The 25th glasstec at a glance

glasstec 2018 begins in just a few weeks. 1.250 exhibitors from over 50 nations are expected to attend the anniversary event of the world's leading trade fair for the glass industry, which will take place in Düsseldorf from 23 to 26 October.

"We remain true to our motto "Discover the World of Glass" also in 2018. Only here in Düsseldorf will the glass industry present itself to visitors from all over the world with such a variety of forward-looking solutions, products and applications. The high quality of the range on offer at the trade fair is also reflected in our conference programme and the special shows," says Birgit Horn, Director of glasstec.

Special show glass technology live (Hall 11)

For years, the special show has been a magnet for visitors when it comes to forward-looking and innovative exhibits. For the first time, it will now be organized by a university network. This includes the technical universities of Darmstadt, Delft, Dresden and Dortmund.

In the main topics Interactive Facades / Display Glass, Energy and Performance, Constructive Glass (Solid Glass / Thin Glass), innovative solutions as well as future-oriented technologies will be presented. Information on the special show, the conceptual partners and the participating exhibitors can be found at: www.glasstec-online.com/2530

Craft LIVE (Hall 9)    

This year's special show Handwerk LIVE presents the topic "Processing glass: from the warehouse to the end product". At various practical stations illustrating the entire process chain, visitors from the glass processing trade will learn which requirements, processes and products facilitate the processing and transport of glass.

Here, the glass processing trade is invited to lay hands on tools and materials themselves. An overview of the individual stations can be found at: www.glasstec-online.com/

The "glasstec Challenge" (Hall 9)

Another new highlight this year is the "glasstec challenge". Trainees from the 3rd year of apprenticeship in the glass profession will compete against each other during the trade fair and produce various glass products at the hands-on stations. In addition to the quality of the exhibits, the time of implementation, preparation and use of protective equipment and work clothing will also be evaluated. The winners can look forward to attractive prizes such as training vouchers and free participation in seminars.

glass art (Hall 9)

The special exhibition "glass art" shows the artistic side of the glass industry. The spectrum of exhibiting artists from internationally renowned galleries ranges from glass vessels to sculptural objects and glass painting.

Open Maker Space (Hall 10)

In a "Design & Make Workshop", students of international partner universities of the European Facade Network (efn) develop prototypes for nodes of innovative facade systems.

The "glasstec conference" (Hall 10)

Under the title "glasstec conference" in Hall 10, the trade fair will bring together theory and practice in concentrated form with top-class presentations by leading experts. For example, the cross-industry conferences will deepen the background knowledge on the exhibits of "glass technology live".

Technology conference function meets glass

The technology conference "function meets glass" (at CCD Ost) will kick off on Monday before the start of the fair. The conference will focus on the manufacture and processing of functional glass and its areas of application.

For example, Dr. Wilma Dewald from Volkswagen will talk about the application of functional glass in the automotive industry. High-precision laser cutting techniques on complex surfaces and new coatings on glass are also topics of the "Function meets Glass".

The conference topics will also provide insights into current research projects, previously unpublished and innovative products on a concluding tour via the special show "glass technology live". The current programme can be found at: www.functionmeetsglass.com (The conference language is English).

Partner conferences

On Tuesday, the partners HVG-DGG (Hüttentechnische Vereinigung der deutschen Glasindustrie e.V. and Deutsche Glastechnische Gesellschaft e.V.) will present the topics of glass melting and emissions.

This year, the Bundesverband Glasindustrie e.V. (BV Glas) is dedicated to the topic of environmental and climate policy in Germany and the EU. (BV Glas). Networked production and new technologies form the thematic emphasis on Wednesday, presented by the Verband Deutscher Maschinen und Anlagenbauer e.V. (VDMA).

The new "Daylight by EuroWindoor" event will take place for the first time on Wednesday. The content is about news on the basics and planning of daylight use in buildings. (All conferences will be simultaneously translated into German and English).

An overview of the conference programme of BV Glas, HVG-DGG, VDMA and EuroWindoor can be found at: www.glasstec-online.com/conference

International Architecture Congress

On Thursday morning, speakers from renowned architecture firms will present their projects with glass at the international architecture congress (in the CCD Ost). This year's Architecture Congress is entitled "Durchblicke - Neue Architektur mit Glas" (Views - New Architecture with Glass).

The Architecture Congress, chaired by the NRW Chamber of Architects, is officially recognized as an advanced training course (AKNW - 4 teaching hours for architecture and interior design, IKBau NRW - 4 time units). The participation fee is 49 euros and includes admission to the trade fair for two days.

The programme for the International Architecture Congress can be found at: www.glasstec.de/architekturkongress or www.glasstec-online.com/architecturecongress. (All presentations will be simultaneously translated into German and English).

engineered transparency

Until the end of glasstec, the conference programme with the scientific conference engineered transparency will be dominated by research. On Thursday and Friday, international scientists such as Chris McVoy, Steven Holl Architects, Markus Feldmann, RWTH Aachen, Jan Wurm, Arup, Rob Nijsse and TU Delft will discuss developments in the field of constructive glass construction.

The complete programme can be found at: www.glasstec-online.com/2524. (The conference language is English). An overview of the complete conference programme can be found at: www.glasstec-online.com/conference

New matchmaking tool and additional services for a successful trade fair visit

Networking is an essential part of glasstec, even in the digital age. The trade fair is breaking new and intelligent ground here and offers trade visitors and exhibitors an additional platform for making contacts and networking with the matchmaking tool for iOS and Android.

Access is via the web portal at www.glasstec.de/matchmaker2 or with the glasstec Matchmaking Tool for IOS and Android OS. Those who already have a ticket for glasstec can register quickly and easily with their log-in data and store their interests and search parameters.

A fast matching of these interests results immediately in recommendations and personalized suggestions in order to make contact. The matchmaking tool brings exhibitors and trade visitors together in a very targeted way during the preparation for the fair and makes participation in the fair even more efficient for both sides.

Exhibitor and product search

Trade visitors can use the exhibitor and product search on the glasstec website to prepare for their visit to the trade fair. All participating companies and the range of products and services as well as the position in the halls can be found there. Here you can go directly to the exhibitor and product search: www.glasstec-online.com/2410  

The Craftsman Compass

With the new pocket-sized Craftsman Compass, you can discover all the offers, special shows and demonstration areas for the glass processing trade in Halls 9, 10, 11 and 12. In addition, all the exhibitors who are particularly relevant to the trade are shown there in a hall plan. In this way, visitors can find their way around the fair quickly and easily.

Tickets for glasstec 2018

Admission tickets at reduced advance booking conditions can be purchased at www.glasstec-online.com/2130. The eTickets cost from 38 euros (day ticket, on site 53 euros) to 58 euros (2-day ticket, on site 76 euros) to 90 euros (season ticket, on site 110 euros) and are valid as tickets for public transport in the Rhine-Ruhr public transport system (VRR) for arrival and departure. For mobile access, our glasstec page in responsive design and an app for iOS, and Android are available.