Every year, we look forward to our Metal Roofing Conference. It’s a chance to meet new people, catch up with clients, have a little bit of fun, and, most importantly, learn a thing or two. This year was no exception. July 21st – 23rd, 2015 is a time we’ll always remember.
We had dynamic, expert speakers and hands-on training from veteran metal roofing installers. Over 100 people from about 30 companies attended the conference, and we got to chat with almost everyone. We couldn’t ask for more. When it comes to metal roofing, Florida is full of dedicated professionals.
We’re always excited for the Metal Roofing Conference because it’s full of people who want to learn, hone their skills, and provide even better service for their customers. They’re our kind of people. Nobody’s ever done learning– and that definitely includes roofers, distributors, and manufacturers. No matter how good we are, we can always get better.
Though we loved the entire conference, there were definitely some favorite highlights.
The Most Frequently Asked Question
Far and away, solar panels got the most attention when it came to questions. Roofers were curious about their viability– both for their businesses and for homeowners. More homeowners are asking about solar panels now, and our clients want to pass on correct information to help those homeowners make informed decisions.
We refer out our solar panel materials, but we spend a good amount of time talking about them and thinking about them. Sun is abundant in Florida, and homeowners are increasingly interested in renewable energy and lowering their utility costs. It’s a trend we don’t see ending anytime soon.
We even dedicated some time to solar energy during our expert panel. Roofers are buzzing about the possibilities.
Our guess is, solar panels are here to stay, and they’re only going to become more popular in the next few years. The Solar Energy Industries Association website is full of great information for both roofers and homeowners, and it’s a great place to start if you’re curious about solar panels.
If you want to ask us, we’re happy to point you in the right direction, too. Solar panels are a hot topic, and we’re glad to help.
The People
The quality of attendees at a conference can make or break the event. Luckily for us, the Metal Roofing Conference is always full of great people. From roofers to sponsors, you never have to walk more than a few steps for a great conversation.
The networking is great. Roofers share advice and war stories in between speaking and training sessions. Office professionals swap stories and best practices, too. We had great discussions about production, sales, marketing, and life in general.
When you don’t see a client face-to-face for several months, it’s like seeing an old friend when you meet at the Metal Roofing Conference. Catching up with our favorite clients is something we always look forward to. The only sad part is there’s not enough time in the day to talk to everyone as much as you’d like to– if we had our way, we’d book a whole extra conference just for chatting and catching up.
We also got to spend some time with the dynamic couple who run Flynamics. Flynamics is an amazing company that produces breathtaking aerial photography and videography, and they were a huge hit at the conference. It was great to meet the people behind such innovative and useful technology.
The Education
The Metal Roofing Conference is all about education, and this year didn’t disappoint. We’ve been getting great reviews from our attendees, who took home tons of useful information. We learned a lot, as well.
Our hands-on training is always the most popular and most useful part of the event for most roofers. This year, we structured it a little differently. We dedicated special attention to the beginners’ roofing installation process. The entire first day was designed just for people with no previous experience in metal roofing. We were very pleased to see that our trainees left with the confidence and knowledge they need to install high-quality metal roofs for their clients.
Human Resources might not be the most popular topic in the world, but this year we had an opportunity to learn from the best. Marilyn McFarlane’s time on stage was extremely valuable– she spoke about key HR factors that can either sink a business or make it successful, and she also provided useful tips we can implement in many other aspects of our business. We know other attendees felt the same way, too. HR might not be glamorous, but it’s important for any successful business.
Scott Siegal from Certified Contractors Network gave a showstopping presentation, too. His session, The 7 Keys to Contractor Success, was a huge hit with our attendees. He spoke about the real issues roofers experience and identify with on a daily basis. Scott showed these roofers their problems have real solutions, and he gave insightful answers to a ton of great questions. Scott is a living example that a roofing business can be successful if the correct approach is taken.
The Highlight
Our attendees learned a lot and had a great time networking, but if you asked anyone what the highlight of the conference was, they’d respond with just one word– Flynamics.
We raffled off two Flynamics aerial photography drones. When the Fylnamics team came in and started flying one of their drones around, the excitement in the room was palpable. Everyone stayed for the demonstration and the raffle, because they were so captivated. It was amazing to see everyone go crazy for a small flying drone– but it’s easy to understand why they were so interested.
Flynamics drones are an amazing tool for roofers. Drone photography is an increasingly popular way for roofers to showcase their work with dazzling photography and videography. Homeowners are drawn to those images, and they really do an excellent job of presenting a roofer’s craft to their prospective clients.
If you want to see why these Flynamics drones were so popular with our roofer attendees, check out this gallery on their website.
Putting on the Metal Roofing Conference is a ton of work for everyone involved, but it’s all worth it when our attendees express their satisfaction. Everyone came out of the event with new friends, newfound knowledge, and maybe even a Flynamics drone.
The conference is always full of dedicated roofers who want to provide even better service for their clients, and they know the only way to do that is through continuing education. When it comes to providing great metal roofing, Florida is full of the best contractors in the country. We put on this conference for them, and we don’t plan to stop anytime soon.
If you’re looking to improve your roofing services, we hope to see you at the next event. In the meantime, let me know if you have any questions or if you need a quick quote for your next metal roofing project.
~J.C.
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