Earlier this year, over 1,800 restoration professionals from around the world gathered at the Palm Beach County Convention Centre in West Palm Beach, Florida, for the 2025 RIA (Restoration Industry Association) International Restoration Convention & Industry Expo. As the worthy recipient of the Pete Consigli Scholarship, allowing him to travel across the world for the event, Programmed’s very own Contract Manager Sean Balchin was among attendees eager to learn more about the future of the restoration industry.
Gaining a global perspective and leadership insights
The convention opened with a keynote address from Scott K. Edinger, a highly regarded consultant and author. His presentation, “The Growth Leader: Strategies to Drive the Top and Bottom Lines” explored how restoration businesses can rethink sales as a core value, integrating it into strategic planning and enhancing the customer experience to gain a competitive advantage.
Sean then attended a variety of expert-led sessions, delving into topics such as artificial intelligence in restoration, labour and employment structure management, data analytics and digital claims processing, the evolving relationship between restoration professionals and insurers, and the upcoming S700 Fire Standard.
These sessions reflected the dynamic shifts occurring within the industry and highlighted new strategies being adopted in the US, giving us the exciting opportunity to bring these learnings home and discover how they might be employed in Australia and New Zealand.
Showcasing innovation in restoration
The Expo Hall was a hub of innovation, with over 230 top suppliers and service providers showcasing a wide range of the latest technologies and services in the restoration industry. Sean was particularly impressed by the scale and technological advancement of the US market, offering an exciting look at what’s possible and what may soon be emerging closer to home.
Celebrating industry excellence
A highlight of the convention was the celebration of industry achievements through a series of awards and recognitions. These included the RIA Designation recipients, Volunteer of the Year, Contractor’s Choice, C&R’s Golden Quill Award, Phoenix Awards, the Marty L. King Lifetime Achievement Award, and the inaugural Emerging Leaders Award.
It was also a proud moment for Sean, seeing his name up in lights on the big screen as one of the worthy award winners.
Sean’s top event insights and takeways
The event offered invaluable insights into global best practices, emerging technologies, and innovative strategies.
Sean shared some of his most important takeaways from the event:
- Embracing technological advancements – Integrating AI tools and data analytics to enhance efficiency and service quality
- Strengthening collaboration – Fostering better relationships between restoration professionals and insurance stakeholders to streamline claims processes.
- Investing in talent development – Implementing programs to cultivate and empower the next generation of restoration professionals. IICRC are developing a Cert IV in restoration.
- Adapting to industry standards – Understanding and applying new standards like the S700 Fire Standard to ensure compliance and excellence.
- An upcoming Code of Practice Manual – To be released in June 2025.
- US tensions with regulation – Of the 55,0000 restoration business in the US, only 16,000 are RIA Members as many do not appreciate regulation in restoration works.
Through formal sessions, the expo floor, and various networking opportunities, Sean was able to connect with industry leaders and engage in forward-looking discussions about the future of restoration both locally and globally. The event reinforced the importance of global knowledge-sharing, inspiring strategies to inform how we can enhance the delivery of our own service offering back at home.
A huge thanks to Sean for sharing such fantastic insights, and congratulations on the big win that led you to the States!
