Vitrum: International Convention of glass associations – two days of exchange, comparison ideas and opportunities in Murano

The first International Convention of Glass Associations was organized in Murano, Venice, by Vitrum, with the support of ICE Agenzia. Representatives of the main international associations connected to the glass sector, along with members of the press from all over the world, came together for this two-day event.

The first International Convention of Glass Associations took place in Murano, Venice 21 and 22 June 2017, bringing together delegations from Italy, Germany, France, UK, Spain, Poland, Russia, Brazil, Slovakia and the US. Thanks to the support of ICE Agenzia, the organizers of Vitrum were able, this year for the first time, to bring together leading representatives of the industry to address together the most topical issues for the glass industry worldwide.

In Murano, in fact, national and international representatives of the sector met to discuss proposals, objectives and issues, also offering journalists present a competent and attentive audience to seize new ideas and opportunities.

The first day, the delegations were welcomed to the island of Murano, at the Stazione Sperimentale del Vetro, a par excellence research centre and a national and international reference point for companies, associations, universities and institutions connected to the world of glass. The 18 associations taking part in the convention spoke about their main activities and services, followed by a visit to the labs of the Stazione Sperimentale del Vetro. The evening provided networking opportunities during a dinner at one of the most typical and exclusive restaurants of Murano.

The second day of the Convention started off with a visit to the Abate Zanetti High School of Glass “Scuola del Vetro”, where the delegates discovered this new but, at the same time, historical and exclusive training centre for the glass art of Murano: the first class with 8 students, who have just finished their first year, but next year the first class will have 19 students. During this visit, the guests also attended a practical demonstration of the skills of the Murano maestro glassmakers. At the end of the morning, the Convention started up again at the Stazione Sperimentale del Vetro.

Making glass the material that the building and construction sectors cannot do without; strengthening its ever more protagonist role with regards to renewable energy, but also in niche sectors such as high-tech, advanced telecommunications; becoming a ‘critical force’ towards the most important European political parties to promote changes and updated of standards and regulations for the sector; incentivating the development of solutions able to focus on energy savings and efficiency; foster technical consultations at all levels and around the world for the promotion of good practices; responding to the growing need of communication in the sector, leveraging on the importance of transferring to the general public the importance of the everyday use of glass; promoting culture, education and a high level of continuous updating in companies; and last but not least, enhance the concept of network, so that in one big community the new workers and also historical operators of the sector can confront and stimulate new ideas with each other, drawing from a technical, historical and artistic culture that is accessible to future generations. These are just some of the topics discussed during the second day of the Convention.

“For the people here at Vitrum, being able to bring to Italy and to Murano in particular – with its history and glassmaking traditions – important associations of the sector, is a great satisfaction. The enthusiasm that we encountered already during the first day was contagious, and the second day confirmed the validity of our initiative,” commented Dino Zandonella Necca, president of Vitrum, at the end of the Convention. “As entrepreneurs and as institutional representatives, we are have a deep passion for glass, a precious and irreplaceable material. And during these two days we hav demonstrated that we can all work together to reach a common goal for the sector, making this important meeting a success.”

“This is just the start of a roadmap that will put glass and the processes it undergoes in the spotlight,” added Laura Biason, director of Vitrum. “The upcoming appointments have been fixed – on 4 October during Vitrum 2017, the work groups will hold their first operations meeting and, in the spring of 2018 there will be the second appointment in Murano.” “But now we need to focus on the 20th edition of Vitrum in Milan, with the certainty,” continued Ms. Biason, “to have been successful in creating a new means of communication for the entire sector. We trust that these annual appointments with the Convention of the Associations will become an important time to meet and discuss, essential for the entire sector, able to continuously renew interest in the industry, its future and on the criticalities that we will be ever more able to face together, with a view to working together and cooperating.”