GANAPerspectives

GANA Winter Conferences Expand
by Ashley M. Charest

More Information?
Glass Week March 24-27, 2011
www.glassweek.com

BEC Conference March 27-29, 2011
www.becconference.com

IGMA March 22-25, 2011
www.igmaonline.net

NFRC March 28-30, 2011
www.nfrc.org

For the fourth year in a row, the Glass Association of North America’s (GANA) winter conferences—comprised of Glass Week and the Building Envelope Contractors (BEC) Conference and Trade Show—will be co-located in Las Vegas. Glass Week will be held March 24-27, 2011, and the BEC Conference on March 27-29, 2011, both at the Paris Casino Resort.

These events will be packed full of quality information and educational sessions that make them a must for anyone in the architectural glass community. Glass Week will feature strong division and committee meetings, focusing time on reviewing technical resources, updates to ASTM International standards, activities on code and regulatory matters and up-to-date presentations on new technologies. The BEC Conference will continue to provide a solid day-and-a-half of speakers that discuss the newest glass and glazing trends for glazing contractors, in addition to providing essential information from a general business perspective. One new feature to this year’s BEC Conference is the integration of a live trade show, co-sponsored by USGlass magazine, which will allow attendees an opportunity to visit with suppliers and learn more about their company’s products and services, all during non-general session educational time. GANA also will host the third annual Virtual Trade Show, co-sponsored by PPG Certified Fabricators Program, which will be online March 1-April 30, 2011.

Quality and Quantity of Events
With the quality and quantity of glazing industry participants in one location, other organizations have decided to utilize the opportunity to co-locate their winter events with GANA’s Glass Week and the BEC Conference. As in 2010, the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance (IGMA) will host its eleventh Annual General Meeting immediately prior to Glass Week at the Paris Casino Resort, March 22-25. Both GANA and IGMA are working together to provide discounts to each others’ events, along with providing à la carte registration to GANA events, such as the Sunday joint Glass Week-BEC Conference welcome reception. These various registration options will allow for attendees to craft the perfect registration for them, while also allowing flexibility in travel for the conferences.

Another industry-related organization will co-locate its winter event with GANA’s winter conferences: the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC). Scheduled to begin with an overlap of the BEC Conference, NFRC will hold its spring event in Las Vegas at Bally’s March 28-30, 2011. GANA and NFRC have agreed to allow members from each other’s organizations to attend sessions at the member price.

For companies looking to enhance their company presence at the events, sponsorships have been set up to host a variety of functions, speakers and networking opportunities. Contact GANA at 785/271-0208 for available opportunities. At press time, confirmed sponsors include:
• 3M
• Goldray Industries Ltd.
• Guardian Industries Corp.
• Kawneer Co. Inc.
• Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope™
• Pilkington North America
• PPG Industries Inc.
• PPG Industries – Certified Fabricator Program
• Saflex
• Saint-Gobain Swisspacer
• Sapa Extrusions LLC
• USGlass Magazine
• Viracon
• Vitro America Inc.
• W&W Glass

Ashley Charest is account executive for GANA. Ms. Charest’s opinions are solely her own and not necessarily those of this magazine.

USG
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