The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) will host a live field testing demonstration, a panel of experts discussing Vacuum Insulating Glazing (VIG), a safety speaker covering cut-resistant personal protective equipment (PPE), an update on the U.S. and Canadian economies and more at the 2022 FGIA Hybrid Fall Conference September 25-28 in Chicago, IL. Plus, most across-the-board speakers will be available to those attending the conference in person as well as those participating virtually.

“The in-person demonstrations and speaker sessions at this conference will provide close-up knowledge and a better understanding of important industry issues,” said Florica Vlad, FGIA Meetings Manager. “Participants will witness actual field tests by an AAMA Accredited Field Testing Agency and will learn about the future of vacuum insulating glass technologies. Additionally, the Fenestration Safety Committee continues to offer practical applications for keeping employees safe. This time we have the chance to see the engineered yarns used in producing PPE for the industry.”

Field Testing Demonstration | Air Leakage and Water Penetration Resistance

This live session (available exclusively to in-person participants) will demonstrate field testing of air leakage and water penetration resistance per ASTM E783 and ASTM E1105. Participants will see up close the laboratory equipment used for the evaluation of fenestration products in the field, the construction of an interior test chamber and the placement of the water spray rack on the exterior of the building. This demo will be led by Bill Bahn, President of Hightower Labs, Inc., a building envelope quality control services firm based in Chicago.

Current State of VIG Technologies Panel Discussion

During this one-hour panel discussion, participants will discover the current state of VIG technologies, learn about the history, technology and testing and gain insight into the future of VIGs. Moderator Dave Cooper from Fenestration Consulting Service will lead this panel featuring: Bill Davis, Senior IG Technical Service and Product Manager at Vitro Architectural Glass; Dr. Cenk Kocer, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sydney; Marc LaFrance, Windows Technology Manager at the U.S. Department of Energy; and Dr. Kayla Natividad, Architectural Technical Service Engineer at Pilkington.

Cut-Resistant Apparel Industry Ratings and Proper Selection

Sponsored by the FGIA Fenestration Safety Committee, this session with Bill Specht from Ark Safety will cover proper glass handling PPE, including types of cut-resistant apparel, the evolution of this PPE and relevant industry lessons. Participants will gain greater knowledge of how engineered yarns are developed, researched and produced, along with how ANSI cut ratings were developed and are used to test finished products. The session will also address how to select the proper PPE in different glass handling environments within manufacturing facilities. During the additional hands-on session, in-person participants will dive deeper into the production of and ratings for cut-resistant apparel and be able to touch and feel the products.

Economic Outlook | The Impact of COVID, Inflation and M&A on the Fenestration and Glazing Industry

Michael Collins of EquiNova Capital Partners will provide an overview of the fenestration and glazing industry against the backdrop of the larger building products industry and the macroeconomic environment. He will address how the post-COVID economy and inflation are affecting business valuations and the merger and acquisition (M&A) environment. Collins will also cover the outlook for the building products industry, construction and remodeling and relevant trends affecting the market segment. Time will be allotted for questions from conference participants.

Codes, Regulatory and Legislative Report | U.S. and Canadian News and Updates

FGIA staff experts will share a regulatory and legislative report for the U.S. and Canada as well as a codes update. Led by Kathy Krafka Harkema, FGIA U.S. Technical Operations Director, and Amy Roberts, FGIA Director of Canadian and Technical Glass Operations, these two sessions will provide the latest both U.S. and Canadian news and updates.

For more information about FGIA and its activities, visit FGIAonline.org.

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