show report

Busy from the Get-Go
Like the season ahead, the World of Hurricane Protection
begins with a bustle of activity.

by Howard Shingle

The third World of Hurricane Protection Trade Show & Conference opened under ominous, threatening skies May 5 in Orlando, FL—a harbinger of the season to come? Preseason forecasts call for yet another above-average hurricane season for the Southeast this year, and added to the relentless, four-storm season a year ago, the industry is busier that it has been in many years.

Inside the conference center of the Doubletree Hotel a bustling crowd of hurricane-protection dealers, installers and building contractors came to see the latest products exhibited, and to attend educational seminars. The trade show floor showcased the full range of hurricane- protection products and components, including storm panels (clear and otherwise) and hurricane shutters from accordion to Bahama, Colonial, roll-up and motorized. Also displayed were fasteners and building products, impact-resistant windows and doors, solar screens, motors and industry-related computer software.

Helpful, instructional and educational booths also were featured by the International Hurricane Protection Association (IHPA), International Code Council (ICC) and the Aluminum Association of Florida (AAF).
The World of Hurricane Protection is sponsored by IHPA and produced by Hurricane Protection magazine.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

This year’s activities actually began Wednesday, May 4 with the IHPA-sponsored golf outing at Champions Gate Golf Club. Heavy skies threatened storms, yet a full complement of foursomes took to the links and only during one or two holes were the umbrellas out. Several companies sponsored holes at the scramble. They were: All Points Screw, Bolt & Specialty Co.; American Shutter Systems Association; Eastern Metal Supply, Inc.; Guardian/Cameron Ashley; Hurricane Protection Industries; ITW/Buildex; Madden Mfg.; Metal Tech, Inc.; PGT Industries; Signature Storm Panel; SIMU USA; Transparent Protection Systems; and Wayne-Dalton.

That evening, an exhibitor reception and IHPA party was held at the hotel conference center in appreciation of the product suppliers exhibiting at this year’s show.

DOWN TO BUSINESS

The conference began in earnest on Thursday with a 9 a.m. opening panel discussion on Florida’s “new” building code. When enacted in 2002, the Florida code had a built-in three-year review and revision process. The changes to the code were discussed by panelists William York, IntraRisk Division of Applied Research Association; Florida building official Joe Crum; Mo Mandani, manager of the technical unit in the Florida Office of Building Codes and Standards; and Phil McMahan, regional manager of Florida’s International Code Council (ICC) office.

Other seminars held that day were Understanding Risk Management, led by Don Leggett, Advanced Risk Management, Inc.; consulting engineer Frank Barnardo’s Advancing Technologies in Engineering for Storm Protection; and State Product Approval System, led by Mandani.

After the trade show floor closed for the day, the IHPA held a meeting open to all attendees. The well-attended meeting was the first chaired by the association’s new president, Bill Feeley, Eastern Metal Supply, Inc.

Following the meeting, Cameron Ashley by Guardian Building Products sponsored a reception in the exhibit hall.

On Friday, an all-new series of seminar was presented offering those registered the opportunity to earn Continuing Education Learning Units. These courses help builders and contractors maintain their licenses. This year’s series included a two-part seminar on Wind Load Provisions and Building Envelope Requirements of the FBC led by York. Morning sessions were Wind Borne Debris Protection by David Olmsted, PGT Industries; and Florida’s Existing Building Code, by Susan Parker, PGT University.

Afternoon sessions were on Florida’s Residential Code, also led by Olmsted; and The True Cost Difference of Partially Enclosed Building Design vs. Enclosed Building Design, by Do Kim, Cameron Ashley Building Products.