Early-bird registration for the upcoming American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) 2016 National Summer Conference will close on Wed., May 18, but those interested may still plan to participate. The conference will be held June 12-15 at the Westin Riverwalk in San Antonio. Speakers covering a wide range of topics, including cybersecurity, sustainability, market forecasts, product innovation, codes and more, have been scheduled for the week. The AAMA Southeast Region Summer Meeting will follow immediately after, June 15-16, in the same location and will feature a slate of speakers specific to that region’s interests.


Speakers

The speakers at the Summer Conference will include keynote speaker Larry Sjelin (Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security), who will present on Mon., June 13, “Building a Culture of Cybersecurity from the Foundation Up.” Sjelin has an instrumental role in the Information Sharing and Analysis Organization – Standards Organization (ISAO-SO) to improve the nation’s cybersecurity posture by identifying standards and guidelines for robust and effective information sharing to cybersecurity risks, incidents and best practices. In his presentation at the Summer Conference, he will discuss what one needs to know in business and private domains to ensure personal and public assets are safe and secure. He will also address challenges faced today due to technology innovations at times blurring the lines between home and work. Plus, Sjelin will offer steps that can be taken to change the culture of cybersecurity.

Helen Sanders, (Sage Glass) also will speak Monday regarding the state of the market for electrochromic glazing, as well as the art of it. Since initial commercialization in 2003, the adoption of electrochromic (EC) glazing has grown significantly. It has been used in many building types – anywhere dynamic heat and glare control are needed. Sanders’ presentation will review the history of EC glass commercialization up to and including the present day state-of-the-art in product performance and the current market for EC glass.

Rebekah Eaddy (State of Texas) will round out Monday’s presentations by reviewing the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services’ “Licensing Standards for Long Term Care Facilities and the Texas Accessibility Standards" as it relates to windows, doors, frames and hardware within those facilities. Her presentation will detail requirements for licensed long-term care facilities and will review what might impact the selection of fenestration products in them.

Kicking off Tuesday morning, Mark Alessandro (Avery Dennison) will serve as the conference’s Aluminum Material Council speaker. He will present a case study on outdoor accelerated weathering of pressure-sensitive vinyl film laminates. Case studies like this one provide valuable real-world information to help identify an appropriate accelerated weathering test and related requirements.

Anna Nicholson (UL Environment) will give a presentation titled, “How Sustainability Will Affect Our Industry and Your Business in the Future.” Nicholson is UL’s Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) Product Manager and works to develop strategic partnerships and programs that drive business value from the use of environmental life cycle information as the basis of decision making.

On Tuesday afternoon, AAMA members will hear from Nick Limb (Ducker Worldwide), who will provide an overview of the latest AAMA market study, including sizes, trends and forecasts. For those unable to attend the in-person event, AAMA will be hosting the presentation as a webinar. Limb will discuss how the study is prepared and how prior forecasts compared with actual market results. Members also will be able to gain more insight into the study methodology and hear an update on the 2016 market. Those with questions in advance of this forum can send those to Angela Dickson, adickson@aamanet.org. The last 15 minutes will be set aside for questions from both in-person and webinar attendees.

Dick Doyle (Vinyl Institute) will give an update on the Vinyl Institute's (VI’s) activities on Tuesday afternoon. Doyle is the president and CEO of the VI and he will share new and ongoing initiatives and explain how AAMA members can be involved.

On Wednesday morning, at the Manufacturing Safety Forum, a review of the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance (IGMA) Glass Safety Awareness Council will be presented. The goal of the Council is to reduce the complacency that sometimes occurs when some get comfortable completing the same job or process over time.

Wrapping up the event, Julie Ruth (JRuth Code Consulting) will give a Code Action Committee update. Ruth will share reports on the impact of various code related activities as they pertain to fenestration products. She also  ill speak about the development of the 2018 International Residential Code, the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code, the adoption of the 2015 I-codes and more.


Register Now
Again, early-bird registration ends May 18, and AAMA members receive a discount by registering online at http://www.aamanet.org/events/1/11/0/all/253/aama-national-summer-conference. As usual, spouses may attend the conference free of charge, with a paid participant registration.


AAMA Southeast Region Summer Meeting
Stay an extra day for the Southeast Region Summer Meeting for a registration fee of $250, which includes meals and a welcome reception Wednesday night. Speakers will include Paul Bove (Texas Department of Insurance), Carrie Davis (Protection Engineering Consultants), Michael Lehmann (UL Environment), Brad Schultz (Associated Laboratories, Inc.) and Jason Seals (AAMA Certification Manager). Visit the AAMA Events page to register, http://www.aamanet.org/events/1/11/0/all/269/aama-southeast-region-summer-meeting.

More information about AAMA and its activities can be found via the AAMA Media Relations page or on the AAMA website.