The Restoration Industry Association’s 63rd Annual “Solutions” Convention & Exhibition, March 12-14, drew to a close Friday with a spirited debate.

Boasting more than 600 attendees, the RIA’s largest show of the year took up residence at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas.

Education was at the forefront as usual, with seminars ranging from “50 New Marketing Ideas for Restoration Companies” and “Fill the Labor Gap: Finding Qualified Help” to “Risky Business: Dealing With Unusual Pet Droppings” and “Navajo Weavers, part I and II.”

The featured event of the day, however, was the highly anticipated “A Restorer’s Dilemma, Choosing a Focus: Part 1 End User Marketeer or Vendor Program Loyalist,” a two-team debate featuring supporters and detractors of preferred vendor programs. Both teams came out swinging, touting the pros and cons of preferred vendor programs and how they impact the professional contractor. The debate will continue this fall at the RIA’s Fall Seminar Series.

The RIA’s Fall Seminar Series is slated to be held in Baltimore, Md., Nov. 18-22. For more information go to www.restorationindustry.org.