By Heidi J. Ellsworth. 

Building on more than 70 years of Congress tradition, IFD’s Connection Forum creates new opportunities for roofing and façade professionals to exchange ideas, strengthen relationships and collaborate across borders. 

Since its founding in the early 1950s, the International Federation of the Roofing Trade (IFD) has supported the exchange of knowledge and experience in roofing and façades while helping professionals build the trust needed for meaningful collaboration. One of the ways they have done this is by bringng the global roofing and façade community together through its Congress.

IFD's Congress create a space for technical knowledge, craftsmanship and relationship building across international borders and have helped establish IFD as a unifying voice for professionals, manufacturers and associations around the world while building a strong tradition of international exchange. In a recent Roofing Road Trips® conversation, IFD President Dirk Bollwerk reinforced that mission, noting that relationships are just as important as technical exchange because they create the environment where ideas can be openly shared and applied. That perspective helps explain why IFD is updating their event format to focus on connection while continuing to honour the strength of its Congress foundation.

Today, IFD is introducing the Connection Forum as an additional format that builds on the Congress tradition while creating a more interactive environment for attendees. This development builds on the collaboration and connection of the Congress while incorporating member feedback requesting more opportunities for exchange, interaction and practical discussion.

The Connection Forum is a setting where participants can move from listening into deeper engagement. Attendees will be able to discuss project experiences, explore regional challenges and share insights that contribute to technical understanding across borders. Instead of only receiving information, participants become part of the conversation, helping shape ideas in real time while strengthening the connections that have always been central to IFD. 

This approach also reflects the realities the roofing and façade sectors are facing today. Challenges such as sustainability, safety and workforce development are appearing across many regions, often with different solutions shaped by local conditions. One of IFD’s greatest strengths is its ability to connect these perspectives so professionals can learn from one another and adapt ideas in ways that work for their own businesses. The forum is intentionally designed to support that exchange by creating space for open dialogue while helping to bridge the gap between global insight and local application, turning shared knowledge into practical value for all attendees. 

What is happening now is continuity with a clear purpose. The Connection Forum builds on more than 70 years of successful Congress tradition and reflects the way IFD members and partners increasingly want to connect and collaborate today. As a new format for this year, it also creates an opportunity to identify and share best practices that can help shape the evolution of future congresses while keeping the organization’s mission rooted in practical international exchange. 

At the heart of that mission is IFD’s role as a neutral international platform where industry leaders, associations and professionals can meet on equal footing. By creating space for open dialogue, IFD helps participants exchange experience and knowledge in a way that moves beyond polite listening and into meaningful collaboration. Specialists gain access to current industry insight that can be applied both in the development of national standards and in everyday practical execution, making the forum a place where shared ideas can become useful tools back home. 

That collaborative spirit is also reflected in the organizations helping bring the new format to life. The IFD Connection Forum 2026 is hosted by Wienerberger and supported by IFD’s Supporting Partners VELUX, Murexin, Fakro and PREFA. Their commitment is an important part of making this new format possible and deserves recognition as the international roofing and façade community comes together to strengthen relationships and share knowledge. 

It is not a departure from the past, but an added opportunity to carry IFD’s mission forward in a format that feels more direct, practical and open to a wider community. The Connection Forum honours the foundation of the Congress while expanding how people connect, learn from one another and build relationships that support the roofing and façade industries across borders. 

By The Coffee Shops™. 

IFD’s World Championship of Young Roofers gives emerging roofing professionals a global platform to demonstrate skill, training and craftsmanship. 

Held roughly every two years in a different location, International Federation of the Roofing Trade (IFD)'s World Championship of Young Roofers is designed to test trade knowledge and hands-on kill across four disciplines: roofing, waterproofing, metal and industrial roofing and façade. The competition is built around a broader mission to promote the roofing trade, strengthen respect for professional work and highlight the value of vocational and in-company training. It also gives participating countries an opportunity to show the quality of their roofing education and the achievements of young professionals entering the industry. 

Entering the competition 

Each country may send one team per discipline. Teams are made up of two roofers who are younger than 28 during the competition year and have either won a national championship or, where no championship exists, were selected by a national professional organisation of the roofing trade based on skill. Participants may compete only once in each category.  

Once selected, competitors train under the guidance of an industry mentor. These mentors may return in multiple competition years and are encouraged to continue supporting future teams. 

How judging works 

At the championship, an eight-person jury elected by the IFD General Assembly evaluates each team’s performance. Jury members cannot come from the same country and cannot serve as mentors. Teams are judged on accuracy of execution, performance, cleanliness, use of materials, craftsmanship, implementation of the required task and serviceability. 

Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded to the top three teams in each discipline. The competition also includes a president’s prize, where participants can showcase their specialties in a free competition. Winners receive a commemorative gift from the host country and an IFD certificate of participation, while each world champion also receives an IFD challenge cup. 

The most recent championship was held in Innsbruck, Austria, in 2024. The next championship is planned for 2027 in Budapest, Hungary. Follow IFD to keep up on news about it!

By Emma Peterson. 

How IFD creates opportunities for international collaboration and knowledge sharing that strengthens the global roofing industry. 

Since their founding in 1952, the International Federation of the Roofing Trade (IFD) has served as a unifying network between national roofing associations, industry partners and technical experts all working towards the same goal – strengthen the international roofing industry. Today, they are the world’s leading roofing organisation.  

In this role, the IFD supports the global roofing community with opportunity for collaboration, information on innovations and opportunities to advance the industry. Sabine Rothschuh, IFD’s secretary general, describes IFD’s role as providing:  

A unique platform where members can exchange knowledge, discuss common challenges and learn from international best practices. In my experience, the greatest value of membership is not only access to information, but access to people and ideas that help shape the future of our industry together. Events such as the IFD Connection Forum in Vienna create exactly these opportunities for meaningful international collaboration. 

Becoming a member of IFD brings you into this incredible global network and gives you access to international expertise, technical knowledge and best practices that help you strengthen your organisation. There are four types of membership offered through IFD, ensuring that, whether you are an engineer, a national association, a designer or any other type of roofing, you can get the most out of your membership. These memberships include:  

• Full members: This membership level is designed for “professional organisations of the roofing and facade trade which are constituted in their countries in accordance with the laws existing there in each case.” 
• Cooperation partners: National and regional professional organisations within the roofing and facade sector at this level pay a contribution that is individually determined between them and the IFD.  
• Partner members: These members are manufacturers and companies in the roofing and facade field, as well as national and international associations of manufacturers and industry. 
• Scientific members: The scientific membership was made for “universities, departments, institutions, chairs and research centres, as well as individuals who have a serious interest in scientific research in the disciplines related to roof structures and related technologies.”  

Join the IFD today!

By Heidi J. Ellsworth. 

As roofs take on a larger role in energy generation and rainwater management while supporting climate adaptation, partnerships between manufacturers, associations and contractors become increasingly important.

As roofing professionals around the globe respond to higher expectations for building performance, international collaboration is becoming essential to a more resilient future for the trade. For Wienerberger, one of the industry’s leading building envelope manufacturers, that commitment comes through its work with the International Federation for the Roofing Trade (IFD). 

Wienerberger provides sustainable building solutions across the entire building envelope, supporting new construction and renovation while bringing roof, wall, facade, paving, water and energy infrastructure solutions into a broader approach to the built environment. With operations in 28 countries and more than 200 production sites, the company is recognized as the world’s largest brick producer and a market leader in clay roof tiles in Europe. 

That roofing focus makes the company’s relationship with IFD especially meaningful. IFD brings together trade organizations, manufacturers and industry partners who serve the roofing profession while creating lasting connectionsthat support the shared professional, technical and business interests of the roofing trade internationally. 

As an IFD partner member, Wienerberger participates in a broader international roofing community where education and professional exchange help shape the continued evolution of the trade. Through this network, manufacturers and roofing professionals have more opportunities to share knowledge while understanding emerging needs and supporting stronger outcomes across the industry. 

For contractors, that connection matters because roofing is no longer only about the product installed on the roof. It is about delivering systems that perform while meeting higher expectations for sustainability and supporting buildings designed to last. IFD reinforces work through industry education and technical resources that encourage professional exchange while helping strengthen the trade. 

Wienerberger’s work across the building envelope aligns with many of these priorities as the company continues to emphasize climate-resilient solutions and more functional roof systems. As roofs take on a larger role in energy generation and rainwater management while supporting climate adaptation, partnerships between manufacturers, associations and contractors become increasingly important. 

By engaging in the IFD partner network, Wienerberger is helping advance a larger conversation about the future of roofing. The partnership brings product innovation together with trade expertise while supporting better buildingsand a more resilient, sustainable roofing industry around the world. 

By Emma Peterson. 

Dirk Bollwerk talks about connecting roofers around the world and advancing the global industry. 

In a new episode of Roofing Road Trips®, host Heidi J. Ellsworth is joined by Dirk Bollwerk to learn about the International Federation of the Roofing Trade (IFD) and the vital work it does for the global roofing industry and trade. Dirk is both the president of IFD and the German Roofing Association. He spoke a bit about what he does in these roles, sharing, “A lot of our work is political, to act as a representative for roofers in spaces like government. We also take care about education and technical guidelines.” 

The main difference between Dirk’s work with the two associations is scale. Where the German Roofing Association acts as an umbrella for 16 different, smaller German organizations, the IFD is an umbrella for the global roofing community. Dirk shared some history of the IFD’s origins:  

The IFD was founded in the early 1950s. The founding members were Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Luxembourg. Today, we have three different types of members. The first is full members. Full member you can become when you are a roofing association. For example, the National Roofing Contractors Association of the United States. The second is manufacturers, for whom IFD makes guidelines for. And the last is science or supporting members.  

At its core, IFD’s mission is all about building and nurturing connections, both on the job and off. Dirk explained, “We want to build a global community of roofers. Why? First, we want to bond roofers all over the world through friendship. Second, we want best practices and techniques to be shared.” By building these bonds and creating this shared knowledge of best techniques, IFD is not only helping their members succeed but also uplifting the international roofing industry.  

Listen to the podcast or Watch the recording to learn more about Dirk and the International Federation of the Roofing Trade.  

By The Coffee Shops. 

The 2025 IFD Congress was a celebration of roofing craftsmanship, industry partnerships and the future of the trade. 

Roofing professionals from across the globe gathered in Bratislava, Slovakia from October 22–25, 2025, for the 73rd Annual Congress of the International Federation of the Roofing Trade (IFD). Hosted at the Sheraton Bratislava Hotel, the annual event served as a meeting point for industry leaders to discuss the evolving challenges facing the roofing sector while exploring opportunities for innovation, education and international collaboration. This meeting also saw the election of a new IFD president, Dirk Bollwerk. Dirk is the president of ZVDH, the president of the German Roofing Association and will be serving the IFD as their president for the next three years.  

The week began with a welcome reception on Wednesday evening, setting the tone for several days of professional exchange and relationship building among delegates representing countries from around the world. From there, the congress shifted into a series of expert presentations and forward-looking discussions focused on the future of the global roofing industry. The event concluded with a Thursday evening traditional dinner hosted by the Slovak Roofing Association and a Friday night gala dinner at the historic Reduta Concert Hall. 

One of the most anticipated moments of the week was the IFD Awards 2025, which recognized exceptional roofing and façade projects from around the world. Nearly 100 projects were submitted across four categories — façade, flat roof, metal roof and pitched roof — underscoring the depth of craftsmanship and technical expertise represented throughout the industry. 

“This year’s submissions once again demonstrated the diversity and creativity of our trade – and how closely innovation and tradition go hand in hand,” said Sabine Rothschuh, general secretary of the IFD. 

Among the winners, the pitched roof category stood out in particular, with the jury awarding three equal first-place honours in recognition of the exceptional quality of the submissions. The winners included:  

Façade 

1. Battle of Don Memorial Site (Appreggio Bt, Ervin Király and BH Metall Kft., Hungary) 
2. National Széchenyi Library Archival Centre (Pilisi Pléh-Boy Kft., Hungary) 
3. Kovács Katalin National Kayak-Canoe Academy (Horex Kft, Bauer Bádogos és Szigetelő Kft., Hungary) 

Flat roof 

1. SFH K. (Spitzer Gesellschaft m.b.H., Austria) 
2. Whinfell Forest Centre Parcs, Subtropical Swimming Paradise (Central Group, United Kingdom) 
3. Seaplane Harbour, Estonian Maritime Museum (Aruna-Ehitus OÜ, Estonia) 

Metal roof 

1. Logan County Courthouse (The Durable Slate Company, USA) 
2. Reconstruction of the former Red Cross Headquarters (Pilisi Pléh-Boy Kft., Hungary) 
3. Reduta, Bratislava (SiQiS-S, s.r.o., Slovakia) 

Pitched roof (where three equal first prizes were awarded) 

1. Christ’s College Cambridge (Claude N Smith Ltd, United Kingdom) 
2. Restoration of Saint Helena Cathedral (The Durable Restoration Company, USA) 
3. Detached House Dentling (Schmid Dachbau GmbH, Germany) 

By Emma Peterson. 

Exploring how IFD supports professionals worldwide with their different membership opportunities. 

The International Federation of the Roofing Trade (IFD) was designed to unite professionals from across the roofing industry to work together to “safeguard and support the common economic, business, technical, social, cultural and other professional interests of the members at an international level.” They do this by organising a variety of workshops, congresses, trainings and other events for their members.  

Interested in getting involved in IFD and growing your professional career through their programming? IFD has a variety of forms of membership that meet professionals and organisations where they are. These include:  

• Full members: This membership level is designed for "professional organisations of the roofing trade which are constituted in their countries in accordance with the laws existing there in each case.” In other words, it is meant for organisation like China’s National Building Waterproof Association and the United Kingdom’s National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC). 
• Guest members: This membership tier gives national professional organisation of the roofing trades membership in the IFD at a reduced fee for two years. By their third year, they will be asked whether they want to continue their membership as a full member or not.  
• Cooperation partners: National and region professional organisations at this level are neither full members nor guests. They pay a contribution that is individually determined between IFD and them. An example of a cooperation partner is the United States’ National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA).  
• Partner members: These members are manufacturers and companies in the roofing field as well as national and international associations of manufacturers and industry. Essentially, if you offer products and/or services for roofing companies, this is the membership type for you. 
• Scientific members: The scientific membership was made for “universities, departments, institutions, chairs and research centres, as well as individuals who have a serious interest in scientific research in the disciplines related to roof structures and related technologies.” 

Learn more about IFD and their different membership opportunities.

By Emma Peterson. 

April showers bring...a lot of interesting articles to The Coffee Shops™!  

As we leave the month of April behind and look towards May’s summer sunshine and peak construction season, we wanted to take a moment to look back at all the articles we published in the last month that captured our readers’ interests. And there were a lot – over 300 in fact! To make it easier to look back at the highlights, we’ve put together this list of the top ten!  

One such article shared a huge announcement from The Coffee Shops™ – We’re partnering with International Federation of the Roofing Trade (IFD)! This partnership is part of our international initiative and goal of fostering global collaboration on our sites. As Gary Howes, IFD board member explained, “By working together, [The Coffee Shops and IFD are] creating more opportunities for contractors, manufacturers and young professionals to connect, learn from one another and strengthen the future of the roofing industry on a truly international level.”  

Also on the top ten list were a variety of articles about the importance of community care and giving back! Writer Jenny Yu shared two heartwarming stories of roofers using their workmanship and talent for good! One highlighted the joint efforts between Rebuilding Together Philadelphia and a local contractor to fix the roof of a family’s home. The other was about YellowBall Roofing and Solar's donation of a new roof to Cherly and Marty Ash of Billings, Montana.  

In addition to these individual stories, Dani Sheehan wrote an article based on our Contractor Outlook Newscast with Ronald McDonald House Global President & CEO Katie Fitzgerald. Dani’s article dives into how contractors are working with Ronald McDonald House to donate their time, skills or resources to families in need. 

The top ten articles of April 2026 

10 - How contractors are supporting families through partnership with Ronald McDonald House by Dani Sheehan 

9 - Turning new hires into long-term talent by Emma Peterson 

8 - The importance of thinking outside the box by Emma Peterson 

7 - 4 practical takeaways on what AI use looks like in practice 

6 - What first-time attendees can expect at Roofing Day by Dani Sheehan 

5 - RoofersCoffeeShop® partners with International Federation of the Roofing Trade to strengthen global roofing connections 

4 - Improving performance in products and processes by Emma Peterson 

3 - Veteran surprised with free new roof by Jenny Yu 

2 - Neighbors helping neighbors by Jenny Yu 

1 - Extension cord safety for roofers by Cotney Consulting Group

By Emma Peterson. 

IFD and The Coffee Shops™ are looking forward to expanding and strengthening the global roofing community together. 

Recently, The Coffee Shops™ announced our partnership with the International Federation of the Roofing Trade (IFD). For those who are unfamiliar, IFD is a global organization that acts as a platform for national roofing associations, industry partners and professionals to work together to promote and grow the roofing trade.  

In our partnership with IFD, we will be focusing on promoting IFD’s global initiatives, such as the Connection Forum and the IFD World Championship for Young Roofers. Let’s take a closer look at these events: 

• The Connection Forum brings together roofers from around the world with the goals of sharing real project insights, fostering exchange between countries and strengthening technical guidelines. Planned for October 2026 and to be hosted in Vienna, Austria, The Coffee Shops’ crew will not only provide live coverage of the event, they will also be presenting on digital marketing, industry trends and the globalization of the roofing industry.  
• The IFD World Championship for Young Roofers will be hosted in November of 2027 in Budapest, Hungary. Similar to the Connection Forum, The Coffee Shops will provide live coverage of the event. This will also not be the first time we have attended this event, as we attended and covered the IFD World Championship for Young Roofers with the National Roofing Contractors Association in 2024 when it was hosted in Austria.  

These two events are just the start of what we hope will be a long partnership between IFD and The Coffee Shops. As our CEO and president Heidi J. Ellsworth shared, “The connection to the many national associations that are part of IFD is important for the future of roofing. They are bringing professionals and young roofers together to share best practices and encourage workforce development... We are proud to partner with IFD to share their mission and promote their events that bring the roofing industry together globally.”

By Emma Peterson.  

IFD’s World Championship of Young Roofer brings together talented professionals from around the world to showcase their skills.

Since 1988, Internation Federation of the Roofing Trade (IFD) has invited young professionals from around the globe to compete in a roofing competition designed to test their skills on an international scale. Hosted roughly every two years in a different location, this competition tests their trade skills and knowledge in four different disciplines: Roofing, waterproofing, metal/industrial roofing and facade.  

The goal of this competition? As stated on IFD’s website:  

To promote the common international idea in youth and in the profession. To harmonise vocational training in the countries of the world. To show the achievements of the roofing trade in the participating countries. To make the public aware of the importance of the training performance of the roofing trade. To highlight the advantages of in-company training and to strengthen the respect for the professional work in the roofing trade. To promote the roofing trade. 

So, how do young roofers get involved in this event? Every country can send one team to the competition for each discipline. These teams are made up of two young roofers (under 28 years old during competition year) who have either won a national championship in their country or (if such a championship does not exist) are chosen based on skill by a national professional organisation of the roofing trade. The participants are only allowed to participate once in each category. 

Once chosen for the team, the young professionals will train and prepare for the competition under the guidance and supervision of an industry mentor. Not only can these mentors participate in multiple different competition years, but they are also encouraged to!  

All of this work culminates at the competition itself, where a jury of eight people elected by the IFD General Assembly assess the young roofers’ performance. No two jury members will be from the same country, and they may not be mentors. This jury will evaluate the different team performances based on seven criteria:  

1. Accuracy of execution  
2. Performance  
3. Cleanliness  
4. Utilisation of materials  
5. Craftsmanship  
6. Implementation of the required task  
7. Serviceability 

Based on these criteria, the panel awards gold, silver and bronze medals for the first, second and third winners in each discipline. There is also a fifth president’s prize competition where the board awards medals based on a free competition where participants show off their specialties. In addition to medals, winners receive a commemorative gift from the host country and a certificate of participation from IFD. For the world champion in each discipline there is an additional reward of an IFD challenge cup.  

The last World Championship of Young Roofer was held at Innsbruck in Austria in 2024. The next championship is planned for 2027 in Budapest, Hungary. Make sure to follow IFD to stay up to date on competition news!