In the News

GLASSBUILD AMERICA HAS SUCCESSFUL DEBUT

Contact:
NGA Marketing Dept.
1-866-DIAL NGA (342-5642), ext. 121

WASHINGTON, DC, March 24, 2003-GlassBuild America: The Glass, Window & Door Expo made a successful debut, attracting over 7,000 industry professionals to Atlanta for the three-day event. Held March 12-14, 2003 at the Georgia World Congress Center, GlassBuild America was organized by the National Glass Association (NGA), and co-sponsored by the Glass Association of North America (GANA) and the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA).

To signify the new concept of bringing together the glass, window, and door industries as never before, GlassBuild America was billed as "a whole new ballgame" and the event kicked off with an appearance by baseball legend, Cal Ripken, Jr. at the Opening Festivities. Nearly 40 educational seminars and demonstrations, an opening cocktail reception, a two-day architect symposium, and three days of exhibits rounded out this unique industry event. The exhibit hall featured a wide variety of glass, window, and door industry related products displayed by 400 exhibiting companies occupying 1,520 booths-marking the largest show in NGA history.

Attendees had many favorable comments on the new show concept and the wide variety of displays. First time attendee Gary Parr of Milgard Mfg. stated, "I was primarily interested in the window processing equipment and it was nice having the vendors all in one place to compare to one another. I was impressed with the show overall."

Edward Goldberg of Utica Glass Co., an attendee of NGA's previous shows, commented, "NGA is correct in its new motto 'A Whole New Ballgame.' Mixing some of the equipment booths with material vendor booths created more interest for attendees. This was one of the best NGA shows in my opinion." Mr. Goldberg's sentiments were echoed by attendee Mark Lomax of Swan/Freedom who wrote, "What a great show!!!! It had a wide diversity of manufacturers, materials, products, supplies, and equipment…it was definitely worth the trip!"

Many exhibitors also expressed their satisfaction with the show and their booth traffic. "We were pleasantly surprised with the turnout at the show. Atlanta was a good location and GlassBuild America marketed the show well," commented Abe Diehl from Joseph Machine Co. "The show had a real national appeal, which is what we wanted. We look forward to the next show in San Diego."

Brian Brunette, of Vetrotech Saint-Gobain N.A., also gave a positive review, "I thought that the recent GlassBuild America was a pleasant surprise…we thought that the traffic at the show was exceptional and we were able to generate many qualified leads from the three days." In summarizing the success of the event, Bill Donnely from Custom Craft Plastics remarked, "I thought it was very well attended- there was a buzz from one end of the hall to the other. There was a high level of energy compared to the other recent industry trade shows. There was a good flow of people and we were very pleased!"

A review of exhibitor's products displayed in Atlanta can be found at www.GlassBuild.com.

The next GlassBuild America: The Glass, Window & Door Expo will be held March 10-12, 2004 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA. For more information contact: 866/342-5642, extension 300 or visit www.GlassBuild.com.

Based in McLean, VA, the National Glass Association (NGA) is the largest trade association representing the entire flat glass industry. Founded in 1948, NGA offers certification, education, and training and serves the industry with the leading trade publications-Glass Magazine, Window & Door, and AutoGlass. NGA also hosts the annual National Auto Glass Conference & EXPO.

Based in Topeka, KS, the Glass Association of North America is made up of five divisions: Building Envelope Contractors, Distribution, Laminating, Mirror, and Tempering. GANA offers a wide variety of publications for the flat glass industry, including the Glazing Manual and Engineering Standards Manual. Additionally, GANA sponsors the annual Glass Week Conference and provides a series of educational seminars and programs.

Based in Schaumburg, IL, the American Architectural Manufacturers Association is the leading trade association for the North American fenestration industry in both residential and commercial markets. Focusing on both technical and marketing services, AAMA's activities include standards development, product certification, market research, and educational programs.