The Insider’s Playbook for GlassBuild 2025

I’ve been to a lot of events and trade shows. One thing is for sure: just showing up isn’t enough. GlassBuild America 2025 isn’t just another date on the calendar. It’s where serious players in glass, windows, and doors show up to get sharper, connect with the right people and stay ahead. But the ones who walk away with traction? They don’t wing it. They show up with a plan.

Most people walk into trade shows and walk out with a backpack full of catalogs and a few business cards they’ll never follow up on. Here’s how to walk out with momentum. Start before you land at the event. Know who you want to meet. Map out which booths matter to your business. Focus on the ones debuting new solutions, not just the names you already know. You’ll find value in places you didn’t expect.

Before you even hit the floor, ask yourself one question: What’s the biggest problem you’re trying to solve in your business right now? Is it product-related? Hiring? Lead follow-up and sales? Customer experience? That answer should guide how you spend your time at the show. Don’t just browse. Hunt for the conversations, tools and ideas that can help you fix what’s holding you back.

GlassBuild is packed with opportunity. You’ll find real solutions, expert-led sessions, strategy workshops, tech previews, hands-on challenges, and no shortage of people who’ve already figured out the thing you’re still trying to solve. Whether you’re there to learn, connect, or make bold moves, this is the place to do it.

This year, you’ll see a strong focus on automation, smarter systems, artificial intelligence tools and new ways to integrate sustainability into your work. But the most important thing won’t be what’s on the floor. It will be who’s on the floor. Some of the best business moves I’ve made started in casual networking conversations. The kind where someone shares what’s working for them right now, and you walk away with an idea you can use tomorrow to make your business better.

While planning your GlassBuild schedule, ensure you make space for visibility. Share what you’re learning. Post a takeaway from a session on LinkedIn. Snap a photo of a product that caught your eye. Tag a new connection you met at the show. Being visible shows your team, your vendors, and your customers that you’re paying attention.

I’ll be speaking twice at the Main Stage events and will be on the floor with my media team, highlighting companies doing great work and helping bring those stories to light. If you see us on the floor, come join the conversation. GlassBuild 2025 happens November 4 to 6 in Orlando. Book the flight. Make a plan. Show up ready. And when you do? Come find me. I won’t be watching from the sidelines. I’ll be on the floor, turning conversations into momentum. 

Learn more about Stefanie Couch at GlassBuild America.