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Top Glass gets raves

Top Glass broke records on April 20 with 383 attendees, including a strong turnout of 150 architects, specifiers and building engineers. The four one-hour education sessions were standing-room only as attendees flooded in to appreciate the presentations, which were eligible for continuing education credits. Top Glass was supported by generous sponsorships from Gold Sponsors Alumicor and Tremco; Silver Sponsors Commdoor Aluminum and RPM Rollformed Metal Products; and livestream sponsor Sika Canada.

The huge increase in attendance created some challenges for show organizers. Plans are in place to significantly increase the size of the lecture hall for 2017 and to streamline the process for collecting information for issuing attendance certificates.

Many attendees approached show organizers to express their appreciation for the event. They pointed to the high quality of the educational content, the convenient, one-day format and the chance to speak to so many professionals from the glass industry in one place as major benefits. “Thank you for hosting this day,” said Magid Youssef of 4 Architecture. “The topics were really interesting and well presented. I wish there were more events like this.”

For the first time, Top Glass education seminars were livestreamed to an online audience across the country. Excerpts from the livestream broadcast will be made available to attendees in the coming weeks.

Exhibitors were delighted with the turnout and the quality of the attendees. “Excellent show, very well promoted and organized and the attendance speaks for itself,” said Yousif Abachi, vice-president of operations for RPM Rollformed Metal Products. “We are very confident that we will see results and orders.”

The education sessions included seminars on vacuum insulating glass, IG unit failures, window wall challenges and laminar bonding of large format glass panels. Attendees also took in the Ontario Glass and Metal Association’s presentation of Awards of Excellence to TAGG Industries and Perkins and Will for outstanding projects they completed in 2015.

Top Glass 2017 will take place April 20, 2017, at the International Centre. Organizers are accepting booth reservations (contact Danielle Labrie at dlabrie@annexweb.com) and proposals for education sessions (contact Patrick Flannery at pflannery@annexweb.com). Online attendee registration is already open.

Top Glass attendees overflowed the lecture hall to hear presentations on vacuum insulating glass, insulating glass failures, window wall challenges and laminar bonding technology. Organizers have promised a larger venue for next time.