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Welcome to the Glass Craft & Bead Expo!
Since 1993, we have become America's favorite and largest glass trade show and educational conference specializing in all mediums of glass including mosaics, blown, beads, stained and fused.
Glass Craft & Bead Expo 2013 was all about NEW…NEW instructors, NEW classes, NEW techniques, NEW events, NEW exhibitors… plus of course, all your favorites in each area.
The 19th Annual Glass Craft & Bead Expo concluded on April 7 at the South Point Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Over 250 classes were taken by nearly 1000 students, which hailed from 47 states, The District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, 7 Provinces in Canada, plus students from Australia, Chile, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The tradeshow had 147 exhibiting companies, with a 3 day attendance of over 7850 viewing the latest in glass technology, equipment and techniques, plus many artists selling their work to the public.
The 2014 Glass Craft & Bead Expo will be held at the South Point Hotel Casino in Las Vegas March 26-30 (Classes), March 28-30 (Tradeshow).
If you have not been to Glass Craft & Bead Expo before, the 2014 show will be even a better year to join us. We gather the most renowned teachers and artists to provide our patrons a one-stop shop for the best in glass and bead artwork education.
We continually try to enhance the Glass Craft & Bead Expo to bring you the most sought after techniques and tools making the Expo the premier event of the year!
Feel free to contact us with any questions that are not answered on the FAQ tab on the top navigation bar of the page.
See you at the show!
About the Show
Glass Craft & Bead Expo is the premier Art Glass and Bead Trade Show and Educational Conference.
People come from all over the world to take classes and view the show floor for all of the latest and most innovative products and services. Las Vegas has been home to the show with it being held for the past seven (7) years at the South Point Hotel and Casino located at 9777 Las Vegas Blvd South.
We offer over 250 specialty classes in hot, warm and cold glass. Our instructors come from all over bringing all their expertise in their respective fields. Our show floor offers everything including the latest types and colors of glass, the most innovative kilns, tools and specialty items.
Our "Bead Bazaar" offers a beautiful collection of handmade beads, jewelry and one of a kind specialty items created by some of the most prominent artists in the country.
Click there to download our 2013 Special Programs & Features flier!
The Glass Craft & Bead Expo Show History
In 1994 Tommy Licata, founder and owner of Las Vegas Management and Creative Endeavors, was asked if he would be interested in organizing an educational conference and tradeshow for the Art Glass Industry. He and Nancy Montgomery consulted with industry leaders such as Kay Bain-Weiner, Norm Dobbins, Vicki Payne, Joe Porcelli and many others; the result was the Glass Craft Expo. It was held at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas the spring of 1995.
1996 Glass Craft Expo moved to the Cashman Convention Center, where it was held for the next 10 years. The Expo was designed to help promote the art glass industry, by offering educational classes, a trade show and networking opportunities, all which were open to the public. The goal was to include all forms of art glass, including stained glass, fused glass, cold working, mosaics, and flameworking. Shirley Harvey became the Show Manager, a position she held for many years.
Lee Anne Short, who had worked on the Creative Endeavors side of the company, took over production of the show after conclusion of the 2003 Expo. On the 10th anniversary, the show was renamed to "Glass Craft & Bead Expo" to include the growing flameworking and bead industries, and later in 2004, Patty Cerajewski was recruited to the Show Manager position.
As the show continued to grow, filling every square foot of the Cashman Center, it was determined that we had outgrown that facility. In 2006 the South Coast Hotel and Casino was opened and the show moved to this great facility, with a great combination of meeting rooms, event space, trade show halls, and best of all, on site hotel rooms. South Coast became South Point in 2007, and is still the home of the show.
Tommy Licata passed away in 2008, and the International Hot Glass Invitational held during the 2009 show was dedicated to his memory. The Invitational was the largest flame-off that had ever been held, with teams of 4-5 well know national and international lampworkers competing over two nights creating some of the most incredible sculptures.
Lee Anne and Patty continue to work hard every year to bring the best faculty of instructors and the latest in techniques to the average of 1000 students who attend the classes. The trade show floor is filled with the manufacturers and retailers of glass, equipment and tools needed for producing all forms of glass art. In addition there are many artists in booths or the bead bazaar that sell their finished artwork, sculptures, beads and jewelry.
The annual Gallery of Excellence juried art competition entries in both professional and amateur categories astound the attendees each year with the beauty and skill of the work. Local high schools have participated in the gallery for many years. Scholarships for local high school students and teachers have been made available through the Kay Bain-Weiner Foundation, show management and other contributors.
Las Vegas Management would like to thank all the members of the art glass industry, the teachers, exhibitors and students for supporting the Glass Craft & Bead Expo over the years. Many have been with us since the first show. The show has had steady growth, and is proud to promote art glass through education and by providing a quality showcase for product and glass artists alike.
