history,” said Brandi McElhaney, Senior Conference Manager. “In comparison to last year, we saw a 25% increase and reached a lot of new attendees, as half of all conference attendees were also first-time IRE attendees.” “As a first-time attendee to the IRE, and someone relatively new to the industry, I can see an immediate ROI on conference fee just by utilizing the information learned in the educational systems,” included Scott Swalls, Woodall Companies Roofing & Construction. 

“IRE helps our sales agents to become more astute in product knowledge. This directly relates to our staff providing better customer education and consequently more sales,” concluded John Shamo, All American Home Improvements

Complementing the show’s conference program, the IRE hosted show floor education including; Exhibitor Presented Seminars, The Roofing Institute, sponsored by Johns Manville, the GAF Education Center, and Exhibitor Product Clinics and Education. These sessions allowed expo attendees to increase their knowledge of various business, technical, and product-based topics. “While I have attended a fair amount of local seminars, conferences, and expos, I was a first-time attendee at the IRE. After attending the IRE, it is clear that the shows sponsored by local organizations seem to be severely limited in scope and are relatively the same time after time. With this said, the IRE definitely met my expectations and exceeded my hopes regarding educations, networking, and product demonstration. Will definitely attend again and recommend to anyone in my industry” declared Jason Taylor, Van Martin Roofing.

“This is a great show where you can see pretty much every product, nearly every manufacturer, all the new innovations and all the equipment a roofing contractor could ever need. The education opportunities here are invaluable and cover almost every topic that a contractor needs to know. I only wish I had time to attend them all” said Danny Cornwell, CC&L Roofing Co.

Special Events

On Sunday, February 10, the IRE along with Rebuilding Together Nashville, hosted the 10th Annual Community Service Day, sponsored by Sika Sarnafil. This event sold out months prior to the show and was the best attended Community Service Day to date, with over 65 volunteers fanned out between five homes and the local Boys & Girls Club.

Sunday evening the IRE hosted it’s first ever, First-Time Attendee Reception, which gave first-time attendees the opportunity to network and get prepared for the big event. They heard from IRE Show Director, Tracy Garcia, CEM and NRCA CEO, Reid Ribble and exchanged thoughts and ideas over drinks and small plates.

The show's opening day featured the inspiring Keynote Address, by Jesse Itzler whose high-energy talk focused on exceeding limits and achieving more than ever possible. “This expo is a must see for anyone in the roofing industry. The classes are worth the price of admission, the keynote speaker is always a highlight” promoted Lucas Albrecht, Lyster Exteriors.

Other special events included the opening night IRE Welcome Party, sponsored by Tremco Roofing Supply, held at Nashville Underground on iconic Broadway Street. The National Women in Roofing (NWIR) second annual full day of education, mentorship and networking event. “NWIR welcomed 220 women for a day of education, networking and mentoring at the second annual NWIR Day. As a professional society dedicated to the empowerment of women in the roofing industry, we were thrilled to offer four scholarships to first-time, women attendees to the NWIR. These scholarships, made possible by NWIR sponsors (including the International Roofing Expo) were awarded to four roofing contractors from across the country. Not only did they have access to the tremendous education opportunities offered at the IRE, but our experiences were enriched by their presence as well.” Said Jennifer Stone, Chair of NWIR. The NRCA ROOFPAC/NWIR held their Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum Songwriter Extravaganza that included a live auction.

Save the Date for 2020

The 2020 International Roofing Expo will be held February 4-6 at Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas, TX. Housing reservations can be made online and attendee registration will open in the fall of 2019. Those looking to exhibit can contact sales@theroofingexpo.com.

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 Exhibitions

Informa Exhibitions, the global exhibitions division of Informa PLC, enables communities across the globe to engage, experience and do business by providing them with powerful platforms to connect across key regions and market verticals. Industry insight, coupled with an innovative and customer first approach, provides Informa Exhibitions’ customers and partners with the opportunity to create business advantage and access markets, both digitally and face-to-face, 365 days of the year.

About Informa PLC

Informa PLC is a leading, international business to business information services Group, operating in over 30 countries. We create transaction-led exhibitions and content-based events, specialist data, intelligence and marketing services products, as well as scholarly research and specialist reference-led academic content. Our products and services help businesses and professionals connect, learn, do business and gain an edge over the competition. Informa is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 100.

Source: IRE