The Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association, Inc. (FRSA) is set to host its 99th Annual Convention and the Florida Roofing & Sheet Metal Expo in Kissimmee, Florida. FRSA is an association of roofing, sheet metal and air conditioning contractors and industry-related companies including manufacturers, suppliers, manufacturers' representatives, roofing consultants and others.
This marks a long-awaited return for FRSA’s storied annual event, which was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19. This year’s festivities will take place at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center from July 21-23, 2021, with a convention consisting of three days of education, family fun, sports, and networking and two days of the largest U.S. regional roofing expo.
Networking opportunities include the National Women in Roofing Mentorship Session, an insight-filled session where attendees will hear from women in the industry about their career experiences in roofing; the Young Professionals Panel Discussion, an open discussion with roofing professionals under the age of 40 featuring a panel of industry experts and focusing on current industry issues; and the FRSA Officer Installation Dinner and S.T.A.R. Awards. The complete schedule is available at the event website.
Seminars
The event starts with a day packed with educational seminars on Wednesday, with FRSA’s Educational & Research Foundation offering a full slate of Florida-based, roofing-specific seminars. With the new Florida Building Code (FBC) 2020 now in effect and the inclusion of ASCE 7-16 in the FBC, there are many technical changes to the way roofing systems are installed. To that end, FRSA has 10 seminars focusing on these changes at this year’s event.
The Foundation has also planned many educational seminars for Thursday and Friday. Titles of the available seminars include Advanced Florida Building Code 7th Edition; Top 5 Immigration Issues / E-Verify, Safety and Housekeeping — The Perfect Combination; Advanced FRSA-TRI Tile Manual 6th Edition Review; 2020 FBC Underlayment Requirements; Best Practices for Preventing Cybersecurity Breaches; Update to Florida’s Licensing Requirements; 2020 Advanced FBC and Major Changes in Metal Roofing; and Wind Mitigation Methods, the Law!
The seminar schedule also includes breaks allowing attendees to take advantage of fun activities, such as Wednesday’s sports tournaments for fishing, golf, clay shooting, and pistol shooting.
Expo
The Florida Roofing & Sheet Metal Expo will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday and from 10 a.m.to 3 p.m. on Friday. Attendees can join roofing contractors, architects, building officials, and industry suppliers as learn about the latest products and services from more than 230 industry exhibitors.
The complete list of exhibitors and booth locations can be accessed here, with booths located throughout Halls C-F at the facility. As always, the Expo is free to all roofing professionals.
The Expo will also offer complimentary lunch in the Food Court, cash prizes, daily beer busts, the FRSA Affiliate Pinball Competition benefiting the Gulf Coast Kid’s House, and the FRSA 25 Square Challenge — a unique game that can be accessed by downloading the FRSA event app.
Health and Safety
Regarding health and safety, FRSA says it is working closely with the event venue, the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center, and its vendors.
As part of Marriott International’s family, the Gaylord Palms Resort has implemented a multi-pronged approach designed to meet the health and safety challenges presented by COVID-19. These measures include a mandatory face mask policy for unvaccinated individuals; physical distancing guidelines; food safety protocols; and an increased emphasis on hygiene and cleanliness, as well as several other initiatives.
Potential attendees can review Marriott International’s Commitment to Clean for additional details and find property-specific information on the Gaylord Palms Resort website.
For more information, contact: FRSA, (407) 671-3772, www.floridaroof.com.