Positive vibes, robust attendance and a bustling, sold-out trade show floor added up to a record-breaking year for the International Roofing Expo, held March 1-3 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

Owned and operated by Informa Exhibitions, the annual tradeshow and conference for the roofing industry drew 11,273 commercial and residential roofing construction professionals and 476 exhibitors spanning a 131,700 square foot showfloor.

“This was an amazing show to find leading-edge products, high-level education and numerous networking opportunities,” said Tracy Garcia, IRE show director.

She continued, “The show floor square footage was up 9 percent over last year, exhibiting companies were up 3 percent and total attendance was up 19 percent, making this our largest, most attended show in the 62-year history.”

First-time registrants comprised 43 percent of IRE’s U.S. attendees, with the largest number of international participants hailing from Canada, Mexico, Japan, Belgium, South Korea and Australia.

Exhibitors were not only pleased with the amount of quality of leads and inquiries they generated during the show, but also with the high attendance and buoyant energy that pervaded the expo, according to show officials,

Of the 476 exhibiting companies present at the show, 88 were first-timers.

“The show flow at the IRE was filled with tremendous energy this year,” said Reid Ribble, CEO of National Roofing Contractors Association, the show’s official sponsor that boasted a 2,000-sq. ft. booth at the event and hosted its NRCA Annual Convention in conjunction with IRE.

He added, “NRCA was able to engage with an unbelievable amount of roofing professionals, and all were extremely positive not only about the success of this year’s show but (also) about the overall future of the roofing industry.”

In addition to the busy expo, IRE’s well-attended educational conference featured 44 sessions geared to help industry professionals stay on top of market directions, trends and cutting-edge technology.

Education also was available on the showfloor through The Roofing Institute, the GAF Education Center and Exhibitor-Presented Seminars.

Special events included a keynote address by Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Rob “Waldo” Waldman; an opening night Welcome Party at LIGHT Nightclub; the National Women in Roofing Reception, and outdoor experiences including the SRS Extreme Tailgate, a Trailer Crane Demo by Lifting Equipment Solutions and a booth by Roser.

In an effort to give back to the Las Vegas community, the show held a pre-show Community Service Day on Feb. 28, during which 45 attendees and exhibitors volunteered to renovate the homes of two families in need.

“The IRE was by far the most attended and exciting, good-vibe show I have ever attended,” said Attendee Michelle Draucker, sales administrator for Las Vegas-based Commercial Roofers, Inc.

She added, “The sessions were educational, surprising and entertaining. The expo floor was filled with great energy. This was the best IRE show to date.”  

The 2018 International Roofing Expo will be held Feb. 6-8 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.