Volume 47, Issue 12 - December 2012
Volume 47, Issue 12 - December 2012
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Comment On This Story www.usglassmag.com/de/1212p66 feature Backwards and Forwards
BEC today is very different compared to what it was in the beginning. While it still takes place annually, the size of the event has grown tremendously, with hundreds attending, including contract glaziers, consultants, suppliers, fabricators and even architects. “Now on average we have between 400-500 people,” says Ashley Charest, GANA account executive. Greg Carney, president of C.G. Carney and Associates and a consultant for GANA, was in attendance at that first meeting. “From the development stage of the GANA Building Envelope Contractors division and conference in the late 1990s through better economic times of the early 2000s the BEC Conference grew from 74 participants to more than 750,” says Carney, speaking of the group’s largest event ever, which took place in 2008. He adds, “The BEC Conference remains the conference totally devoted to the glass, glazing and building envelope industry.” “We have placed a focus on providing marketing venues for suppliers such as tabletop displays and the Take 5’s, an opportunity that provides a supplier with a five-minute time slot to share information about products, services, etc.,” says Charest. She explains that the program is designed and created specifically to bring the most relevant topics and information to the contract glazing industry. In addition, it includes ample networking opportunities. “For the contract glazier the BEC Conference provides them with quality education in a short period of time, along with putting them in the same city with most of their valuable suppliers,” she says. “This three-day event helps them network and learn in a very short period of time.” Carney agrees. “Every year the conference focuses on providing educational, networking and reunion opportunities for every aspect of the glass, glazing and building envelope industry. There is value in participation in every minute of the conference, whether it’s keeping up with new technologies, seeing old industry friends or finding new resources.” Henry Taylor of Kawneer says the conference provides an opportunity for a wide cross-section of stakeholders in the glass industry to gather together to discuss topics that are relevant to everyone. “It is a safe environment in which all members of our industry can share ideas and have a larger discussion with the goal of raising the standard of excellence for all of us,” says Taylor, who serves as chair of the conference. “As a manufacturer and chairman of the BEC, I have always seen the conference as another avenue that I can use to serve our customers. [It] has given me an organized agenda of speakers and topics to address what I have seen as [key] points in the industry. BEC meets a critical need in our industry. We might be competitors and we might bid against each other for work, but at the end of the day, our success as individuals is impacted by our success as an industry. If [we] do not tell our story about energy efficiency, the benefits of natural daylight, sustainability of our materials and defend our position in the contract, we all get hurt.” Charest adds, “The average person does not know what a contract glazier does, so when you talk about your business at a local Chamber event, they don’t understand the nuances. At this event though, the people in the room intimately understand the others’ opportunities, challenges and can give feedback on their jobs.” Schedule Highlights In addition to the sessions, the BEC Conference will also feature a number of networking opportunities. These include coffee breaks, lunches, receptions and the ever-popular afternoon beer break/communications break. A golf outing is also planned for the last day of the conference. Keynote Sessions Rich Drinon, M.A., president, Drinon & Associates Inc., will lead the Monday afternoon session, “Stepping Up to Leadership.” According to Drinon, the need for leaders has never been greater—and the challenges for leaders have never been more complex. His session will examine the awareness, attitude and actions required by today’s leaders as they work to build their team and organization. This session is designed to help attendees recognize the standards to which leaders are held and the neverending importance of communication in leadership roles. And just what will attendees gain from this presentation? Drinon says they will be able to recognize the diversity and complexity of leadership and communication views; understand the value of leverage, influence and authority to the leader; examine issues of character, commitment and credibility in leadership; explain three levels of leadership consciousness; and recognize three continuous leadership actions. His presentation is scheduled for 1 p.m. Spotlight Speaker Corso, who joined ESPN in 1987 after 28 years of football coaching experience at the college and professional levels, including 17 seasons as a head coach, serves as a game analyst for Thursday night telecasts and as a studio analyst for College GameDay and the half-time and scoreboard shows. Corso also has served as head coach at the University of Louisville from 1969-72, where he compiled a 28-11-3 record, taking the Cardinals to their first bowl game ever. Corso, whose college roommate was actor Burt Reynolds, received four varsity letters in both football and baseball at Florida State and is a member of the FSU Hall of Fame. He received his bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1957 and his master’s degree in administration and supervision in 1958. He is also the director of business development for Dixon Ticonderoga in Maitland, Fla., an international diversified manufacturer and marketer of writing and arts products. His presentation is scheduled for 8 a.m. Schedule and program plans are still being finalized for BEC 2013, but you can still learn more about the conference or other GANA events at www.glasswebsite.com. GANA Hosts Northeast Roundtable Discussion
Topics Discussion topics included: “We were very pleased with the way the meeting went,” says Dwyer. “Attendance was strong, especially in light of the power, gasoline, wind, snow and flight cancellations. Bill Yanek and Urmilla Sowell led with very strong presentations on GANA activities and technical and advocacy efforts. An open forum session followed including a discussion of topics suggested by the attendees ahead of time. One particularly interesting topic was a discussion among the fabricators, a curtainwall consultant and a design professional concerning specifications, standards and resolving disputes.” In addition, Chris Barry, director of technical services with Pilkington North America (who is retiring at the end of this year), was also a presenter and was recognized for his years of service to the glass industry. An avid tennis fan, those in attendance took the opportunity to present Barry with a Wimbledon tennis towel. “Chris, always a fantastic speaker, was at the top of his game, with his presentation on insulating glass edge seal stress in double and triple IG units including gas and coatings in various sizes,” says Dwyer. Speaking of the entire program, Dwyer adds, “several of the attendees told me they got a lot out of the meeting. I know I sure did.” For next year, GANA is tentatively planning to hold roundtable events in the Northeast and Northwest. Talking with Tracy Rogers, 2013 GANA President
USG: What are some of your goals/projects
you will be working on for next year as GANA’s president? USG: Why do you believe it’s important
for industry members to be involved with GANA? USG: I know GANA organizes several meetings
each year. What are some details of these upcoming events to which the
industry can look forward? USG: What are you looking forward to the most
as the incoming president?
USG |