Optimistic Mood at glasstec 2014; Exhibitors Rate Future Prospects Positively;High Visitor Satisfaction

Optimistic Mood at glasstec 2014; Exhibitors Rate Future Prospects Positively;High Visitor Satisfaction

After difficult times in large parts of the glass sector there are now clear signs of positive market developments. This was the clear message from the feedback of the 1,217 exhibitors at glasstec 2014. The about 43,000 trade visitors were also extremely satisfied.

glasstec 2014 convinced the specialists from the fields of mechanical  engineering, glass manufacturing, -processing and -finishing, crafts, architecture/construction as well as glazing/façades and the solar sector: over 96% of the visitors give the world’s most important trade fair in the glass sector a positive overall rating. They also rated their visit in terms of achieving their goals at the trade fair just as high. Here 40% of visitors came to the event with specific intentions to invest which in turn is likely to create positive impulses for the exhibitors in the coming months. The proportion of attendees from middle and top management again improved. Over three quarters of the visitors were from these levels. The proportion of the visitors coming to Düsseldorf from abroad reached about 60% and this figure continues to be unmatched in the sector internationally.

 “I am delighted that there were positive signs at glasstec 2014 in the field of mechanical engineering and the glass industry. The German skilled glazier’s trade is currently doing extremely well. Our ranges at glasstec in the Crafts Center with its new glass processing and finishing arena and the participation stations in the also new area Handwerk LIVE went down very well. Together with the established themes Autoglass Arena and glass art we offer a unique programme for all segments of the skilled trades and we are very pleased with the way the trade fair went,” remarked Martin Gutmann, President of glasstec 2014 and Federal Guilds Master.

“What is most important for us as organisers of glasstec is that our customers are satisfied because this is the basis for positive and sustainable growth for the event for the benefit of all involved. We once again fulfilled this goal in 2014 and have therefore again confirmed the role of glasstec as the world’s most important international meeting point with a clear barometer effect for the entire sector,” summed up Hans Werner Reinhard, Managing Director at Messe Düsseldorf.

Special Show glass technology live picks up on Future Themes

The comprehensive supporting programme at glasstec, which was further extended this year, also went down very well with visitors. In particular, the Special Show “glass technology live” (gtl) in Hall 11 organised by Prof. Stefan Behling and his team from the Institute of Building Construction at Stuttgart University, was once again a must-see show for many visitors.

With the motto “Intelligent Glass”, glass products from the near future were on display here. The results of the visitor survey confirm the selection of exhibits displayed at gtl: according to the experts, display glass/technical glass applications, glass printing/coating as well as thin glass are the top themes for the coming three to five years. A special eye-catcher at the Special Show was a 3.20m x 14m pane of glass finished using a ceramic digital printing process. Another highlight was display glass used in alternative areas of application and ultra-thin glass “from the roll” for electronic applications. Other audience magnets were numerous façade mock-ups, for instance with extraordinary geometries, fascinating optical effects or outstanding insulation properties, for example using 4-layer insulation glass.

The gtl was accompanied by a top-notch specialist symposium offering – within the exhibition area of gtl – a variety of lectures on daily changing themes which was avidly attended by visitors.

At the same time, these façade sections of glass technology live formed a part of the Façade Center, which also consisted of the information ranges of associations and research institutions at the “Competence Center Windows + Facades”. This line-up was supplemented by the new area efnMOBIL of the European Facade Network.

Conference Programme Well Attended

The line-up of the three conferences “Solar meets Glass”, “engineered transparency” and the “Architecture Congress” went down very well with delegates. Already on the day before the start of the trade fair opened experts from the solar and glass sector met to discuss their interconnected topics. With its 80 participants the two-day conference was pleasingly well attended given the deep crisis in the solar sector. This was followed on the first and second day of glasstec by the engineered transparency conference attracting just over 200 participants from 23 countries to shed light on the latest developments in the field of structural glass engineering. The Architecture Congress on the Wednesday of the fair successfully closed the line-up with some 280 participants.

The next glasstec will be held in Düsseldorf in line with its two-year cycle from 20 to 23 September 2016.