As we continue to navigate our lives during the pandemic, our work lives continue to be disrupted in ways big and small. Are you and your co-workers back in the office now, or has your company decided to wait until 2022? Maybe your company has chosen to bring in only part of your team on certain days. Regardless, it’s safe to say that as 2021 comes to a close, many of us don’t have the luxury of getting the usual group photo for the annual...

In anticipation of next month’s 2021 FGIA Hybrid Fall Conference in Phoenix, AZ, we sent out information to our members about the safety protocols and what to expect at the event, for those attending in-person. The health and safety of our participants and staff is of paramount importance, and I wanted to also share that information here on the Member Edge blog. The Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass, our event venue, will accommodate CDC-recommended spacing for our group under current operating capacity. At this...

The FGIA team is excited to share that registration is now open for our 2021 Virtual Summer Conference, which will be held June 22-24! Maybe even more exciting than that is that this is the last fully-virtual event on the FGIA conference calendar! And, once again, we have a great line-up of speakers and topics to share.I’m anxious to hear keynote speaker Ken Gronbach (KGC Direct) explore the fascinating realm of demography and how counting people allows for accurately forecasting future markets to prepare companies...

As we move into warmer weather, interest in remodeling projects and window replacement increases among homeowners. With proper installation being such a critical component of realizing the full benefits of high-performing fenestration products, offering installation services performed by a qualified installer – evidenced by a third-party professional certification – adds value to your bid and allows your customers to be confident in the knowledge and expertise of your team.FGIA is proud to offer InstallationMasters® which has been available to the industry since the late 1990s....

It’s been a year since the world stopped in its tracks, and if you’re like me, you’re tired. Tired of social distancing. Tired of mask wearing. Tired of missing loved ones. Just tired. Special shout-out to all you tired parents out there! When it’s acceptable to do so, let’s all get together for the world’s largest high five. We are parenting during a pandemic, and it’s exhausting. So exhausting. As a parenting researcher put it when describing parents’ roles right now, “There’s just a lot...

It’s March, which means it has now been nearly a full year since the pandemic began, keeping us mostly indoors, including me and my family. As spring arrives, it is even more important than ever to keep an eye on open windows since we are at home so much of the time. As we all know, open windows can be dangerous for young children who are not properly supervised. Fortunately, the Window Safety Task Force shares resources and tips each spring to commemorate Window Safety...

As FGIA’s executive director, I have a lot of responsibilities, but limited time. After more than 20 years of experience in the industry, the last several of which have been in executive roles, I have learned a lot about leadership. With the online FGIA Leadership Development Program currently open for enrollment, I’ve been thinking about leadership lately and have settled on five traits that I’ve observed in great leaders and that I believe can go a long way to making sure your team is...

The FGIA Virtual Annual Conference is just around the corner! It is taking place February 23-25, and early bird registration is available through February 10. FGIA Marketing will be live-tweeting sessions throughout the conference on our Twitter account, and we would love for those attending to join the conversation. Follow the hashtag #FGIAconf and use it in your own posts about the event. We will be sharing your posts with our followers and tweeting highlights from speakers. As a reminder, you don’t need a Twitter...

We at FGIA are thrilled to announce the opening of registration for the 2021 FGIA Virtual Annual Conference, which will be held February 23-25. This three-day industry event can be attended from anywhere, with breaks built in to accommodate a range of time zones. Plus, an upgrade option is available for those companies who seek multiple registrations from different locations. Let’s get into some of the highlights for this much-anticipated fenestration and glass event.First off: Back by popular demand, economic analyst Dr. Chris Kuehl will...

2020 has certainly been a year of challenges for our industry. It is a difficult prospect, looking into 2021 and attempting to predict what is to come, but we at FGIA remain optimistic about the coming year.It is with much relief that I can report many fenestration and glass industry companies performed better financially this year than they may have feared earlier in 2020. While for many it was not as lucrative as the first couple of months of 2020 indicated, recovery did come, and...

Prior to my time with FGIA, I worked for a start-up in downtown Chicago. It was a new company with a lot of venture capital, and they invested deeply into portraying a fun, quirky company culture. With lime green walls and indoor swing sets, word quickly spread about the company’s culture. At one point, we had a game room, but it was almost always empty because everyone at the company was always too busy to enjoy it – perhaps a more telling detail about what...

Now that the holiday season has arrived, things are winding down for 2020. But what is not taking a break is FGIA’s commitment to our industry, more important now than ever with the unexpected changes brought by COVID-19. Last month, FGIA sent a survey to members to ask how companies have fared this year, and what FGIA can do to continue to ease their burdens. Three things were frequently requested by membership: education opportunities; a return to in-person conferences; and ways to combat the labor...

FGIA staff is eagerly preparing for the Virtual Fall Conference October 6-8 and we are all excited to share the knowledge and expertise of several speakers. Our presenters will focus on topics our members care about most, like the state of a post-COVID-19 economy, safety awareness during the pandemic, fenestrations of the future, commercial design trends for fenestration and glazing and more. If you haven’t already, you can still get access by registering now. Early bird pricing ends Monday, September 28.If you attended the Virtual...

As we know, GlassBuild 2020 could not take place in person this year due to COVID-19 concerns. However, event organizers were able to pivot to a new format quickly, leading to the creation of GlassBuild Connect! This glass- and fenestration-centric online experience is taking place September 1-30 at GlassBuild.com. The biggest thing many will miss this year is the in-person contact folks usually enjoy at GlassBuild. While online is not a replacement, there are still many opportunities to connect with others “at the show.”When sharing...

The global spread of COVID-19 has changed the landscapes of many institutions, and social media is no exception. Businesses need to find creative ways to stay present in their customers’ minds, and social media - a contact-free tool - is going to play a huge role in working toward this goal.A July post on Social Media Today shared some predictions made by marketers about the future of social media in a post-COVID world, including theories that creative skills will be more valuable and that “honesty,...

Due to the ongoing concerns about COVID-19, the Summer Conference took place on Zoom webinar this year, and the upcoming Fall Conference will follow a similar format as a virtual event. Despite not being held in-person, the Virtual Summer Conference was a wonderful, well-attended event with some timely expert speakers. Feedback from participants has been very helpful to the Meetings department as we start planning the Virtual Fall Conference October (6-8).During the virtual event last month, keynote speaker and former Chicago Bears player Dan Hampton...

The first-ever FGIA Virtual Summer Conference went well, complete with excellent panel discussions and updates, many pertaining to how to handle the fallout of COVID-19. While the virtual nature of the event meant participants were not able to spend their usual time together in person, it didn’t mean they couldn’t still share and connect online. The virtual happy hours were a big hit with a variety of topics from marketing to technical and costumes to cocktails.Here are some social media highlights from the conference, thanks...

Every spring, we get eager emails and questions from members about the latest market information. That’s because spring is the time of year when we release the newest data available pertaining to the window, door and skylight markets in the United States. We are pleased to announce that the FGIA 2019/2020 U.S. Industry Market Studies were released on May 29. A complimentary copy was sent to the main contact of each FGIA Category 1 and 2 member company that same day.DuckerFrontier, who administers the study...

It’s been a while since we last checked in with some updates about how social media is changing, which means it’s time once again for a social media news roundup! Here is a summary of the biggest moves being made in the social media world this spring, and how they could impact your business.InstagramInstagram is reaching out to smaller businesses to help them through the current COVID-19 crisis. Some tools it is rolling out include a “Support Small Business” sticker which can be used in...

FGIA staff rapidly transitioned to full-time remote work, and we know many fenestration and glass companies have had to quickly adapt to a lot of change as well. Because of this, FGIA has been inventive in finding ways to help companies in our industry during this time of crisis. As a result of a recent survey of members seeking insight to better understand where and how  pressure points are hitting, FGIA will be announcing discounted rates for online education programs, a revised Virtual Summer Conference...

FGIA understands there is one story dominating the news cycle and is top of mind for our industry: COVID-19 and its impact on businesses and the economy at large. That’s why FGIA is hosting a webinar about how to navigate these unchartered waters and come out on the other side. Michael Collins, partner and Managing Director of Building Industry Advisors, will lead “Financial Management and Value Preservation in a COVID Economy” on Tuesday, May 19 to answer questions about this very important topic. Registration is...

With current efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, those planning industry events in 2020 have had to improvise. The same is true for FGIA – our Summer Conference scheduled to take place in Chicago, IL is being transitioned from an in-person event to a virtual one. The dates remain largely unchanged with the conference taking place Tuesday, June 23 through Thursday, June 25. Registration for the virtual Summer Conference is expected to open the week of May 4.FGIA will provide the same high-quality industry...

With the current spread of COVID-19 impacting businesses’ hours and ability to remain open in order to serve customers, there has been an increased need to communicate new developments quickly. Social media can be a great way to get out updates fast, but these missives must be handled properly, or else they might only cause more confusion – or get lost in the shuffle. Here are some tips for sharing breaking news announcements with your social media followers.Tell your staff first: Maybe you will have...

With the spread of COVID-19 leaving so many confined to their homes, window safety for families is even more important now as warmer weather approaches. Window Safety Week, recognized every year during the first full week in April, serves as a reminder of recognizing the importance of window safety and fall prevention year-round. This year, Window Safety Week is April 5-11. The event is designed to heighten the awareness of what parents and caregivers should do to help keep their homes and families safer from...