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Show Report
Season's
Opening Event
The
second annual World of Hurricane Protection Trade Show and Conference
starts off an active year ahead.
by
Howard Shingle
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The second
annual World of Hurricane Protection Trade Show and Conference was
the first hurricane protection industry event in what is expected
to be an active year. Held at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward
County Convention Center May 16 to 17, the show drew exhibitors and
attendees from throughout the Southeast and as far away as Texas and
New York.
Several new hurricane protection products were featured on the trade
show floor and an expanded schedule of seminars was presented over
the two-day event. The Word of Hurricane Protection is the only trade
show and conference dedicated solely to hurricane protection—products
to protect window and door openings including panels, shutters, rolling
shutters and impact-resistant glass and to install and test products.
GETTING STARTED
Friday morning began with a regularly scheduled IHPA general meeting,
presided by Frank Storms, association president. Members heard reports
from Don Leggett, chairman of the membership and benefits committee,
and Scott Kuntz, chairman of the association’s governmental affairs
committee, as well as other standing committees.
Special guest speaker Frank Lushine, Warning Coordination Meteorologist
for the Miami Weather Forecast Office, informed members that with
El Nino conditions weakening, an active hurricane season was forecast
for this year by the National Hurricane Center. The forecast expects
six to nine hurricanes to develop out of the Atlantic.
Lushine also reviewed new evidence that indicates more than 2,500
deaths were associated with the 1928 Lake Okeechobee hurricane, making
it the second deadliest hurricane in U.S. history.
This meeting ended with a special presentation to all of the IHPA’s
original board members. Storms gave each board member a framed and
autographed copy of the first issue of Hurricane Protection magazine,
which featured a cover story on the creation and mission of the IHPA.
Following the IHPA meeting the official ribbon-cutting was held to
open the trade show floor. Representing the city of Fort Lauderdale,
FL, and its fire and rescue operations was Deputy Chief Rhoda Mae
Kerr. She, along with Storms and Lushine, cut the ribbon to open this
year’s show.
EDUCATION FORUM
An expanded slate of seminars was offered this year covering the effects
of the Florida Building Code (FBC), product development and risk management
along with marketing tips, goal setting and business planning.
Nanette McElman, PE, building code manager for the Institute for Business
& Home Safety (IBHS) started things off Friday afternoon outlining
several viable hurricane protection markets outside the state of Florida.
McElman explained that in many states constructing homes and businesses
with hurricane panel protection increases construction costs by as
little as 0.5 percent, but reduces the loss from hurricane damage
by as much as 12 to 54 percent.
In concurrent sessions, Tony DeLiso, author of “Legacy: The Power
Within,” outlined the seven steps in goal setting; John Palumbo,
The Sterling Group, presented an interactive sales and marketing workshop
featuring more ideas for increasing business in a competitive environment
and being effective with low-budget marketing campaigns; and Francois
D. Metraux, president, Visionary Technologies, Inc., reviewed the
essence of a business plan including creating a mission statement,
market analysis, marketing planning, financial planning and risk.
Morning and afternoon sessions on Saturday covered wind-load determination
and testing under the FBC by Orlando Blanco, PE, senior project engineer,
Knezevich Associates, Inc.; a summary of the current insurance crisis
within the hurricane industry, product liability and manufacturers
defects and an overview of successful strategies of risk management
by Don Leggett, Advanced Risk Management, Inc. and vice president,
Insurance Office of America; a review of the history of hurricane
protection product development and cutting edge products of the future
by Bill Feeley, national sales director/hurricane protection, Eastern
Metal Supply, Inc.; a discussion on the definitions of “partially
enclosed” versus “enclosed” buildings in the FBC and
why the differences matter by Do Kim, PE, director of technical services,
Cameron Ashley Building Products-Ashley Division; and glazing protection
requirements of the FBC by Joe Belcher, president, JDB Code Services,
Inc.
TIME FOR FUN, TOO
The World of Hurricane Protection event also offered many opportunities
to network and have fun. On Thursday, the second annual golf scramble
got off to a noon start at the Jacaranda Golf Club, sponsored by the
IHPA with Cameron Ashley Building Products, a major sponsor. This
year, some 140 golfers took to the fairways.
Golfers and exhibitors setting up their booths that day made it back
to the Marriott Marina Hotel in time for the exhibitor and IHPA reception
held poolside.
To wrap things up, a raffle was held Saturday. Lucky winners were
presented beach bags, golf shirts, fishing rods and even a four-foot
ladder all donated by exhibitors and sponsors. |
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