Late last year, I attended two industry trade shows within a span of three weeks - the International Tile & Stone Show (ITSS) in Las Vegas, NV, and StonExpo in Atlanta, GA. And while I appreciate the face-to-face meetings with members of the stone industry, I have to admit that I wondered how many faces I would actually see at these events - particularly with the holidays rapidly approaching. To my pleasant surprise, both of these shows fared quite admirably.
The first stop of my “Holiday Season Trade Show Tour†was in Las Vegas for ITSS. This show debuted in 2002 and was welcomed by many on the West Coast, but attendance was less than spectacular at that time. Even so, organizers and exhibitors remained undaunted, as they keenly pointed out that you cannot judge a trade show after its first edition. They had high expectations for the 2003 edition.