Day 3: Must-see sessions and events at IRE 2025

By Anna Lockhart. 

Don’t miss out on these exciting sessions taking place on Friday at IRE 2025!

International Roofing Expo (IRE) 2025 is just around the corner and participants are making plans for attending interesting sessions and events! Have you taken a look at what exciting conversations and workshops you will be attending? If not, here’s a full breakdown of what’s happening at this year’s expo on Friday, February 21.  

Don’t forget to stop by The Coffee Shops in the lobby for some fun swag and networking opportunities as well! Then head onto the show floor to check out what’s new with Geocel, UNIFLEX and Kool Seal at booth #19085 and Cornerstone Building Brands at booth #6039. 

Featured sessions for Friday, February 21 

• Breaking the Silence: Addressing Mental Health, Suicide and Addiction in the Roofing Iindustry | 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. | Room 217AB - Join Mandy McIntyre, founder of Level Up Consultants, as she sheds light on the importance of identifying key indicators of mental distress in employees and coworkers and how to properly prepare effective intervention strategies.  
• Legal Issues with Sub Labor | 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. | Room 008AB - Trent Cotney, respected industry leader and partner at Adams & Reese, leads participants in a thought-provoking seminar highlighting the legal issues surrounding sub labor and how to best navigate these risks. 
• Navigating the Technology Landscape | 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. | Room 214CD - Tune in to this insightful panel as industry leaders and RT3 members Kyrah Coker, Heidi J. Ellsworth, John Kenney, John Kiesel and Wendy Marvin discuss their best tips and advice for navigating the ever-changing field of roofing technology.  
• Planning for Success: Fall Prevention and Rescue Planning for Roofing Contractors | 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. | Room 206AB - The Director of Risk Education and Training at NRCA, Rich Trewyn, leads this seminar dedicated to fall rescue planning. Creating an effective rescue plan can help reduce fatal falls by 76%!  
• Commercial Roofing Maintenance Contracts | 9:45 – 10:45 a.m. | Room 214CD - John Kenney of Cotney Consulting Group and Jef McCurdy of Castagra cover the basics of what commercial roofers need to know about maintenance contracts and how to create, implement and sell commercial roofing maintenance programs! 
• Leadership + Management = Accountability | 9:45 – 10:45 a.m. | Room 006AD - Join Jonathan Gardner of Owens Corning and Sue Hawkes as they lead this workshop based on uncovering the secrets of “LMA,” a.k.a., “Leadership + Management = Accountability.” 
• Roof Replacements: An Energy-Efficient Value-Add for Contractors | 9:45 – 10:45 a.m. | Room 007AD - PIMA leadership Justin Koscher and Marcin Pazera present vital information for empowering roofing professionals in capitalizing on marketplace opportunities.  
• Understanding Thermal Bridging of Fasteners through Insulated Roofing Systems | 9:45 – 10:45 a.m. | Room 207AB - Join Jennifer Keegan of GAF and Eric Olson of Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. as they present research evidence and how these findings can result in fostering a greater understanding of thermal bridges in the roofing industry. 
• Retrofit With Metal Systems | 12:15 – 1:00 p.m. | Booth #10141 - Stop by this booth where DJ Highnote of Roof Hugger, Jason Kaiser of Vogler Sheet Metal and Charlie Smith of McElroy Metal will be dissecting and discussing the nuances of retrofitting versus other roofing system options.   
• Stone Coated Metal Panels | 1:45 – 2:30 p.m. | Booth #10141 - Join Robin Anderson of Unified Steel / Westlake and Chuck Nolden of RoneRite Home Maintenance as they lead this course in choosing the right metal shingles for any roofing project!  

With endless opportunities for learning and networking, IRE 2025 is shaping up to be an exciting event! From metal roofing and retrofitting to making the most of sustainability initiatives, there’s a session for just about anyone attending this year’s event!  

Looking to attend sessions on other days of the event? Check out what’s going on during day one and day two of IRE 2025!