International Window Film Expo, Conference and Tint-Off™ a Success

Automotive division winners: George Reyna, Les Helton and Chris Brooks.

The International Window Film Expo, Conference and Tint-Off™ (IWFE), sponsored by WINDOW FILM magazine, was held last Friday and Saturday in Las Vegas. The event brought together the industry’s best tinters and most eager minds for two days of educational opportunities, product showcasing and intense competition.

While everyone walked away from the seminar rooms with a notepad full of winning advice and education, only a select few walked away with trophies and checks. Twenty-three competed in the automotive competition while five competed in the architectural division.

And the Winners Are
Les Helton of Performance Window Tinting Inc. in Carrollton, Ga., placed first in the automotive division for the second straight event, claiming a check for $7,500. In an interview with WINDOW FILM, Helton explained that several of this year’s competitors contacted him over the past six months for key advice.

Chris Brooks of Kauff’s Kustom Tint & Graphics in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., won second-place in the automotive division, while George Reyna of Tint Master in Costa Mesa, Calif., placed third using Johnson Window Film’s product.

In the architectural film competition, Damon Edison with Pro-Tint of Kannapolis, in N.C., placed first, taking home $1,000 while Caleb Silkett of Midwest Tinting Inc. was runner-up.

Came to Learn
The conference portion of IWFE came to a climax as more than 120 attendees filed in for the keynote address. Christophe Fremont, president of Bekaert Specialty Films in San Diego delivered a pointed message about global warming including his optimistic outlook for the industry.

“We have huge opportunities,” Fremont said. “We have things that we can do to grow this business by a factor of ten. But it will require us to do things slightly different than we do them today.”

Fremont warned that while the industry is poised for tremendous growth if it takes hold of current opportunities, its future depends on the ability of industry players to adapt and take hold of a changing market.

“This industry has been around for approximately 40 years,” he said. “But I do believe that, if we don’t wake up, we might not be here for the next 40. However, if we do, we will be here for the next century and this industry will be multiplied by ten.”

Fremont cited the green movement as one factor the industry must capitalize on—a message that was later echoed by Bekaert’s director of global marketing, Kathryn Giblin, in a session that outlined the associated opportunities.

For complete event details, including an exhibitor overview, a closer look at the Tint-Off™ and details from conference sessions, see WINDOW FILM’s July-August issue. Also, watch for photo and video segments in upcoming newsletters and on WINDOW FILM’s website (www.windowfilmmag.com).