2008 Glassex Show / 2008 Glass Processing & Technology Show

This was the official website for both the 2008 Glassex Show, the UK's only dedicated event for the door, window and conservatory industries, and the Glass Processing & Technology Show, which covers the flat, structural and decorating glass markets, as well as insulated glass and glass in the built environment.

Content is from the site's 2008 archived pages.

2008
Welcome

Glassex and Glass Processing & Technology

Glass Processing & Technology have been moved to co-located halls, with mid-week dates and extended opening hours in April 2008. For the first time the two events will take place next door to each other, in Halls 3A (GP&T) and 4 (Glassex) at the NEC Birmingham with a cross-over point between them. Taking place from Tuesday 8 - Thursday 10 April 2008, visitors will be able to register and access both exhibitions with a single ticket.

Opening Times 2008

Tuesday 8 April:
9.00am- 5.00pm
Wednesday 9 April:
10.00am - 7.00pm
Thursday 10 April:
10.00am - 5.00pm

About Glassex

Glassex is the UK's only dedicate event for the door, window and conservatory industries, attracting visitors from a wide range of sectors including the building sector, door, window and conservatory manufacturers, installers, systems companies, hardware, consumables and the public sector.

The visitor audience to Glassex comprises door, window and conservatory fabricators and installers, commercial specifiers, local authorities and housing associations, builders and property developers, window and door systems suppliers, machinery manufacturers and distributors, conservatory roof systems suppliers, and glazing consumables manufacturers and suppliers.

If you are involved in the manufacture or supply of doors, windows, conservatories and associated products and services, you should be at Glassex.

About GP&T

Glass Processing & Technology covers the flat, structural and decorating glass markets, as well as insulated glass and glass in the built environment. GP&T will showcase the full breadth of glass: its manufacture, processing, treatments and coatings, through to its wide variety of applications as an end product in the built environment.
Be it toughened, treated, bent, fused, blown, blasted, manipulated or any other way of processing glass for the exterior or interior of a building, it will be at GP&T.

The co-location with Glassex reflects the synergies between the two events, bringing benefits to both exhibitors and visitors.

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With Glassex and Glass Processing & Technology now co-located shows, visitors will now be able to access both shows with one ticket. Taking place from Tuesday 8 - Thursday 10 April 2008, the two events will bring exhibitors from the fenestration, doors and conservatory sectors and the the flat, structural and decorating glass markets side by side in halls 3A and 4 of the NEC Birmingham.

Pre-registration is now live, and you can register yourself and your colleagues on one form. Please use the link to the right to register to attend Glassex and GP&T 2008.

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Note from the editor:
When launching the promotion efforts for our 2008 event, we discovered a huge issue within Google's search results. Searches for "Glassex Show" were showing results for cocaine and heroin news items. The top result was for a record setting drug bust of a distributor who had over 1000 sellers working the streets and public housing communities in Baltimore. This went on long enough for us to consider legal action but were stymied by the cost. But we really wanted to remove Google search results before too much reputational damage was done. Our developers suggested this might have been some confusion within Google regarding glassine - which is often what street drugs are packaged in - and Glassex. They also showed us that this type of search screw up was pretty commonplace and that Google was very unresponsive regarding a remedy. Fortunately the problem resolved itself in a couple of weeks, which was just enough time to do some damage but we believe we overcame the problem with our good press and PR.

An update: 2020
2020 was one of the most unusual years ever for business and society in general. Life is a lot different in 2020 than it was in 2008 when it comes to conventions. Many events had to be held virtually because of the Covid 19 pandemic. Many events went virtual. My cousin who works at the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF), the UK“s primary trade association for the flat glass, glazing, window, home improvement, plastics and window film industries recently face timed me and said that all their meetings are via video conferencing. That sounds like what happened to me when NYC where I live, shut down in the early spring due to covid. Since then all my meetings with clients are through Zoom. I create the graphics and write content for websites. I frequently work with other vendors such as SEO companies and my client's webmaster. Recently a client asked if I could recommend a firm who offer effective seo services and social media expertise. I was actually able to give a name of a very well known consultant, Bob Sakayama, who is the CEO of NYC based TNG/Earthling. He has been guiding the implementation of a site for another client and has really made a huge improvement in their search traffic. I'm cc'ed in all their back and forth emails and I'm really impressed with what Bob has been teaching us. It's been educational. Both my cousin and I like probably most folks are anxiously awaiting for a covid 19 vaccine so like can go back to normal.The United Kingdom became the first country to approve a Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech so I am following closely to see how they roll it out. Hopefully this will be the start of the end of the pandemic. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced that New York State will receive an initial delivery of enough COVID-19 vaccine doses for 170,000 New Yorkers. If all safety and efficacy approvals are granted by the federal government, the state expects to receive the vaccines—which were created by Pfizer—on December 15. That's a start, but I don't expect to see someone like me being able to get the vaccine for at least another 6 months. The 2008 Glassex Show is just a distant memory now. But the content on this page should should help trigger lots of recollections, if you originally attended it.

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Exhibitor Benefits

When you take a stand at Glassex or GP&T you don't just get a space only site or a shell scheme stand. You also benefit from the full weight of the marketing and PR campaign, plus your own opportunities to maxmise your investment. There is a raft of opportunities available to you free of charge that you can build into your own marketing campaign before the show.

Your company listing on the Glassex-GP&T website, including your logo and link, a company entry and as many press releases as you wish to submit.
The opportunity to upload as many as 5 product images onto your company entry on the website for no extra cost.
The opportunity to submit your company news to our PR agency for consideration in our online newsletter, for our own PR campaign, for the Press previews and in our marketing campaign to visitors.
The opportunity to provide your clients with personalised invitations, whether in hard copy or email form.
A 75-word entry in the Official Show Guide, plus your listing in the Product Index. The Show Guide is given to all visitors as they enter the halls.
The chance to enter the New Product Awards if you want to announce a product you are launching at the show. This information is used pre-show in our own marketing and PR campaign, gaining you valuable exposure before the doors even open.

All the marketing opportunities are outlined fully in the Exhibitor Manual. You will be given secure access to this when the Manual is live and on return of your contract.

If you would like to speak to a member of the team about the marketing opportunities available to exhibitors, please email claire.shilling@emap.comor call her on 020

Press

If you are exhibiting at Glassex or GP&T and have a story you think should appear here, please contact
Frances Ross
Account Director
CIB Communications
Bridge House
27 Bridge Street
Leatherhead
Surrey KT22 8DD
Tel 01372 371800
Fax 01372 371801

2008 Conservatory Design Competition

ConservatoriesOnline.com has been providing homeowners with independent, well-researched information and advice on all aspects of specifying and installing a conservatory since 1999, with more than 50,000 thousand people consulting the ConservatoriesOnline.com network of websites every month.

Within the information we offer is the core message that 'quality' is the key to every aspect of successfully installing a conservatory and that is why we are delighted to be involved with the Conservatory Design Competition, for this event, since its inception, has sought to find and reward the very best that the conservatory industry has to offer - in other words it too has 'quality' at the core of its objectives.

Conservatories continue to provide, not just relatively low cost, but more attractive living space for every type of home or commercial property. Conservatories do not just provide additional space to accommodate greater numbers of people, they offer what often becomes the favourite room, a magnet for people to connect to the outdoors, whatever the weather, throughout the year.

The conservatory industry has an excellent and healthy future ahead of it, even if sales are somewhat stifled by adverse market conditions in the current period. The future will be all the more assured if consumer and specifier confidence in the conservatory indstry remains high, if excellence in every aspect of conservatory design, build and installation is pursused by manufacturers and installers.

The recognition and reward for excellence is what the Glassex Conservatory Design Competition is all about, and why ConservatoriesOnline.com is proud to be associated with it.

Glassex Award

At the close of the Glassex show Kombimatec Machines received the award for 'Best New Window Machinery Product' at Glassex GP&T 2008 and was presented by Mr. James Gower- Group Exhibitions Director, Emap Construct and received on behalf of Kombimatec by David Parsons, Technical Director.

The award was for the new EV475 CNC Weld Joint Cleaner. Manufactured in the UK by Kombimatec Machines Ltd at their base in Luton.

David Parsons(left)Technical Director, Kombimatec Machines Ltd receives award from Mr. James Gower(right)- Group Exhibitions Director, Emap Construct

More Background On GExhibition.com

GExhibition.com served as the online home for one of the United Kingdom’s most important industry events in the late 1990s and 2000s: the Glassex Show, co-located in later years with the Glass Processing & Technology Show (GP&T). These exhibitions were major commercial gatherings for professionals involved in glass manufacturing, glazing, architectural design, conservatory construction, and the broader fenestration industry.

Although the site is now preserved mainly through archived pages, it offers a rich look into how specialized trade shows were organized and promoted before social media dominated event marketing. GExhibition.com documents a time when industry exhibitions were essential physical marketplaces—where businesses launched machines, demonstrated technologies, announced new architectural materials, and forged partnerships.

This article explores the website’s purpose, history, audience, cultural significance, and the industries it represented. It also analyzes the challenges faced by organizers, including a notable SEO crisis that temporarily linked the Glassex Show to unrelated drug-related search results—an incident that became an example of early search-engine volatility.

History of the Glassex Show

Origins and Evolution

Glassex began as the United Kingdom’s only dedicated exhibition for the door, window, and conservatory industries. By the early 2000s, it had solidified its status as a central meeting point for:

Door, window, and conservatory fabricators
Installers and retrofit specialists
Builders and property developers
Hardware and consumable suppliers
Window-system manufacturers
Local authorities and housing associations
Machinery distributors and component makers

The show reflected the boom in home-improvement and architectural glazing that swept the UK from the 1990s through the early 2000s.

When the Glass Processing & Technology Show (GP&T) was introduced, the two exhibitions were eventually merged into adjacent halls. This co-location represented the natural convergence of the fenestration and flat-glass markets. Together, the events broadened the scope to include:

Structural glass
Decorative glass
Laminated and insulated panels
Thermal-performance innovations
Architectural coatings
Interior glass design

This merger strengthened both shows and increased their value for exhibitors and visitors.

GExhibition.com – Purpose and Function

GExhibition.com acted as the central information hub for both Glassex and GP&T. It served multiple roles:

1. Visitor Information Portal

The website provided dates, opening hours, registration forms, and hall maps. In 2008, the shows were held in Halls 3A and 4 at the NEC Birmingham—allowing seamless crossover between the two events using a single registration ticket.

2. Exhibitor Marketing Platform

Exhibitors could upload:

Company profiles
Logos
Press releases
Up to five product images
Announcements of new machinery or systems
News for the online newsletter

GExhibition.com also acted as a digital stage for award programs, competitions, and design showcases.

3. Industry News Distributor

PR agencies, trade journalists, and exhibitors used the website to publicize innovations, product launches, and sector developments.

4. Historical Archive

Today, the site functions largely as an archive, capturing the aesthetics and priorities of mid-2000s trade-show culture. It preserves a snapshot of the construction and glazing industries at a particular moment in their technological evolution.

The 2008 Glassex & GP&T Event

According to archived materials, the 2008 event—one of the most fully documented iterations—featured:

Three days of exhibitions
Extended mid-week hours (including a late session on Wednesday)
A single ticket granting access to both shows
Hundreds of exhibitors, including manufacturers, suppliers, and technology developers

Visitors could explore everything from CNC joint-cleaning machines to conservatory roof systems, from structural glass laminates to the latest building-regulation-compliant glazing systems.

Why the 2008 Event Mattered

The 2008 show occurred during a pivotal time:

Energy-efficiency regulations were tightening.
Architectural design trends increasingly emphasized glass façades.
Conservatories remained a major UK home-upgrade market.
Software-assisted fabrication and automation were becoming standard.

For many exhibitors, the show was the key opportunity to introduce innovations that helped builders and manufacturers meet new technical standards.

Audience and Industry Impact

Glassex and GP&T catered to a highly specialized audience, including:

Fabricators & Installers
These were companies building doors, windows, and conservatory structures. They attended to evaluate new machinery and compare suppliers.
Architects & Specifiers
Many in the design community viewed the shows as an efficient way to assess materials, coatings, decorative options, and structural glazing innovations.
Machinery Manufacturers
CNC systems, welding machines, joint cleaners, cutting tools, and other industrial equipment were exhibited and often debuted at Glassex.
Product Developers & Researchers
As glass technologies advanced—self-cleaning coatings, thermal breaks, laminated safety glass—the show acted as a platform for discussing technical standards and performance metrics.
Public-Sector Stakeholders
Housing associations and local authorities often attended to evaluate solutions for energy-efficient retrofits.

These audiences gave the show real economic influence. Buying decisions made at the event often shaped supplier relationships for years.

Exhibitor Benefits and Marketing Ecosystem

GExhibition.com detailed a comprehensive suite of exhibitor benefits that were quite forward-thinking for the pre-social-media era:

Digital Promotion

Company listings with logos and unlimited press releases
Product image galleries
A searchable directory accessible to all visitors

Print Promotion

Free inclusion in the official Show Guide
Placement in product indexes
Feature opportunities in printed marketing campaigns

Public Relations Support

Access to the event’s PR agency
Potential coverage in newsletters and media previews
Opportunities for pre-show announcements

Lead Generation

Personalized visitor invitations
Real-time lead capture during the event

Awards Exposure

Participation in awards programs (such as the New Product Awards) provided valuable publicity. In 2008, for example, Kombimatec Machines received the award for “Best New Window Machinery Product” for its EV475 CNC Weld Joint Cleaner.

These features made GExhibition.com a central organizer’s tool—part marketing engine, part informational hub.

Notable Programs and Competitions

1. Conservatory Design Competition

Hosted in partnership with ConservatoriesOnline.com, this competition celebrated:

High-quality design
Technical excellence
Innovation
Aesthetic achievement

The competition reflected the UK’s strong consumer interest in conservatories—structures that serve both as functional expansions and architectural statements.

2. Glassex Awards

Awards recognized breakthroughs in the industry, particularly technological innovations. Winning an award provided exhibitors with:

Industry recognition
Pre-show promotional support
Long-term marketing value

These award programs helped elevate the show’s importance and encouraged exhibitors to reveal new technologies at the event.

Press & Media Infrastructure

The site provided contact details for the event’s press representatives, including a PR agency tasked with:

Distributing exhibitor news
Producing previews
Managing communications
Coordinating press coverage during the show

This structure demonstrated the event’s commitment to maintaining a professional media ecosystem, ensuring that the glazing and fenestration industries received visibility across trade journals and sector publications.

SEO Crisis and Reputational Challenge

One of the most interesting and unexpected historical notes preserved on the archived site describes an SEO crisis that occurred during the promotional campaign for the 2008 event.

What Happened

Search queries for “Glassex Show” returned top results related to cocaine and heroin trafficking. The organizers believed this was due to algorithmic confusion between:

Glassex (the event name)
Glassine (the material used to package drugs)

This misalignment caused:

Reputational damage
Confusion among potential attendees
Panic within the promotional team

The situation improved only after several weeks—an early example of the dangers of search-engine misinterpretation before modern semantic indexing became more reliable.

It also illustrates a problem many businesses still face: search engines can misunderstand intent, misclassify entities, or associate brands with unrelated content.

Cultural & Industry Significance

The Glassex Show and GExhibition.com represent a unique cultural and industrial moment:

1. A Pre-Social-Media Marketing Model

Before Instagram, LinkedIn campaigns, and real-time event apps, trade shows relied heavily on:

Official websites
Printed show guides
PR agencies
Email invitations
Industry directories

GExhibition.com captures that transitional era.

2. Growth of the UK Conservatory Market

The early 2000s saw a surge in conservatory installations across the UK. Shows like Glassex acted as trendsetters, shaping consumer expectations and helping suppliers compete on:

Thermal performance
Aesthetic options
Longevity and materials
Structural innovations

3. Technological Evolution

The event documented the rise of:

CNC machining
Automated fabrication
Specialized coatings
Glass treatments and lamination
Improved safety standards

This was a period of rapid change in architectural and building-materials technology.

4. Community and Industry Cohesion

Trade shows often function as community anchors. Glassex brought together:

Manufacturers
Designers
Builders
Innovators
Public-sector agencies

This facilitated cooperation and helped unify industry standards.

The Shift Toward Virtual Events

The archived site later included an editorial note reflecting on changes brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2020, many UK organizations—including those in the glazing and construction sectors—had moved to virtual meetings and remote workflows.

The commentary observed that large industry events, once reliant on physical attendance, had to adapt rapidly to digital alternatives. This contextualizes how trade exhibitions transformed globally—what was once a business-critical physical gathering now competes with virtual showrooms and remote demonstrations.

Why GExhibition.com Still Matters

Even though the site is no longer active in a contemporary sense, it remains valuable as:

1. An Industry Time Capsule

It documents how UK glazing, construction, and conservatory markets promoted themselves in 2008.

2. A Record of Trade-Show Culture

The site preserves the structure, promotional strategies, and ambitions of mid-2000s industrial expos.

3. A Reference for Researchers

Architectural historians, industry analysts, and digital-media researchers can use it as a snapshot of:

Pre-mobile web design
Traditional event marketing
Early SEO pitfalls
Manufacturing trends in the glazing sector

4. A Case Study in Online Branding Risks

The SEO crisis described on the site remains a textbook example of algorithmic misunderstanding and brand vulnerability.

GExhibition.com stands today as an archive of a once-important UK industry event. Through its preserved pages, one can revisit the world of mid-2000s fenestration, glazing, architectural glass design, and building-products innovation. The website’s content reveals a complex exhibition ecosystem supported by PR efforts, awards programs, exhibitor resources, and industry collaboration.

Although the event itself no longer appears to operate, GExhibition.com continues to offer historical insight into the technologies, challenges, and ambitions of the glazing and conservatory sectors at a key moment of transformation. It also captures the transitional phase between traditional trade-show marketing and the fully digital, virtual, and social-media-driven exhibitions that dominate the industry today.

GExhibition.com