glasstec 2014: The bottom line is positive for machinery and plant manufacturers

Above all they stressed the high number of top and medium-management levels among the 43,000 visitors as well as the international character of the fair. glasstec seems to have provided the push, the industry needs to get through these times unscathed.   Some companies were given orders, others made direct sales and generated lots of momentum, which should translate into plenty of new business.The sector is confident that the industry as a whole will also return to a positive trajectory after difficult times in large parts of the glass sector due to over-capacities, lacking investments and pressure growing from a fiercer competition. But, also according to the organizer of glasstec, Messe Düsseldorf there are now signs of positive market developments. This was the clear message from the feedback of some of the 1,217 exhibitors.

“What is most important for us as organisers is that our customers are satisfied because this is the basis for positive and sustainable growth for the event for the benefit of all involved. We once again fulfilled this goal in 2014 and have therefore again confirmed the role of glasstec as the world’s most important international meeting point with a clear barometer effect for the entire sector,” summed up Hans Werner Reinhard, Managing Director at Messe Düsseldorf.

glasstec 2014 convinced the specialists from the fields of mechanical  engineering, glass manufacturing, -processing and -finishing, crafts, architecture/construction as well as glazing/façades and the solar sector: over 96% of the visitors give the world’s most important trade fair in the glass sector a positive overall rating. They also rated their visit in terms of achieving their goals at the trade fair just as high. Here 40% of visitors came to the event with specific intentions to invest which in turn is likely to create positive impulses for the exhibitors in the coming months. The proportion of attendees from middle and top management again improved. Over three quarters of the visitors were from these levels. The proportion of the visitors coming to Düsseldorf from abroad reached about 60% and this figure continues to be unmatched in the sector internationally.

Future themes of the high quality product glass

The Special Show “glass technology live” (gtl) in Hall 11 organised by Prof. Stefan Behling and his team from the Institute of Building Construction at Stuttgart University, was once again a must-see show for many visitors. With the motto “Intelligent Glass”, glass products from the near future were on display here. The results of the visitor survey confirm the selection of exhibits displayed at gtl: according to the experts, display glass/technical glass applications, glass printing/coating as well as thin glass are the top themes for the coming three to five years. A special eye-catcher at the Special Show was a 3.20m x 14m pane of glass finished using a ceramic digital printing process. Another highlight was display glass used in alternative areas of application and ultra-thin glass “from the roll” for electronic applications. Other audience magnets were numerous façade mock-ups, for instance with extraordinary geometries, fascinating optical effects or outstanding insulation properties, for example using 4-layer insulation glass.

The gtl was accompanied by a top-notch specialist symposium offering – within the exhibition area of gtl – a variety of lectures on daily changing themes which was avidly attended by visitors. This also goes for the VDMA symposia which featured themes as quality control, monitoring and process control.

The next glasstec will be held in Düsseldorf in line with its two-year cycle from 20 to 23 September 2016.

More information and pictures at http://www.glasstec-online.com