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GlassBuild to hit hot issues

GlassBuild America returns to the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga., on Sept. 16 through 18, with a focus on profit-generating resources and expanded opportunities for the window and door industry through the Dealer Days section of the show. GlassBuild is organized by the National Glass Association and the Window and Door Dealers Alliance.

With more than 325 companies expected to exhibit in
Atlanta, GlassBuild will offer attendees the chance to see, touch and discuss new product lines with a variety of architectural glass and metal, and residential window and door suppliers. If your company is looking to invest in new machinery to keep up with increased demand, GlassBuild is a good place to shop with more than 60,000 square feet of the show floor dedicated to equipment for glass and metal fabricators and window and door manufacturers.

Supply chain management is a hot topic in the glass industry today in the wake of primary glass shortages that have affected everyone’s businesses. Building strong relationships with suppliers and ensuring access to the products you need is more critical now than ever. What better place to start than face-to-face with your suppliers at GlassBuild?

Labour shortages continue to plague us, so employee retention is increasingly important to the success of any company. GlassBuild offers a chance to show employees you’re invested in their professional growth by providing them the opportunity to attend GlassBuild America’s extensive education program. In addition, tips and tricks for attracting the next generation of glass professionals is a major theme in the Glazing Executives Forum, and the NGA/WDDA Keynote Breakfast.

GlassBuild Need-to-know
When: Sept. 16 to 18, 2015

Where: Georgia World Congress Center,  Atlanta, Ga.

What: Education seminars, keynote speeches, networking, 60,000-square-foot trade show floor

Who: Commercial and residential fabricators, contractors and dealers.

Why: GlassBuild is the largest glazing show in North America, welcoming thousands of the industry’s  top suppliers and experts. The 2015 edition will include a focus on employee retention and an expanded program for window and door dealers.

Glazing Executives Forum
This event for glass and glazing industry owner and managers will celebrate its 10th anniversary this fall, when executives from around the country gather on Sept. 16.

8:30 – 9 am Continental breakfast

9:00 – 10:00 am Keynote: Building a Stronger Bench
How to empower and incentivize employees to take your business to the next level. During this one-hour presentation, gain insight into how to establish a strategic succession plan, move senior management into leadership roles, and incentivize employees to increase company loyalty.

10:15 – 11 am Breakout Sessions (choose one)

• Strategies for attracting new workers to the glass and glazing industry
• Smart estimating
• Field installation issues
• Architect interaction: Creating a win/win relationship

11:00 – Noon Breakout Sessions (choose one)

• Strategies for attracting new workers to the glass and glazing industry
• Smart estimating
• Field installation issues
• Architect interaction: Creating a win/win relationship

12:15 – 1 pm Lunch

1:00 – 1:45 pm Keynote Panel: Managing Lead Times in a Busy Market
The rebounding construction market has put strains on material supply, creating potential difficulties getting certain products and, in particular, longer lead times. In this panel discussion, project managers from leading glass and metal fabricators share strategies to ease pressures.

2:00 – 2:45 Breakout Sessions (choose one)

• Strategies for attracting new workers to the glass and glazing industry
• Smart estimating
• Field installation issues
• Architect interaction: Creating a win/win relationship

3:00 – 4 pm Economic Forecast with Jeff Dietrich
Jeff Dietrich, senior analyst for the Institute for Trend Research, will return to the Glazing Executives Forum with his much-anticipated economic forecast, offering attendees insight into current and future economic trends and their effects on the glass and metals industry.
4:00 – 5 pm Networking Reception

NGA/WDDA Keynote
New for 2015, registered attendees to the Glazing Executives Forum will also gain access to the NGA/WDDA Keynote Breakfast on Thursday, Sept. 17. Speaker, author and generational expert Cam Marston will address how today’s most successful companies are competing for, winning, and retaining their top people. His presentation will break down the motivations of each of the generations of employees and illustrate how companies “in the know” are using those motivations to better attract and retain talent.

Express Learning
Building on the success of its inaugural year, Express Learning returns to the GlassBuild America trade show floor in 2015. Last year, the “TED Talk”-inspired, 20-minute educational sessions drew standing-room-only crowds. This year, the content experts at the National Glass Association and Window and Door Dealers Alliance are producing a new series of free Express Learning sessions, aimed at providing attendees with specific product- and business-related information they can use to build more profitable companies.

Smart PR: Getting your Company in the Trade Media presented by Glass Magazine
Being featured in trade magazines and on their websites is not only exciting, it’s also smart business. Learn how to get your company in front of readers.

On the Cutting Edge: Best Practices for Glass Fabrication presented by Ashley Price and Steve Brown, Salem Flat Glass and Mirror
Learn how to ensure the best glass edge quality through the use of diamond tools, cerium impregnated wheels, cerium, felt wheels, and other glass fabrication technology.

Entering the Commercial Window Market as a Residential Fabricator presented by Matthew Matlak, Veka
Learn a methodology to determine if you, the residential window fabricator, are positioned to enter the commercial market segment. This session will include discussions about market opportunity; how to talk to architects, contractors and owners; margin analysis, marketing; and much more.

Changing the Global Glass Market – From Production to Product presented by Birgit Horn, Glasstec
An examination of the changing global supply chain, supplier challenges, new product development on a global scale and branding glass.

Selling Across the Generations presented by speaker, author and generational expert Cam Marston and sponsored by NGAWDDA
Learn the different ways to sell to each of the four generations who are making buying decisions in the marketplace today: the Matures, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Millennials.

How to Use Design-Assist to Help Grow Your Business presented by YKK AP America
Learn how to leverage your architectural aluminum system supplier’s resources to make your company indispensable to the architect and general contractor. Examples illustrated by case histories. Find and apply existing, non-standard solutions. Be the first to understand complex code changes. Use application engineering support to the fullest. Work as a team to take time and cost out of the schedule.

The Evolving Shower Enclosure Market presented by Tom Whitaker, Mr. ShowerDoor
Learn about new trends, product options and more.

A Guide to “Pane” Free Installation of Dynamic Glass presented by Lou Podbelski and Helen Sanders, Sage Electrochromic
Learn how easy it is to install dynamic glass into your new construction projects as well as retrofits. This presentation will provide an overview of how to install dynamic glass and examine new technological advances for dynamic glass installation.

Fire-rated Glass and Sustainability presented by Vetrotech Saint-Gobain
Understand the sustainability aspects of fire-rated glass and how it can help achieve LEED v4 credit points.

Field Testing and Forensic Evaluation: A FenestrationMasters Course presented by the American Architectural Manufacturers Association
Codes and standards help to lay the foundation for field testing, but there are common trouble spots that test engineers will encounter during their testing. As detailed in FenestrationMasters curriculum, AAMA water and air field testing documents outline the common problems typically encountered, and address appropriate procedures for forensic testing.

Problem Solving to Boost Your Bottom Line presented by Carl Tompkins, Sika Corp.
This presentation will identify the root causes of problems that occur in all departments, within all positions, within all glass companies. Sika’s Carl Tompkins will address how much common problems cost companies, remedies for those problems, and how solving them can boost your bottom line.

The Increased Popularity of Unitized Curtain Wall Systems presented by Kawneer
Explore the evolution from stick curtain-wall systems to unitized curtain-wall systems; the technology, equipment and mind-set required for the glazing sub-contractor to move from stick field erected to unitized solutions; and thoughts on the benefits to the glazing contractor, building owner/developer and design team.

Focus on window and door dealers
The Window andDoor Dealers Alliance will launch Window and Door Dealer Days at GlassBuild America this September, providing a unique venue for dealers to see, touch and talk about new product lines, while gaining valuable information on current market conditions and best business practices. The three-day event will feature:

The Dream Showroom
Sept. 16-17 10 am to 6 pm
Sept 18 10 am to 3 pm
The Dream Showroom is the focal point of Window and Door Dealer Days. The 4,400-square-foot pavilion on the tradeshow floor will feature residential windows, entry doors, patio doors, multi-panel door systems and hardware display ideas that dealers can incorporate into their own showrooms. The Dream Showroom will provide a unique venue for window and door dealers to see the latest technologies and new product lines, share best practices, get updates on market trends and—most of all—be inspired. Displaying in the Dream Showroom are: DAC Products, EDTM, Renoworks Software, AmesburyTruth, B.F. Rich Windows and Doors, Interlock USA, LaCantina Doors, MI Windows and Doors, Paradigm Window Solutions, Pleotint, ProVia, Seaway Manufacturing Corp., Slide Clear, Soft-Lite, Vinylmax Windows, and Sunrise Windows.

The Remodeling Forecast
Sept 17 1 pm to 2 pm
Presented at The Dream Showroom
During a special one-hour presentation, Window and Door Dealer Days attendees will gain insight into remodeling market conditions that directly affect their businesses. Presented by Paul Emrath, vice-president for Survey and Housing Policy Research at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), this session will reveal the latest trends shaping the remodeling industry and most importantly, your business! Emrath has over 20 years of statistical and economic research experience at NAHB and has published more than 150 articles on a wide variety of housing related topics. His Remodeling Activity Forecast will focus on:

• Drivers of remodeling activity
• 2015 remodeling forecasts by state and top-performing zip codes
• National 2016 remodeling forecast information
• What home-buyers want in a contractor, how they find them and reasons for choosing them.