It is BEC week! Each year, there are two events for me that are above all others. The Building Envelope Contractors Conference in the spring, and GlassBuild America in the Fall. I live for these events because of the ability to grow business, and myself. Network and learn.
BEC has a very special part of my heart. I have been involved with it for so long, I do truly feel like it’s my “baby” in a way. I was there years and years ago when we were under 200 people cramped into a long skinny ballroom at the Monte Carlo, and I was there when we had it in the massive theater at The Palms Hotel. I got to host it four times—and will readily admit I wish I could host again, though I believe that ship has sailed—including the largest gathering ever in 2008 when we had more than 800 people in attendance.
This year, BEC takes a fresh approach. New city, Nashville, huge crowd—close to 700, making it the second biggest ever—and a new schedule. The one thing that stays the same is the education and networking, and those are the items that make all the difference. The ability to gain knowledge in crucial areas—this year for me its delegated design, design-assist and advanced technologies—and meet new people while catching up with others is just huge. Anyway, it is time, and it’s going to be a great event. Next week in this space, I’ll have the recap including the standard review of who I was honored enough to run into and meet!
Elsewhere…
- By the way, BEC means it’s time celebrate the great Jerry Moser’s birthday! If you see him there, wish a happy one!
- Really good update from the NGA Advocacy and Technical Services Department; big one here that I’ll share direct from the news:
The next ASHRAE version, ASHRAE 90.1-2022 is currently in working draft form. This version will update the requirements for opaque walls first, before revisiting fenestration. This revision will include a new prescriptive requirement for the minimum amount of onsite renewable energy on all new buildings or building sites. Thermal bridging requirements will affect detailing at window/wall intersections and attachment of sunshades. Also under review is an envelope backstop proposal. Stay tuned for an in-depth analysis of the impact of envelope backstops on glazing from Tom Culp in the April issue of Glass Magazine.
Obviously, this group is working hard to keep us up to speed with everything out there and anywhere you can support them, please consider doing so! - The all-new GlassBuild.com has launched! Please check it out. More details and info to come there on the show, along with adding more content. GlassBuild America is back in Vegas this fall!
- Rough run on the markets with the Coronavirus fears/spread etc. I had a feeling we were in for a bumpy ride, but honestly, I am shocked at the economic reaction, especially mid-last week. That was much more severe than I expected.
- I caught an episode of “Hometown” on HGTV, and they were using glass and mirror in one of their designs. They went to a local glass shop and cut some mirror, and no one used any PPE. Not. Even. Gloves. That includes the people from the glass shop. C’mon folks, cutting and handling mirror—joking that you get bad luck if you break it—and not wearing any gear is just careless. HGTV needs to get my guy Dustin Anderson out there educating these folks or make all the shows use Dustin only.
- Last this week: not “our” style of glass but this is still interesting to me—the latest flip phone with the glass face that bends and folds. They say in this article that they have done the impossible by making glass this way. Makes me chuckle back to the days of learning about glass in the old PDC warehouse and being told to “go get the glass stretcher,” and stretch that 12 by 12-inch sample to 13 by 13. Classic hazing for every newbie to our world. To me that will always be the greatest feat; making glass stretch! Still interesting article and product.
