Glasstech Asia 2008 will take place for the first time in Vietnam, the organizer of the event said. Over 170 companies from 29 countries and territories will take part in the show at the Saigon Exhibi…
Glasstech Asia 2008 will take place for the first time in Vietnam, the organizer of the event said. Over 170 companies from 29 countries and territories will take part in the show at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center, or SECC, from 20-22 November 2008, displaying glass products, glass processing and manufacturing technology, construction materials, technical development and advanced applications. It will be the biggest event in Southeast Asia for glass manufacturing technology and glass products. Thirteen Vietnamese companies will take part, said Gan Chee Siong, chairman of Singapore Glass Association, which is a co-organizer alongside Conference and Exhibition Management Services, Ltd. and Vietnam Architectural Glass Association (Vieglass) The exhibition is not for conventional glass products but for speciality products including energy-saving, safety, tempered, double glazed or insulated, solar reflective and decorated glass. The exhibition also aims to develop the glass market in Vietnam, where the construction sector has developed strongly over the years, prompting a jump in demand for glass products. “Moving the exhibition“s venue from Thailand to Vietnam is meaningful at a time infrastructure investment is growing in Vietnam, unveiling potentials for the glass industry”, said Mr. Gan. In most buildings, offices, and apartments, glass materials are favored by designers and used to make windows, stairs, and outside partitions capture sunlight, said Tran Quoc Thai, chairman of Vieglass. According to Mr. Thai, in recent years demand for glass materials has increased by about 8% a year. Demand for construction glass is about 106 million square meters a year, expected to reach 178 million square meters a year by 2016. The organizing committee will also run special seminars on themes such as sustainability and environmental friendliness of insulation technology, machines for producing insulating glass, using energy effectively in construction, and solar energy in architecture. Since Glasstech Asia was first held in 1998, it has gained a prominent position in the region“s glass industry and has been a practical forum for exchanging ideas and technologies.