The Contractor Connection Conference & Expo’s roots officially date back to 1998, when about 50 attendees gathered in Orlando, FL. Fast forward to present day: The 2013 event, held in San Antonio, TX set new attendance records. And in just a few weeks, the 16th-annual event will kick off in New Orleans, LA, where it will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and Hilton New Orleans Riverside from June 9-13.

Like previous Contractor Connection events, 2014 has a theme – “Rise Up.”

“’Rise Up’ is not just a theme for this conference; it is something we hope carries on in the day-to-day activities of our network members - it is about being able to “Rise Up’ and meet the high expectations of our clients and their policyholders,” says Larry C. Thomas, Contractor Connection CEO. “’Rise Up’ is about being there for homeowners in a time of emergency – whether it is a flood in their home or during a catastrophic storm that severely damages their roof.

“New Orleans has had a history of rising up – all the way back from the great fire in 1788 to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 – and we felt the city provided the perfect backdrop for this message.”

In addition to an exhibit hall, educational workshops, networking receptions and breakouts, the 2014 event is also hosting two general session keynote speakers - Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré (Ret.), best known for his leadership as commander of Joint Task Force-Katrina and leader of the Department of Defense’s response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and Steven S. Little, a well-known expert on business growth.

 “Simply put, our conference is a marquee event for the restoration and remodeling industry because of the tremendous amount of educational and networking opportunities,” says Thomas. “Network members who attend this conference will come away with a better sense of how they can be a top performer in our network, which in turn will help transform their business. It is also a fantastic opportunity for insurance carriers to learn more about how contractor networks add a tremendous amount of value to the policyholder experience.”