Don’t miss out on MBCEA’s annual conference

By Emma Peterson. 

From topic choices to networking events, the MBCEA team works tirelessly to make their annual conference a must-attend each year. 

There are a lot of different conferences, expos and events happening across the roofing industry, with each having their own niches and benefits for attendees. To learn a bit about the value of the Metal Building Contractors & Erectors Association (MBCEA)’s annual conference, which was held in the third week of April this year, Karen Edwards sat down with David Leinback, MBCEA’s president, and Robert Tiffin, their previous president, for an episode of MetalCast™. 

This year marked the 57th year that MBCEA has held the event, and there are a few factors that make this show unique, keeping professionals coming back for more each year:  

• Relevant topics – The MBCEA team works hard to make sure that the conference stays relevant to professionals across the industry. David gave an example of how they did that this year, sharing, “We keyed in on some project management software. A lot of project management software companies were invited because we know there’s so many options out there. The whole idea was to help our members navigate AI and other software.”  
• Next level networking – In addition to making sure the educational parts of the show are relevant to contractors, the MBCEA team has been careful to design networking opportunities that get people engaged and connected! David explained, “It can be easy as a contractor to feel like you’re the only one struggling. And often what you’re facing is actually something a lot of people are facing... We want to create networking spaces where everybody's together and able to work together to solve those common challenges.”  
• Double the fun – MBCEA also partners with the Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) to host the MBCEA conference at the same time as the MBMA Spring Meeting, meaning double the fun for attendees! Robert shared how this helps attendees of both events, adding, “It just makes sense to bring together the people that put up the metal building structures and those that build the parts for them. It creates space for collaboration and growth for both manufacturers and contractors.” 
• Celebration and recognition – Overall, MBCEA uses their show to uplift and support professionals across the industry. As part of that mission, they like to create space to celebrate and recognize the incredible work people are doing with metal building systems. Robert explained, “We like to celebrate works well done and showcase to those outside the industry what a metal building system can actually be!” 

These are just four of the ways that the MBCEA team makes their annual conference a must-attend for professionals in the industry. As David put it, “The conference is just great place to go to learn from each other and help one another in an industry that at times can be difficult but overall is wonderful.” 

Listen to the whole episode or Watch the recording to learn more about what makes MBCEA’s annual conference unique.