GlassBuild America Review—Back with a bang

After an 18-month wait, more than 9,000 registrants and almost 500 exhibitors made their way to GlassBuild America in Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center during the show’s new fall timeframe. This year saw the biggest turnout ever. In 2004 and 2003, the number of registrants was 5,600 and 7,000 respectively.

The trade show, dedicated to the commercial and residential glass, window and door markets, provided an opportunity for visitors to witness growing industrywide trends, including the influx of emerging markets. International exhibitors rose from 47 last year to 76 this year. The strongest international presence was from China, as discussed in the China’s impact section.

While walking the near 300,000 square feet of exhibit space, attendees could see another trend in the increased automation of many of the machines running on the show floor. See the Innovative automation section.

The larger number of visitors and exhibitors, particularly on the residential window and door side of the industry, included a wide range of glass professionals, from fabricators to shop owners to glaziers. Through the eyes of an attendee section details the impressions of the show from the diverse perspectives of its attendees.

The three-day event also served as the platform for members of three industry segments, including glass floors and bath enclosures, to discuss new code standards currently in the works. See the Setting standards section.

Product coverage will appear in the November issue of Glass Magazine, and daily news reports from the show floor can be found online at www.GlassBuildAmerica.com and www.GlassMagazine.com.