Second summit success
By Purplex Marketing.
Almost 350 leaders from across the glass and glazing industry descended on Edgbaston Stadium for the second Glazing Summit in September.
And the verdict on the event was a resounding success, with 98% of attendees stating they could attend again and #GS19 trending on Twitter throughout the day.
Around 250 people also attended the Leaders’ Dinner in the evening, with former Olympic 400m runner and World Championship gold medallist Roger Black MBE providing an entertaining after-dinner speech on performing under pressure.
Last year’s inaugural Glazing Summit provided a space for industry leaders and CEOs to come together and discuss the issues facing the industry.
This year organisers Purplex Marketing and Insight Data gathered together 25 expert and keynote speakers, supported by 23 sponsors.
There was also audience interaction with Slido, the online Q&A and polling app, which allowed attendees to pose questions for those on stage through an app on their smartphone.
Edgbaston also played its part, with 55% of those who attended giving it five out of five as a venue.
Event founder, and CEO of Purplex and Insight Data, Andrew Scott said: “The foundations were there, and it was a case of listening to the feedback we had and building on the success of last year.
“We really took things up a notch, from the calibre of speakers and debates to our audience interaction with Slido and the new venue.
“The industry voted with its feet and we are delighted that 98% of attendees said they would attend next year.”
While the Glazing Summit provided a great opportunity for networking, it was the nine discussions and debates throughout the day that attracted most attention.
Five areas were hotly discussed and debated, including: whether or not the industry is doing enough when it comes to recycling and plastic; regulations and how the industry is tackling rogue traders; how smart tech and innovation will impact the market; how the industry can tackle barriers to growth, such as the skills shortage and the ‘race to the bottom’ on price; and how to maximise acquisitions and whether it’s the right time to exit, or buy.
Keynote speakers included RBS Bank director and leading UK economist Neal Parker on the implications of Brexit, and top business and motivational speaker Adrian Webster on running a world-class business.
With an appetite for its return, organisers announced that the Glazing Summit will become an annual event, with Glazing Summit 2020 taking place next October at the same venue.
“It’s vital that the industry needs a space to come together to learn, share ideas, thoughts and opinions and we want to provide that platform,” Andrew said.
“The challenge now is to really push the event on and make it bigger and better next year, and preparations are already underway. We look forward to seeing everyone again next year.”
