Soaring to New Heights: Highlights of the 2025 Alair Conference

Hosted at Paradise Point Resort & Spa, the 2025 Alair Conference focused on alignment, innovation, and momentum for all our locations.

Following the theme of the movie Top Gun, the teams left the event feeling motivated, refreshed, and inspired to take their businesses to Mach speed.

Establishing Deeper Connections

Alair teams from British Columbia to Florida arrived at the three-day, in-person event ready to build connections with people across our network of 100+ locations.

The event kicked off with a social mixer featuring music from DJ Mikhail Polischuk — who also happens to be a partner at Alair Regina. It was a chance for our teams to relax and unwind before diving into breakout sessions and presentations in the days that followed.

DJ Mikhail Polischuk, partner at Alair Regina (left); Robyn Freeburn, Ben Freeburn (Alair Grey Bruce), and Alex Titterington (Alair Collingwood).

The Need for Speed

The Thursday presentations kicked off with a welcome from Kahle Steinmetz, partner at Alair Encinitas in California.

Partners, Home Office teams, and our senior leadership team led many of the presentations at our 2025 conference. These sessions highlighted themes of growth and performance insights, and also revealed previews for exciting campaigns slated for 2026.

In addition to our internal teams, Alair was privileged to host several guests and collaborators. Chelsea Montgomery, creative director at Strut, presented a compelling strategy to elevate Alair’s position in the industry.

Later in the afternoon, Duane Johns hosted a panel featuring Carrie Seymour from Kohler Co., Terry Frisenda from LG Electronics North America, Melissa Andresko from Lutron Electronics, Caleb Morris from Viewrail, and Sean Weiner from Spexi. The panel explored homebuilding trends and shared insights on the direction of the industry.

COO Duane Johns hosts a panel featuring industry insights from sponsors of the event.

Alair Does All Their Own Stunts

In addition to being accomplished homebuilders, our team is also made up of talented performers.

Friday’s sessions opened with a parody of Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (“You stay classy, San Diego”), which doubled as an introduction to developments from Alair’s Advisory Council. Justin Thompson, Evelynn Ratcliffe, CM, Chad Hackmann, Shane Duff, and Rob Cecil channeled the Channel 4 news team with a lighthearted look at best practices for Alair.

Justin Thompson, Evelynn Ratcliffe, and Chad Hackmann as characters from the movie Anchorman.

Other talents showcased at our conference included magic from Alair Asheville’s Brandon Bryant, more DJ sessions with Alair Regina’s Mikhail Polischuk, and an entertaining live band karaoke at the end of the night.

Waldo the Wingman, Anytime

Following our Top Gun theme, our keynote speaker Waldo Waldman, MBA, CSP, CPAE, gave an insightful, exciting presentation. Waldo served as a decorated fighter pilot and then earned an MBA and worked in the private sector.

Waldo shared lessons learned from his experiences as a pilot, with powerful stories of resilience, teamwork, and overcoming adversity. With a mix of thrilling stories and actionable strategies, this session left attendees motivated to face challenges head on and elevate their leadership to new heights.

By the end of the keynote speech, everyone in the room was ready to “PUSH IT UP!”

Real-world Top Gun pilot and keynote speaker Waldo Waldman invites Alair to “PUSH IT UP!”

2025 Alair Award Winners

The Alair Awards were presented on the final night, showcasing the excellence and outstanding achievements from our team this past year.

We are especially proud to recognize Shane Duff as the recipient of the 2025 Jamie Affleck Legacy Award. Also known as the Pinnacle of Leadership Award, this award honors an individual who embodies inspiration, perseverance, passion, and exceptional leadership, in memory of our dear friend and colleague, Jamie Affleck.

Glen Harris III, the 2024 recipient of the Jamie Affleck Legacy Award, with Shane Duff, winner of this year’s top award at Alair.

“Receiving the Jamie Affleck Legacy Award was an incredibly meaningful moment. Having experienced Jamie’s unwavering commitment to pushing boundaries, his relentless drive for innovation, and his extraordinary ability to inspire and lead others, this award carries a weight of significance I can barely articulate. For Alair to recognize these very qualities speaks volumes about the values we hold dear. This isn’t about metrics; it’s about the human element, about building teams where everyone feels empowered and driven by a shared vision. This award isn’t just a personal honor; it’s a powerful reminder of the legacy Jamie built and the direction we must continue to move as Alair: forward, innovative, and always inspiring each other to be better and achieve greater, together.”

Shane Duff

Best Renovation Awards:

Best Renovation Under $250K Award: Alair Dallas-Fort Worth 206
Best Renovation $250K-$500K Award: Alair Charlotte
Best Renovation $500K-$1M Award: Alair Lorne Park
Best Renovation $1M-$2M Award: Alair Houston 120
Best Renovation $2M-$5M Award: Alair Sanibel
Best Renovation $5M+ Award: Alair Regina 049

Best Custom Home Awards:

Best Custom Build Under $1M Award: Alair Savannah
Best Custom Build $1M-$2M Award: Alair Houston 223
Best Custom Build $2M-$5M Award: Alair Salt Lake City
Best Custom Build $5M+ Award: Alair Kirkland

Individual & Team Awards

Jamie Affleck Legacy Award: Shane Duff
- Alair’s top award honors a leader who inspires through passion, perseverance, and horizontal leadership.
Team G.R.I.T: Alair Asheville
- The recipients of Team G.R.I.T. have shown exceptional levels of Growth, Resilience, Initiative, and Tenacity.
Maverick Award: Stacy Eakman
- This award celebrates “Top Gun” leadership, honoring an individual who leads with operational excellence, strategic acceleration, and high-impact results.
Pursuit of Excellence: Alair Salt Lake City
- The Pursuit of Excellence Award honors a team committed to delivering exceptional results.
Outstanding Alair Ambassador: Bryan Phillips
- The winner of this award exemplifies the values of innovation, collaboration, authenticity, community, and leadership.
Most Valuable Partner: Carson Blodgett
- This award celebrates the partner who sets the benchmark for excellence, strengthening both their business and the entire network.
Community Impact Award: Mike Fallico
- This award is presented to an individual who demonstrates the core values of Alair, enriching the lives of people in their community.
Outstanding Partnership: Nicole Selner
- The winner of this award goes above and beyond to build lasting, successful partnerships with the Alair team that contribute to collective growth and achievement.
Financial Excellence: Alair Bonita Springs
Multi-Location Excellence: Alair Lorne Park, Alair Summerhill, Alair Forest Hill
- Recognizes a partner who has successfully expanded their business while maintaining high operational, financial, and service standards.
Top Performers: Alair Aurora-Newmarket, Alair Arlington, Alair Charlotte, Alair Greenville, Alair Sanibel
Best Operational Values: Alair Kirkland
- This award recognizes a team that excels through proactive risk mitigation, compliance, training, and operational excellence.
First-Year Breakout Office: Alair Springfield
- This award honors a team who has completed an exceptional first year with Alair.
Regional Partnership of the Year: Alair Southwest Florida
- This award recognizes a regional team driving growth, innovation, and meaningful community impact.