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The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) 2026 Annual Conference will take place March 2-5 at the Hyatt Regency in Huntington Beach, CA.
Operating under the theme “Building Tomorrow through Research, Innovation, and Security,” the event will feature a lineup of speaker presentations, research updates, and panel discussions designed to provide must-have insights for fenestration industry professionals.
These sessions will cover innovation trends, recent fire exposure research, and PVDF-based coatings as well as insights from keynote speaker and cybersecurity expert Brian Scott, ClearTone Consulting president and chief information security officer.
Panelists from the UL Research Institutes (ULRI) Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) will present “How Window Materials Perform Under Fire Exposure.
Large outdoor fires, including wildfires, can cause significant damage and destruction to the built environment. Codes, standards, and guidance documents provide requirements and recommendations for mitigations to fuels and structures to resist exposures from wildland-urban interface (WUI) fires. According to research, window performance is a key factor in a structure’s survivability during exterior fire exposures.
This presentation will provide updates from an experimental campaign to investigate the performance of window components, namely glazing types and frame materials, during a structure-to-structure fire spread scenario.
Panelists will include:
Conference participants will also have the opportunity to share their ideas for possible future research to be conducted by ULRI’s FSRI.
The panelists will also host an interactive town hall designed to invite FGIA members to contribute to and inform future research directions.
This open forum will provide an opportunity to hear brief updates from FSRI and to share ideas, questions, and priorities for future research topics related to WUI fire exposures.
Input will help guide research efforts that address emerging challenges, innovation, and industry needs.
Join the next installment of FGIA’s innovation panel, which will explore the latest innovation trends shaping the fenestration industry and will focus on practical strategies for driving meaningful change.
The session entitled “Innovation in Factories and Offices | Enhancing our Workforce with Automation and Core Product Simplification” will give participants insights into product redesign and other key learning points essential for long-term success.
The discussion will also highlight real-world examples of these strategies in action.
Panelists will include:
This session, led by Paul Lavallee, Kynar Coatings at Arkema global marketing manager, will provide an overview of Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF)-based coatings.
The session will examine how PVDF coatings deliver quality appearance while meeting demanding durability requirements, including those outlined in AAMA* 2605.
Attendees will learn how manufacturing methods can influence the overall sustainability footprint of these coatings. Lavallee will also clarify the Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) landscape, explaining why subcategories matter and how PVDF fits within the broader PFAS conversation.
The session will conclude with an update on the current regulatory environment impacting PVDF-based coatings, equipping participants with the context needed to navigate evolving compliance expectations with confidence.
*Editor’s note: The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) merged with the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance (IGMA) Jan. 1, 2020 to form FGIA. The AAMA title is still used to identify industry standards.
UL Research Institutes is a non-profit division of the UL enterprise that performs research to guide standards development.
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