Glassex - All change? a transitional period, or just dwindling numbers?

While organisers continue to talk of ‘refinement of attendees', ‘quality not quantity' and ‘professional buyers rather than tyre kickers', the fact remains - however you look at it - that Glassex continues to shrink.

Numbers down again

Be it the number of visitors - down by nearly 2,000 on last year according to early reports; the number of exhibitors - also down; or floorspace - down by over 160 square metres, there is little to encourage positive thoughts for Glassex or GP&T 2007.

In these lean times for the industry, you can understand that numbers will be lower than those experienced in the good old days. But when the organisers persist with the same old format and fail to inject any innovation, interaction or glamour (save the odd catsuit), it is easy to see why potential exhibitors and visitors might not want to bother turning up - ‘Seen it all before', they say.

Some companies, erring on the side of caution, found that instead of spending money on a stand and staff to man it, their time was better spent working the floor as visitors. Picking and choosing who they spoke to, and drastically reducing their overheads at the same time.

There always seems to be talk of a possibility of a biennial show or perhaps a link up of Glassex and GP&T once again. Not wishing to get glass processors' backs up, could the two shows not run side by side?

Perhaps a more structured layout with clearly defined areas for each facet of the industry would be a start. This would allow conservatory systems giants to have their annual flex-off in the confines of their own arena, while stands of consumables and niche products could form a smaller scale, bustling marketplace. You never know, glass could even get its own little area!

Positive response

As always, some exhibitors were particularly positive: ‘I have been visiting and exhibiting at Glassex for more than 20 years now,' remarked Radius Plastics' Mike Crewdson. ‘The event has changed beyond recognition, and particularly in the last four or five years. But then so has the industry. The good old days of taking orders as easily as falling off logs have long gone. Every bit of business has to be fought for and for small installers, taking a day off to go and swan around Glassex is no longer an option.

‘The net result however is bringing positive results for exhibitors and visitors alike. This year everyone we talked to was serious, and because there were no tyre kickers around, we were able to spend time with each visitor to our stand. We must stop comparing Glassex with how it was five years ago and more.'

The Glassex events

The Glassex events, including the Glassex Challenge, the Glassex Seminars and the Glassex Conservatory Design Programme enjoyed a mixed response.

The concept of the Glassex Challenge is a good one and gives installers the chance to go head to head, but it fails to generate much interest. Perhaps they could open the competition up a bit and make it more challenging.

On the other hand, the Glassex Conservatory Design Competition was a big improvement. Now in its third year, it enjoyed 50% more entries, which created considerable problems for the judges. With the category winners and runners up displayed in a pavilion created by sponsors Ultraframe, representatives from each prize winner attended a packed presentation ceremony at which the Supreme, overall competition winner - Franklin Conservatories - was announced.

The Seminar programme, this year arranged in three modules, also impressed with packed audiences for most of the presentations. Unsurprisingly following the extraordinary interest when previously covered, the presentations on the latest revisions to Part L of the Building Regulations were quite literally packed whilst Window Energy Ratings also left standing room only.

Tuesday saw a special series directed at social landlords; ‘Glazing in the Public Sector', which was introduced at Glassex 2005, again signalled the enormous interest from this segment as local authorities and housing associations strive to meet the Decent Homes Standard, and in doing so, become an enormously important market for the glazing industry.

Pursuing new markets

The pursuit of other markets is the way forward and in this respect Glassex has led by targeting, amongst others, the social housing sector. Strides have been taken in recent years to more closely target and refine the various visitor groups, which has gone some way to increasing the quality of Glassex visitors, with natural selection taking care of the rest.

Claire Shilling, Glassex Marketing Manager, summarises, ‘Our straw poll research has shown that, almost without exception, exhibitors were very happy with the response and visitors they received this year. Our task now is to anticipate how the business will change, and sharpen the event still further from the visitors' perspective to ensure Glassex remains an essential part of the glazing industry calendar.'

No-one denies that Glassex will continue to fill its function and generate leads for exhibitors, but let's hope next year sees some new ideas.