Features Community Event reports
GlassBuild 2016 – Fall in Vegas

Now in its 14th year, GlassBuild America: The Glass, Window and Door Expo is the gathering place for the North American glass, window and door industries. Presented by the National Glass Association and the Window and Door Dealers Alliance along with show co-sponsors, the American Architectural Manufacturers Association, the Glass Association of North America and the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance, GlassBuild America is a comprehensive and united event.

In 2016, GlassBuild America is being held in October because of a date change by its marketing partner show, Glasstec in Dusseldorf, Germany. Glasstec, the largest glass industry trade fair in the world, was bumped out of its usual October timeframe into the September timeframe by an even larger plastics industry trade fair. This meant GlassBuild America had no choice but to shift to October for the 2016 event.

All Express Learning events take place on the tradeshow floor in the Express Learning Theatre, booth 314.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19

11:00 am | Get Your Products Market Ready
Presented by Intertek
Product testing and certification are inherently tied to the building commissioning process. Learn the ins and outs of the testing and certification process to get your products to market, and ultimately, into buildings.
Audience: window and door fabricators

11:30 am | Expand Your Color Palette with New Vinyl Window Options
Presented by Veka
New vinyl colour options are changing today’s home and building exteriors. Learn about the latest colour technologies, custom-colour and colour-matching possibilities, as well as the feasibility of darker colours in regards to energy transfer in residential and commercial vinyl windows.
Audience: window and door fabricators and dealers

1:30 pm | Five Simple Steps to Identifying a Quality IG
Presented by GED
Learn to spot the key characteristics of a high quality IG unit, in a way that everybody in your facility can understand.
Audience: architectural glass and window fabricators

2:00 pm | Window Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility
Presented by the American Architectural Manufacturers Association
Falls from a window can result in serious injury or death, especially for children. Learn what you can do as a manufacturer or dealer to spread awareness about this important safety issue.
Audience: window fabricators

2:30 pm | Bird-Friendly Glass and Your Bottom Line
Presented by Arnold Glas and Ornilux
The market for bird-friendly glass has reached a tipping point here in the U.S., with LEED and other regulatory bodies advocating its use. Learn how and where the market is growing, and why incorporating this glass in your product line can differentiate your company as an innovator and solutions provider.
Audience: architectural glass and window fabricators

3:00 pm | Cybersecurity on the Manufacturing Floor
Presented by The Rovisys Co., sponsored by Glass Magazine
If you are like most manufacturers, you are probably grappling with an increasing growth of smart devices on your manufacturing floor. This emerging connectivity comes with unseen danger: the threat of cyber-attack to extort money, steal customer information, or disrupt production. This session focuses on helping you understand the cyber vulnerability that is associated with your dynamic manufacturing IT environment and discusses what you can do to mitigate the risks.
Audience: fabricators

3:30 pm | The Internet (Glazing) of Things
Presented by the Glass Association of North America
Audience: glazing contractors

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20

10:30 am | IG Fabrication for the Next Generation
Presented by the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance
As experienced plant personnel reach retirement age, they take with them a wealth of industry knowledge. This IGMA-sponsored session relies on adult education principles developed for Gen X, Gen Y and Millennials to ensure that this expertise gets passed onto the next generation of IG fabrication personnel.
Audience: fabricators

11:00 am | Warranties as Contracts
Presented by The Gary Law Group, sponsored by Glass Magazine
Warranties are more than marketing tools, they are legal contracts that tie companies to their products or work into the future. In this session, learn about the long-term legal obligations of product and project warranties and how they affect everyone from contract glaziers to fabricators to product manufacturers.
Audience: contract glaziers, window and door fabricators and dealers

11:30 am | Window Walls vs. Unitized Curtain Walls: An Evolution
Presented by Kawneer
Since 2000, window wall applications have gained momentum in the mid-rise multifamily and commercial markets. Learn about distinct market opportunities on the horizon for window walls and unitized curtain walls as urban and near-urban cityscapes continue to command modern architectural trends.
Audience: contract glaziers

1:15 pm | Better, Faster, Safer Shower Installations
Presented by Mr. Shower Door, sponsored by the NGA
Rapid-fire tips and techniques for solving shower enclosure issues, from working with new builders to speeding up installation times to reducing reorders. Hear from Mr. Shower Door’s Tom Whitaker how to get the job done better, faster and safer.
Audience: full-service glass companies

1:45 pm | HGTV and Me
Presented by Anderson Glass, sponsored by the NGA
A regular on the HGTV show “Fixer Upper,” learn from Dustin Anderson about his television experience, how it fits into his overall marketing plan, and what other marketing strategies he has found to be successful.
Audience: full service glass companies, window and door dealers

2:15 pm | To Employ or Contract?
Presented by WindowJim, Sponsored by WDDA
The construction industry as a whole largely subcontracts installers, especially on projects requiring several trades. But what about window and door dealers: Is it best to contract or employ installers?
Audience: window and door dealers

2:45 pm | Three Keys to Increase Lead Conversion…Tenfold!
Presented by MarketSharp
Ok, you’ve generated some leads, but you still have to convert that “spark of interest” to a “raging fire of desire” to proceed to the next step in your sales process. Often, this requires processes and skills that many companies overlook. In this session, discover some staggering statistics and how-to strategies to maximize your lead conversions and increase sales.
Audience: window and door dealers

Wait, there’s more
In addition to Express Learning, GlassBuild America also features the 11th annual Glazing Executives Forum, the second annual Window and Door Dealer Days and The Dream Showroom. More than 400 exhibiting companies are expected to showcase their most innovative glass and fenestration products and services.

Advance registration rates are in effect until September 30, with NGA and WDDA members receiving special member rates. Rates increase on October 1.

Who puts this thing on?
Founded in 1948, the NGA is a trade association serving the architectural glass and metals industry and represents the interests of glazing contractors, glass fabricators and architects. Its sister organization, the Window and Door Dealers Alliance (WDDA) represents the interests of retail, wholesale and installing dealers of new and replacement windows, doors, skylights and related building products. The NGAWDDA provides education and training programs and services for its member companies. The NGAWDDA also produces the industry’s largest annual trade show in the Americas, GlassBuild America, and hosts the Glazing Executives Forum and Window and Door Dealer Days, bringing together thousands of industry professionals to help them build more profitable businesses.