GlassExpo Africa exhibition, conference
GlassExpo Africa 2010, to be held at the MTN Expo Centre, Nasrec from 8-11 September 2010 is part of The Star Interbuild Africa 2010 trade exhibition. The original idea of a glass expo in South Africa came from Steve McCoy, MD of McCoy's Glass and presented to its current organisers, Specialised Exhibitions and the inaugural GlassExpo Africa in 2008 was labelled as successful.
Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net Credit: Chris Sharp
The 2010 show has already received support from companies, such as PG Group, McCoy's Glass, Wispeco, Bohle Glass Equipment, Pro Crane, Alro Door, Abratool and Clean Cut Glass, Renè Turck and Associates. The Association of Architectural Aluminium Manufacturers of South Africa (AAAMSA) and the South African Glass and Glazing Association (SAGGA) endorse the expo.
As part of Interbuild, exhibitors have the opportunity to demonstrate their latest trends, products and services alongside Plumbdrain Africa, Sani'ter, Frigair Conference and Expo, Hardex and Woodpro Africa exhibitors, part of one of the largest and most comprehensive trade exhibition on the continent.
"The expo is a unique opportunity for us to showcase our capabilities to potential customers and highlight to architects and other professionals what South African glass companies are able to produce locally. We want to secure our position as leaders in the glass industry on the African continent and the expo provides us with a unique opportunity to network with existing customers and meet new, potential customers. As a business, we are looking past 2010, after the World Cup, at how to grow our business and believe it is critical to penetrate the African market. There is so much potential waiting on our doorstep," says McCoy.
Legislation comes out during expo
According to the its executive officer, Hans Schefferlie, the AAAMSA Group incorporating SAGGA supports the trade show as it offers the glass and aluminium industries an opportunity to showcase the latest products available to both local and international customers.
"In addition, Glass Expo Africa 2010 is ideally timed to coincide with the publication of the National Building Regulation Part XA - Energy Usage in Buildings, and glass and fenestration manufacturers will introduce products that will satisfy the requirements in respect of overall energy usage in buildings as legislated in the National Building Regulation," adds Schefferlie.
Also backing this year's show, is the CEO of the PG Group, Stewart Jennings. He believes that although the glass industry is still feeling the effects of the economic recession and lagging behind other industries, it is important to highlight the industries' capabilities at the expo.
He has appealed to the South African glass industry to utilise this opportunity and says, "The glass industry in South Africa is dynamic and resilient. We need to use that determination and our expertise collectively to support our own industry. Activities like the expo are something we should nurture, which is why we are supporting it and taking part."
Matchmaking programme
To enhance the interaction between exhibitors and visitors at this year's expo, the organisers will be running a business matchmaking programme, as well as an African visitor promotion campaign. It is believed that these initiatives will increase the return on investment for both buyers and sellers as the business matchmaking programme will give delegates the opportunity to engage with one another on an exclusive basis, enabling exhibitors to meet their target markets and assisting visitors to find exactly what they are looking for.
The business matchmaking programme utilises sophisticated technology to profile participants, match their needs with those who can offer the most benefit for them and set up one-on-one meetings. These programmes were run at 21 business events last year and were rated by participants as the most essential activity at a conference or exhibition, achieving an average 85 percent response rate to meetings they scheduled.
GlassExpo Africa Conference
Parallel to the exhibition, the glass industry in conjunction with AAAMSA and SAGGA will be hosting the conference, Let's Talk Glass in Sustainable Buildings, focusing on energy efficiency on 9 September 2010.
The conference, which takes place at the expo, will boast acclaimed speakers from the international and local architectural arena, as well as international and local experts talking about green, glass, energy efficiency and legislation. Architects attending will earn CPD points. Enquiries may be emailed to az.oc.srecnaleerf@newg, as the communication consultancy Freelancers Writing Services has been appointed to run the conference.
