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What an outstanding show our industry had last week in Atlanta! Many thanks to the National Glass Association for once again so adeptly delivering with GlassBuild America. The conversation sure did happen here!

As I engaged with show participants throughout the event, I repeatedly heard reports of high booth traffic and even higher quality contacts. The volume of on-site sales of products and equipment was also a highlight this year. But beyond exposure and sales for companies that participated, there were also many trends revealed.

There was extensive focus on the show floor around automation and robotics. Equipment manufacturers really wowed the crowd with innovative advancements in technologies that deliver efficiency, consistency and safety. Plus, there were new software developments on display to support the ever-growing movement toward automation.

Another common theme was large glass. From equipment to produce and coat oversized pieces of glass to components, hardware and frame designs required to support the greater height, width and weight of these units, it was definitely apparent that the marketplace trend for dramatic visual impact in buildings is alive and well.

Customers took center stage at GlassBuild as well with many exhibitors focusing on products and services to address customer needs. Artificial intelligence is one impressive way that some companies are enhancing their customers’ experiences and capitalizing on the human gravitation toward virtual reality.

Of course, there was also a lot of buzz around efficiency which is always at the forefront of fenestration and glass conversations. Thin triples and vacuum insulating glass are examples of product technologies that are breaking ground in the efficiency arena and were featured at GlassBuild.

Though the weather was hot and steamy in Atlanta, the show floor was certainly jam packed with cool innovations. Can’t wait to see everyone and what’s new at next year’s show in Las Vegas!