South Florida glass and metal symposium to focus on coastal resilience

Crawford-Tracey Corporation will host the 2026 Glass+Metal Symposium on Oct. 29 at the AC Hotel by Marriott in Dania Beach, Florida. The half-day event will cover hurricane and flood resilience, high-performance glazing and curtain wall design as South Florida builders face tougher weather and code demands.

Why it matters: - South Florida projects are under growing pressure from extreme weather and changing building codes. - Building envelope performance is a central issue for architects, engineers and contractors working on coastal construction. - The symposium is designed to help attendees apply resilience strategies and severe-weather performance lessons to real projects.

What happened: - Crawford-Tracey Corporation will host the 2026 Glass+Metal Symposium on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. - The half-day event will take place at the AC Hotel by Marriott in Dania Beach, near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. - The program runs from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - The event is aimed at architects, structural engineers, general contractors, glazing contractors and building envelope consultants. - Attendees will earn 4 AIA LU/HSW credits, with certificates provided.

The details: - Featured topics include high-performance glass, hurricane- and flood-resilient glazing systems, hazard assessment and high-performance curtain walls. - Presenters include Crawford-Tracey Corporation, Floodproofing.com, Intertek Building & Construction and Viracon. - Shawn Donovan of Donovan Digital will moderate the program. - Sponsors include Enviralum, Greco, Kuraray, QXO, SAFTI FIRST and The Architect’s Newspaper. - The event includes a complimentary buffet breakfast, tabletop exhibits and direct Q&A with technical experts. - Registration and complete program details are available at the symposium website.

Between the lines: - The agenda reflects a broader industry shift toward designing for flood, wind and impact risk instead of treating resilience as a specialty topic. - The mix of manufacturers, consultants and technical presenters suggests the event is meant to be practical, not purely academic. - Ray Crawford said Florida continues to face major challenges from hurricanes and flooding, and that the symposium is intended to let attendees hear what experts are seeing in the field and bring those lessons back to their own work.

What's next: - Builders and design professionals can register now and review the full program before the Oct. 29 event. - Attendees will have a chance to compare project experience, product performance and code-driven resilience approaches in one session. - The symposium may also serve as a networking point for firms working on coastal and high-wind projects in South Florida.