Optimism is the byword at glasstec
28th October 2014

With 1,217 exhibitors and 43,000 trade visitors glasstec once again proved to the industry that it is the biggest glass and glazing trade fair in the world

Specialists from the fields of mechanical engineering, glass manufacturing, -processing and -finishing, crafts, architecture/construction as well as glazing/façades and the solar sector attended and over 96% of the visitors give the show an 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.

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.

“I am delighted that there were positive signs at glasstec 2014 in the field of mechanical engineering and the glass industry. The German skilled glazier’s trade is currently doing extremely well. Our ranges at glasstec in the Crafts Center with its new glass processing and finishing arena and the participation stations in the also new area Handwerk LIVE went down very well. Together with the established themes Autoglass Arena and glass art we offer a unique programme for all segments of the skilled trades and we are very pleased with the way the trade fair went,” remarked Martin Gutmann, President of glasstec 2014 and Federal Guilds Master.

“What is most important for us as organisers of glasstec 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.


The line-up of the three conferences “Solar meets Glass”, “engineered transparency” and the “Architecture Congress” went down very well with delegates. Already on the day before the start of the trade fair opened experts from the solar and glass sector met to discuss their interconnected topics. With its 80 participants the two-day conference was pleasingly well attended given the deep crisis in the solar sector. This was followed on the first and second day of glasstec by the engineered transparency conference attracting just over 200 participants from 23 countries to shed light on the latest developments in the field of structural glass engineering. The Architecture Congress on the Wednesday of the fair successfully closed the line-up with some 280 participants.

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

Comments from exhibitors:

Biesse Spa / Intermac, Carlo Strappa, Marketing Manager

“glasstec is central in our strategy for stores market. We know that it is the trade fair for the glass industry. Every two years everybody is coming to the show. (…) glasstec is where you have to be, glasstec is when you have to be ready with the best products you can offer. We are extremely happy this year, the booth is full of quality visitors. (…) We have already sold some machines, that’s great. Already on the second day we had smiles on our faces. (…) It is absolutely a success.”

Bohle AG, Arne Klöfkorn, Board Member

We’re very, very satisfied with glasstec. It was by far the best glasstec for us in years. We’ve generated lots of momentum, which should translate into plenty of new business. Especially these days, when one hears the news that times might get worse, the trade fair certainly provides the push we need to get through these times unscathed.

Bystronic glass, Peter Nischwitz, Head of Corporate Communication

“Our bottom line is very positive! From the start, we saw high-calibre visitors at our exhibition stand. The number of visitors was just right, too, and we’re confident that the industry as a whole will also return to a positive trajectory. We look forward to some really, really great follow-up business after the trade fair.”

GED Integrated Solutions, S. Joseph Shaheen, Director of Sales and Marketing

We have had a lot of traffic come through, a lot of people that have never seen our system in process before. We also have had some customers who came two years ago and saw us that have come back. Being here in Düsseldorf gives us this great opportunity to get people to understand our system that is very different from traditional IG production, and it’s very important for our company to be here.

Grenzebach Maschinenbau GmbH, Martin Sträb, Executive Vice President & CMO

“Speaking on behalf of the Grenzebach Group, we had extremely positive results overall. We’re glad we returned to Düsseldorf. This is an amazing platform for our international clientele, offering an excellent opportunity to both gain new customers and set appointments with our existing customers for discussions or to further cultivate our partnership. Following few rather difficult years, we now look to the future with moderate optimism, and the trade fair provides some very interesting impulses in that regard. Moreover, something we as an exhibitor find noteworthy is that Messe Düsseldorf GmbH is an excellent partner for us. For the first time this year, they organised the opening celebration on the evening before glasstec. This event provided a great setting for us to invite all our key customers and partners. Wonderful discussions developed that evening. Everyone who participated and all the customers thought it was just an absolutely fantastic night. That’s why we’d like to ask that you keep this event and further expand this theme.”

Interpane Glas Industrie AG, Rainer W. Schmid, Marketing Communication Director

“It was a successful event for us overall. glasstec allowed us to properly showcase the alliance between AGC and Interpane, which we had initiated two years ago. We’re pleased, because we made many interesting contacts and saw lots of visitors.”

Lisec Holding GmbH, Mag. Filip Miermans

“Clearly, glasstec is the industry’s leading trade fair. The atmosphere has been incredible right from the start, the visitor numbers and quality are very high. (…) glasstec is the ideal platform for introducing new product ranges. (…)”

Saint-Gobain Glass Deutschland GmbH, Martin Stadler, Marketing Director

The trade fair completely met our expectations, it was very lively, and we met lots and lots of customers. We’re absolutely satisfied with the trade fair.