With it being my first WFCT, I tried to absorb everything like a sponge. I’d like to share certain bits of wisdom that I picked up from industry veterans throughout the week.

The conference was about increasing professionalism and profits, that’s for sure. This was evidenced in the educational seminars, particularly the ones about adding on services to an already existing window film business.

I was fortunate enough to emcee the seminar on adding paint protection film and the panelists— Jamie Werner of Premium Shield, Becky Casey of DuraShield and David Campbell of XPEL—were full of wisdom on how to go about doing that. What spoke to me the most, though, was what they said on the show floor after the morning sessions. Especially following the seminar, they all said that the conference attendees were excited to add PPF installations to their list of services. To me, that is evidence of the hunger and entrepreneurial spirit I’ve come to witness from dealers in this industry. As a journalist, it’s what makes covering the window film industry rewarding.

Also, it was a pleasure to meet Window Film magazine columnists Donna Wells and Manny Hondroulis in person finally.

Our bloggers Patric Fransko and Bill Valway were at the show as well. Both had some profound statements that really stuck.

Amidst seminars on search rankings and social media, Fransko said something that really drove the importance of utilizing social media home. “I’m not a social media guy, I’m a marketing guy so I use social media,” he said. While almost every session talked about social media marketing in some form, his statement simply drove home the point of how necessary its use is to staying ahead in this industry.

Valway said he uses the conference as a motivation tool for his company’s employees. He explained that after an entire (busy) summer of tinting, his installers don’t necessarily view window film in a favorable light, so he sends them to WFCT, which gets them excited about the industry all over again. What a business practice!

I wish I could share more from the event, but there was simply too much that happened to put that in here. If you’re interested in hearing more, the November/December issue of Window Film Magazine will have full coverage. I truly enjoyed my time at WFCT this year and am already looking forward to next year. See you there!