Organizers are urging roofers to start their year at the first and largest roofing industry gathering — the International Roofing Expo.

They call it a once-a-year opportunity to maximize your company’s productivity, efficiency and profitability.

After four back-to-back shows in Las Vegas, the 2010 show is taking place Feb. 22-24 in New Orleans at the Morial Convention Center.

If you install, service, sell, manufacture or specify roofing products, you can’t miss this show, officials say.

“The International Roofing Expo has been held in Las Vegas for several years now, so we feel the time is right to make a move and add some freshness to the event,” said Donna Bellantone, expo director. “New Orleans is a perfect match for our customers.”

With 850 booths filled with a wide variety of multidimensional roofing products, services, the latest technology, ideas and innovations, you will find everything you need to improve the productivity and profitability of your business, officials claim.

About 350 exhibiting companies will be displaying their products, offering an opportunity to meet one-on-one with industry experts, test and compare new innovations and get firsthand experience.

New areas

Combining the former new product and green pavilion into one area, the new product showcase will feature the hottest industry trends and the latest new and green products in a non-selling environment.

Metal roofers can stop by the Metal Marketplace to network with the cutting-edge companies supplying the metal sector with creative and innovative designs, building concepts, tools and services.

Learn tricks, tips and detailed instructions through a series of product clinics, where OMG, Soprema and Equipter will present demos of their products, equipment and materials.

Show participants are encouraged to arrive in New Orleans a day early, roll up their sleeves and give back to the community. From 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 21, a home renovation and revitalization project will be performed for a family that is elderly, disabled or financially unable to do the work themselves.

There is a $25 fee that includes lunch and transportation. You can register online to participate when you register for the show. A financial donation was provided by Sika Sarnafil, the event’s sponsor, and products were donated by Bradco, the product sponsor. The expo is partnering with the New Orleans chapter of Rebuilding Together.

Last year, after Bill Walton had to cancel his keynote speech due to health reasons, a power panel was held in its place. This new format was so well received by attendees; the format has been brought back. From 9:45 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. Feb. 22, the 2010 panel will feature ideas and a lively exchange of views as commercial, residential and green roofing contractors — both large and small — discuss strategies and solutions for recovering from a tough economy.

Education

Additional topics include sales and marketing, service and maintenance, diversification strategies, the year’s outlook, the green movement, the roof as an energy platform and how the stimulus package will affect the roofing industry.

Organizers say attendees should use the convention’s educational programs to make their business a real competitive force. Earn continuing-education credits by choosing from 43 knowledge-building sessions in eight tracks where you will learn new business practices that will increase productivity, helping you operate leaner and profit more.

Tracks cover technical, workplace safety, leadership/management, green building, legal/human resources, money matters, sales and service, and general business. Classes are 90 minutes long and do not overlap the exhibit hall hours.

To read the session descriptions, visit www.TheRoofingExpo.com to search the full conference schedule.

All educational sessions are ticketed events and require registration. Space in sessions is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information regarding registration, call (972) 819-7606 or (866) 860-1970. On-site registration is also available.

This article was supplied by Hanley Wood Exhibitions.