Last night someone told me, “I don’t want it to be June 30. I don’t want June to be over.” I asked if there was something happening in July he wasn’t looking forward to. He said, “No. It’s just that once July is here the summer flies by and it’s over.” Do you agree? Mind you, this perspective is coming from a teacher who has summers off … I don’t necessarily agree, but perhaps it’s because I’m not off from work for three months.

I’m excited about July myself, especially since GlassCon Global returns, July 6-9 at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel. The event began in 2014 designed as an every-other-year program that offers an in-depth look at many major topics for the architectural glass industry—areas of fabrication practices, global trends, energy and sustainability, research and so much more.

The event draws a diverse audience of those with a keen interest in the glass and glazing industry and its presence in the global market. USGlass will be covering the event next week. Be sure and look for us there to say hello if you’re also attending. If you can’t make it, keep an eye out for our USGNN.com™ coverage, including video reports.

This summer has also kept me busy with several projects, most of which won’t actually be coming to the pages of USGlass for a couple months. Some of these involve the upcoming glasstec 2016, which takes place this year in late September in Dusseldorf, Germany.

at glasstec 2014 a number of companies featured developments in thin glass.

One thing we always hear about glasstec is that it’s THE show to see innovation for the glass fabrication industry. For machinery manufacturers, this is often the big event to unveil new developments and for fabricators looking to purchase, glasstec is the place to go.

On the architectural side, you see cutting edge designs and concepts that are not yet being built or installed. These prototypes featured in what’s called the glass technology live pavilion provide a place for inspiration and ideas. While the displays might not yet be available on the market, they can be an indication of what’s to come.

As an example, two years ago we were wowed by the glass canopy that was constructed with Corning’s Gorilla Glass. This thin glass technology had been introduced a couple years prior for architectural applications. That canopy, however, was probably the first time for many people to see thin glass used in an actual architectural application.

I’m always amazed by the takeaways from events like GlassCon Global and glasstec, and can’t wait to see what comes from the two this year. I hope to see you there.