Why contractors should attend the “Strategic Celebrations” seminar at IRE 2026

By Heidi J. Ellsworth.

For companies committed to building strong teams, clear expectations and a culture that supports sustained success, this seminar should be at the top of the agenda.

The International Roofing Expo 2026 is heading to Las Vegas on January 20–22, 2026, and for contractors focused on long-term growth, profitability and leadership development, one seminar stands out as a must-attend — “Strategic Celebrations: Best Practices for Generating World-Class Growth and Profits."

About the course

This is more than a traditional business session. It explores topics like:

• Leadership strategy through the lens of making clear choices, aligning the organization and building momentum that lasts over time.
• Teamwork as the engine of execution, with a focus on purpose, collaboration, accountability and pride in performance.
• Culture is positioned as the invisible hand that guides behavior and decision-making, shaping how teams respond when no one is watching. 

Overall, it challenges how companies think about these three factors and introduces a powerful concept many organizations overlook: strategic celebration.

What is strategic celebration? Celebration is often viewed as a reward or a one-time event. However, it can become a strategic form of communication that reinforces expectations, strengthens culture, aligns teams around shared goals and supports sustained success when implemented correctly. 

Whether you're a contractor in the field or business leader, this is a great opportunity to examine how a strong culture does more than feel good, it attracts and retains talent, creates clarity around values and expectations and becomes the foundation for consistent results and profitable growth. 

About the speaker

The seminar is led by Dave Harrison, managing director at Harrison Growth Coach, whose experience spans decades at the highest levels of the roofing and building products industries. Most recently, Dave served on the boards of National Roofing Partners and GoNano.

Prior to that, he spent 13 years at GAF, where he held roles including chief marketing officer, president international and board member for the entire GAF group of companies. During his tenure, Dave helped create some of the most influential programs in the roofing industry, including master elite, master select, CARE and wealth builder. Earlier in his career, he held global leadership roles with Armstrong and Johnson & Johnson. 

Dave is also a respected educator and speaker, having delivered more than 200 trainings for organizations such as National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), ABC Supply and QXO (at the time Beacon). He has taught MBA-level courses at Indiana University, Butler University and Babson College. 

Mark your calendar

If you want to learn practical insights from Dave about how strategy, teamwork and culture work together to drive world-class growth and profits, maark your calendar for IRE 2026 (taking place January 20–22, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada). Specific session times and locations are available through the official IRE conference schedule.