Strength in numbers

The roofing industry will converge on Capitol Hill April 3-4 for Roofing Day in D.C. 2019, the premier industry advocacy event of the year. This event is an opportunity for the roofing industry's collective voice to be heard in the nation's capital regarding key government policy issues. All roofing industry professionals are urged to participate in this transformational event, and company owners and managers are urged to bring along field employees.

With more than 400 participants at the 2018 inaugural event, Roofing Day in D.C. 2018 was one of the largest advocacy events held by any industry in Washington, D.C. Roofing Day in D.C. fulfills NRCA CEO Reid Ribble's vision of how the industry can expand its influence and enhance its image in the capital. The event brings together contractors, manufacturers, distributors, consultants and other industry participants to speak with "One Voice" regarding matters that are critical to the industry's continued success. It is the culmination of years of discussion between NRCA and partner stakeholders about how best to move the industry forward together.

The agenda

Roofing Day in D.C. 2019 promises to be even larger and better than the previous year's inaugural event. Hotel rooms and event space have been secured at the Hyatt Regency Washington, located just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol. Kick-off for the event takes place Wednesday, April 3, at 3 p.m. with invited keynote speaker Alexander Acosta, the U.S. secretary of labor. Acosta is expected to provide an overview of the Trump administration's policy initiatives from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and other agencies. The afternoon program also will contain an advocacy training session and issues briefing to prepare attendees for their meetings with members of Congress Thursday. A networking reception will be held at the hotel after the program.

The following day, Thursday, April 4, attendees will gather for breakfast at the hotel before heading to the House and Senate office buildings to meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. All participants will have three to five meetings with senators, representatives and/or congressional staff to convey the roofing industry's message to Congress. The meetings will be scheduled by Prime Advocacy, a consulting firm that specializes in providing logistical services for large advocacy events, which has been retained by NRCA exclusively for this event.

Each participant will receive a schedule of meetings, as well as talking points regarding key policy issues, upon his or her arrival at the Hyatt Regency Washington. Although the details of specific legislation to be discussed in the meetings have not been finalized, the event is expected to focus on efforts to reduce regulatory burdens and address the ongoing workforce shortage within the roofing industry.

For participants staying in town after the congressional meetings, a closing reception will be held at the Hyatt Regency Washington. Participants will have the opportunity to network and compare notes from the congressional meetings with fellow attendees. There also will be opportunities for participants to discuss their Roofing Day in D.C. 2019 experiences in video messages that will be posted on social media.

Don't miss out

NRCA strongly encourages all industry professionals to participate in Roofing Day in D.C. 2019. The goal is to bring 1,000 participants from across the U.S. to Capitol Hill to ensure the industry's collective voice is heard. Company owners and managers are urged to bring one or more field workers to fully demonstrate to Congress the diversity within the industry.

Registration fees are $75 per person for company representatives and $25 for roof system installers and students. Registration includes the advocacy training session and reception April 3, breakfast April 4, scheduling of congressional meetings for each participant and the closing reception April 4. Participants are responsible only for transportation to and from Washington, D.C., and making their hotel reservations at the Hyatt Regency Washington. The guaranteed rate for hotel rooms expires Monday, March 11, so be sure to register soon. Additional information about Roofing Day in D.C. 2019 and registration instructions are available on NRCA's website at www.nrca.net/roofingday.

As a roofing industry professional, you won't want to miss being a part of this exciting event. Your participation is vital to making Roofing Day in D.C. 2019 successful for your business and the industry. On behalf of the leadership and staff at NRCA, we look forward to seeing you on Capitol Hill in April!

Duane Musser is NRCA's vice president of government relations in Washington, D.C.

This column is part of Rules + Regs. Click here to read additional stories from this section.