Mike Goldenstein Getting away from a roofing business for a few days takes effort. The jobs keep moving, and your phone treats “out of office” as a personal challenge. But after attending the 2026 FEI Group National Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, October 21–23, I came home reminded of why these events deserve space on the calendar. You get time with people who understand the work and can help you make better decisions about what comes next.
For us at Sales Rabbit, that face-to-face time is a big reason we show up. Conversations with roofing leaders and manufacturers help us understand what contractors need from the products we’re building. And there’s something satisfying about having a conversation without someone saying, “You’re on mute.”
Why the FEI Conference Is Valuable for Roofing Contractors
The Exterior Contractor Alliance brings experienced roofing and exterior business owners together, and that experience makes the conference valuable. Companies including ONE Solutions and Omnia Exterior Solutions participated alongside growing businesses in the ECA’s Trailblazers community.
That gives owners a chance to compare notes with people who have worked through similar challenges. Someone else has dealt with the growing pains of adding locations or fixing a sales-to-production handoff. Hearing how they handled it can save you an expensive round of figuring it out yourself.
SupplyConnect also put contractors and solution providers in the same room for conversations that could continue over dinner. Those introductions are easier to build on when you’ve had time to talk beyond a booth pitch.
Roofing Business Takeaways for 2027
The market outlook gave everyone plenty to discuss. The Powerhouse Panel encouraged owners to prepare for different demand scenarios, while Kent Gardner of SRS Distribution walked ECA members through roofing shipment trends and the possibility of a recovery as early as 2027.
For contractors, the useful takeaway was to address operational problems now so they’re better prepared for whatever demand does next. Nobody wants to discover their process breaks at higher volume by watching it happen during the busiest week of the year.
AI was another major topic, with sessions exploring practical tools and changes in search visibility. The opportunity is exciting, especially for businesses spending too many hours on repetitive office work. The value comes from giving the technology a specific job and checking whether it helps. A subscription receipt is remarkably poor evidence of progress.
Networking That Continues After the Sessions
The western-themed evening and Friday activities gave everyone more time to connect, whether over golf, pickleball, or a trip into Old Town Scottsdale. Golf also supported HALO Animal Rescue, with the Hole Hecklers helping raise money while providing unsolicited swing analysis.
The give-back event supporting the Autism Society of Greater Phoenix was another highlight. Attendees decorated plush superhero companions and wrote cards for children with autism. It was a thoughtful addition to a schedule built around business.
These shared experiences give people an easier way to get to know each other. The next time a question comes up, there’s a familiar person to call.
How These Conversations Shape Roof Rabbit
Those conversations matter to us at Sales Rabbit because they help us improve Roof Rabbit. Hearing directly from contractors about where work gets delayed gives our team better information to build from. Face-to-face time also lets us ask follow-up questions that a survey can easily miss.
See how Roof Rabbit works. We want the experience to reflect how contractors actually work, including the days when the schedule has already gone sideways before breakfast.
Thanks to FEI Group and the ECA community for a worthwhile few days. We left with conversations to continue and ideas to bring back to our team. That’s a good return on time away from the office.
You must be logged in to post a comment.