A Golden opportunity

Glassex organiser Emap Maclaren has announced changes to Glassex 2007 to improve attendance. Dave Broxton, Glassex Head of Sales, said he had spoken to people in the industry and he wants to ‘deliver a more representative exhibition’ and ‘expand the remit of the event’.

To bolster interest new features will include: Glassex Gold Club; Secured by Design (SBD) seminars awards and a trail which will emphasise SBD products; online entry and judging for the Glassex Conservatory Design Competition; an Energy Efficiency Zone; a dedicated Installer Day; and a Glassex New Product and Stand Awards.

Leave it out

Features that will not be in the show include the central bar and the Glassex Challenge. The central bar will be replaced by the Conservatory Design Competition because the central bar enabled non exhibitors to canvass the aisles, which was unfair to exhibitors. The Glassex Challenge will be suspended for a year, however, it may return in 2008 with a new emphasis on young people in the industry.

Dave admitted that they are behind with exhibitor bookings if figures from this year are compared with stand sales from the same stage last year, however, he says this is not an issue and he is optimistic about the 2007 exhibitor list.

Communication is the thing

To try and attract more fabricators, the organisers are in talks with the Fenestration Self-Assessment Scheme (Fensa), which boasts a large number of fabricators as members. However, there is a limit on how the Fensa name can be used in the promotional campaign , as it is a public body.

The Energy Efficiency Zone aims to attract IG back to the show and put the glass back into Glassex. There will be a Forum area in this zone, which will be free for exhibitors to use. The Council for Aluminium in Buildings has had discussions with Glassex and will confirm its involvement in the near future.

The organisers have also been talking to Trustmark about getting involved. This is a new scheme supported by Government, the building industry and consumer groups to identify reliable and trustworthy tradespeople.

After speaking with Dave Broxton we were encouraged with his planned changes for next year

Sunday will be a dedicated Installer Day with GGF seminars focussed on adding value to businesses, for example improving the cash flow of your small business and making sure that you get paid.

Dave said that they are still working on some plans to tempt installers and he added: ‘He’d like to give a van away…’, however, nothing has been finalised yet.

Some of the changes were made after hearing recommendations from a steering committee and discussing the show with key industry players. Dave said one such suggestion included a VIP promotion, which became the Gold Club feature. The Gold Club would be for captains of industry, who would get specially planned PR and other benefits. Dave said: 'It is basically a copy of airlines’ business class.’

Nick Dutton, of Synseal, which has recently confirmed it will be exhibiting at Glassex said: ‘After speaking with Dave Broxton we were encouraged with his planned changes for next year.’

Lawrence Breakspear, KEB Managing Director, and one of the industry people that Dave spoke to, said: 'I am really pleased that Dave Broxton, Claire Shilling and the rest of the Glassex team, have met with fabricators and manufacturers to discuss how the show could be changed and made more beneficial for window fabricating businesses and the fenestration industry as a whole'.

Dave also spoke to James Litchfield, Director L.B. Plastics, who has previously been critical of the event. James told Glass Age: ‘We didn’t exhibit at Glassex or Interbuild this year because we don’t feel that they are creating worthwhile direction for the industry in their current format. We believe that promotion of these shows has been poor in recent years and consequently footfall is going down.

‘However, we did exhibit at the NAHB show in the US and Fensterbau in Germany, which both continue to show how industry events of this kind can be a great success and of tremendous value.

‘We welcome the efforts of the organisers to address the many concerns of companies in the windows and doors sector and look forward to seeing how next year’s event compares with the established international exhibitions.’