The Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA), the educational and technical resource to the spray polyurethane foam (SPF) industry, announced that author and Emmy Award-winning television personality Steve Thomas from PBS’s This Old House will be the keynote speaker for the Sprayfoam 2017 Convention and Expo. To be held January 29 – February 1 in Palm Springs, Calif., the official national convention of the Spray Polyurethane Foam industry will feature three full days of educational sessions, an 35,000-square-foot exhibit hall, a prestigious industry awards ceremony, professional certification programs, an annual golf tournament, and many other special events and features.

Steve Thomas will deliver the official Sprayfoam 2017 keynote address on Jan. 31^st at 9:00 a.m. He is currently spokesman for Habitat for Humanity International, with a special emphasis on Builders Blitz and the ReStore. Steve Thomas completed three seasons hosting Planet Green’s Renovation Nation, a sustainable building show. During his 14 years as the well-known host of television’s most popular home improvement series – This Old House – he became known as the “ultimate home enthusiast” and helped catapult the show to the top of PBS’s most-watched ongoing series of all-time list. He also contributed to the successful debut of Ask This Old House, the series in which viewer questions are addressed on-air, as host during its first year. Steve was honored with a 1997 – 1998 Daytime Emmy Award and a total of nine nominations for “Outstanding Service Show Host.” He is a popular speaker, video producer, blogger, photographer, renovator and branding consultant. He also consults on sustainable building and renovation for clients across the United States and is currently writing a much-anticipated book.

“As a longtime sustainable building and renovation expert, Steve Thomas is a major coup for our annual event,” said Kurt Riesenberg, executive director of the Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA), the official organizer of the show. “His enthusiasm for quality craftsmanship in the built environment, as demonstrated in his hosting This Old House, and his high profile role with Habitat for Humanity, align with the Sprayfoam Convention & Expo’s goal of providing cutting-edge education and business insight to the industry.”

During his keynote, Steve Thomas will likely speak about his various experiences working with spray foam - both personally and professionally – as well as his current renovation efforts, while providing attendees a great perspective on the business that they will be able to bring back to their customers. He will utilize any remaining time to answer audience questions about his life-long passion for building, his time spent on This Old House and his highly anticipated book.

Sprayfoam 2017 Convention & Expo’s robust event agenda includes a bustling and energetic 35,000-square-foot exhibit hall showcasing booth displays from over 80 industry organizations, manufacturers, contractors, equipment providers, and many others; a three-day educational program including more than 30 break-out sessions; a general session with efficiency legend Sam Rashkin, chief architect, Building Technologies Office highlighting the Department of Energy’s Net Zero Initiatives; the 12^th Annual Industry Excellence Awards Ceremony highlighting true innovation, best practices and excellence in the nation’s best SPF projects; SPFA Annual Member Awards, honoring members who have demonstrated significant dedication to the betterment of the organization and industry at-large; the Annual Golf Tournament; VIP events; member and contractor-only events; an entertainment filled Close-Out Reception and Networking Party.

The SPFA will offer Professional Certification Program testing onsite at Sprayfoam 2016 on January 29^th and 30^th. Testing will be administered to individuals active in the installation of SPF in roofing and insulation, as well as to contractor and supplier companies, with the ability to gain professional accreditation on-site. Testing is offered as part of the internationally recognized, only-one-of-its-kind program built to advocate best practices and safety in the installation of SPF. The standards-driven program is ISO 17024 compliant, was developed by committees of industry stakeholders in collaboration with OSHA, NIOSH and the EPA, and is generally considered the industry’s certification of choice.

Due to an abundance of PCP scholarship sponsors the challenging Field Exams needed to obtain the Master Installer certification will be offered for free to candidates at the show for the second year in a row. Interested parties should visit The Sprayfoam Show website at www.thesprayfoamshow.com or contact SPFA PCP Director of Certification Kelly Marcavage at kmarcavage@sprayfoam.org directly. Space may be limited.

“Sprayfoam 2017 is the spray foam event of the year,” said John Achille, president of the SPFA. “As the largest annual event serving our industry with exceptional education, onsite certification, networking opportunities and more, it is the place to be if you are part of the spray polyurethane foam marketplace.”

Attendance for the Sprayfoam 2017 Convention & Expo is expected to exceed 1,200 individuals representing the complete Spray Polyurethane Foam industry and value chain, as well as the general public. The event will be held at the Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel and Palm Springs Convention Center. 

Premier Sponsors of Sprayfoam 2017 include: Accella Polyurethane Systems, CertainTeed, Chemours, Covestro, Gaco Western, Honeywell, Icynene, Lapolla, NCFI Polyurethanes, and Polyurethane Machinery Corporation. Premier Media Sponsors include Sprayfoam Professional (the official publication of the Sprayfoam 2017 event), Building Enclosure, Roofing Contractor, and Walls & Ceilings magazines. To inquire about event sponsorship, please contact Michele Riesenberg at Michele@sprayfoam.org. Program, hotel pricing and availability, and additional event information is available at the SPFA website at www.sprayfoam.org/expo or www.thesprayfoamshow.com.  

“We have secured one of the best lineups to date, are experiencing heightened social media engagement, and industry professionals have expressed even higher optimism and excitement for the event this year,” said Riesenberg. “The industry is expanding and with it comes opportunity, growing pains, new market entrants and higher expectations for practitioners, thus we are honored to see the industry using the show as a rally point every year to better prepare themselves.”