“I am extremely pleased with what I’ve heard from members, attendees, and other exhibitors on how beneficial they found the show and how successful this first trade show was. There is no other gathering of this size that brings together the entire supply chain for the mechanical insulation industry and end users.”
-Michele M. Jones, NIA’s Executive Vice President and CEO

Every fall, the National Insulation Association’s (NIA’s) members gather for the annual Fall Summit (formerly Committee Days) to discuss the direction of the association, delve into the latest relevant topics from on the ground in the industry, and take advantage of the educational and networking opportunities provided by NIA. This year, NIA unveiled a new Fall Summit format with even more value, adding bonus training and educational sessions, breakfast and luncheon keynote speakers, and forum-style committee meetings with expert speakers on member-requested topics. In a groundbreaking move, NIA also collaborated with Reed Exhibitions to hold the first international North American insulation trade show—Insulation Expo (IEX) USA—at the same time as NIA’s Fall Summit. From October 27–28, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center near Chicago, Illinois, the suppliers of insulation products, services, and technologies were able to share detailed information about insulation with engineers, contractors, facility owners and managers, specifiers, architects, and others in the industry.

The IEX USA trade show was a tremendous success, with numerous events to add even more value to this groundbreaking show. There were 77 exhibitors overall at the trade show, 43 of which were NIA member companies. NIA also hosted a booth and had the opportunity to speak to many of the attendees about the value of insulation, share information on helpful products and services, and offer subscriptions to Insulation Outlook, its industry-leading publication. Barry Hyduk, a Technical Sales Representative from Extol of Ohio, an insulation fabricator company, commented to NIA staff about the quality of the traffic at the Extol of Ohio booth. “The engineers who stopped by the Extol of Ohio booth asked in-depth, interesting questions. One engineer asked if we would be willing to come to them and demonstrate to other engineers what we do and what separates our product. The Oktoberfest reception was also a great aspect of the show and gave attendees and exhibitors the chance to have in-depth conversations in a more casual environment.” Many other exhibitors shared similar sentiments about how much traffic their booths received, and how the trade show offered a valuable opportunity to connect with engineers and other insulation end users—an audience they are always trying to reach.

In terms of product demonstrations, IEX USA offered numerous opportunities for attendees to see how products work up close. NIA and Reed Exhibitions worked together to offer the Product Showcase, where exhibitors could showcase their most popular items, as well as the Learning Theater. The Learning Theater hosted a variety of valuable demonstrations, consisting of 20-minute sessions for companies to give hands-on product demonstrations, discuss their installation methods, and talk more about their businesses. There were sessions on fiber glass, 2-piece fitting covers, removable and reusable insulation valve covers, mechanical insulation simple calculators, and more.

One of the most important aspects of an event like IEX USA is the chance for different segments of the insulation and construction industries to network. NIA helped to encourage collaboration by welcoming attendees to its booth, where they could recharge their phones, take advantage of NIA’s t-shirt giveaway, enjoy morning coffee or an afternoon beer and popcorn, play foosball or basketball, or just relax in the lounge area to meet other attendees and discuss business. NIA and Reed also collaborated to hold the NIA and IEX Oktoberfest reception, which began early and ended late, with numerous attendees lingering to discuss the successful first day of the trade show.

Michele M. Jones, NIA’s Executive Vice President and CEO, said in regard to IEX USA, “I am extremely pleased with what I’ve heard from members, attendees, and other exhibitors on how beneficial they found the show and how successful this first trade show was. There is no other gathering of this size that brings together the entire supply chain for the mechanical insulation industry and end users.” The IEX USA trade show will be held every other year in connection with NIA’s Fall Summit. In 2017, NIA plans to work to bring even more value to this important event, with additional learning opportunities, chances for hands-on demonstrations, and increased networking potential. To those who could not attend, NIA strongly encourages you to stay tuned for more information about the trade show in 2017—this is a must-attend event for anyone looking for more information on the benefits that insulation can offer to mechanical systems, and anyone who is a part of the insulation industry.

“Being a new member of NIA, I decided to take advantage of the nearby location and attend my first NIA event. I always enjoy networking in my industry at different regional events that I’ve attended, and it looks like NIA made a good move combining with the IEX USA show. I appreciated the industry information that was presented and look forward to future events.”
-Kevin Marvel, President, Insulation Components, Inc.

“The IEX USA show is good for our industry and was productive for Winroc-SPI. The show connected us with current suppliers and customers on a neutral field, improving discussion dynamics. Most importantly, we met with potential new vendors and customers that will likely generate new business. Our industry represents technical expertise and problem-solving solutions. Where else can engineers and designers directly tap in to this broad-based resource pool so effectively? I look forward to participating in future shows as word spreads about the show’s value to insulation end users.”
-Dave Latanision, Manager, Business Development & Marketing, Winroc-SPI