The AIA 2005 National Convention and Design Expo is set to take place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV, from May 19 to 21. This event will feature over 160 continuing education programs, 50 professional tours, 45 special events, and 800 leading-edge companies exhibiting their products and services. Specific to stone, the Stone and Tile Pavilion will once again be sponsored by Stone World and Contemporary Stone & Tile Design magazines. This year, there are more opportunities for Learning Units (LUs) on the expo floor than ever, including a broad range of presentations specific to stone specification and installation.

Attendees at the AIA 2005 National Convention and Expo include architects, designers, interior designers, landscape architects, engineers, developers, builders, architectural educators, product manufacturers and other related professionals.

In addition to suppliers of stone materials and installation/maintenance products, the Stone and Tile Pavilion has always included the presence of trade organizations such as the Marble Institute of America, IMM Carrara (the organizer of the CarraraMarmotec trade show in Carrara, Italy), and Veronafiere (the organizer of the Marmomacc trade show in Verona, Italy). Last year, the Natural Stone Council made its debut at the AIA Expo, and it made a strong impression with visitors. In addition to providing LUs, the Natural Stone Council's exhibit featured a broad range of stonework, including granite countertops, paving, fieldstone, machinery and a magnificent limestone entry arch. The council was formed in 2002 to address issues and opportunities in the natural stone industry. The council is comprised of a diverse group of business and association leaders from across the country, who represent all facets of the natural stone industry. The mission is to raise the level of awareness and education of natural stone in the North American market.

In all, there are over 100 Expo Education sessions, including 65 new topics, each reviewed for quality and accuracy by a team of AIA-member auditors. Architects can attend four quarter-hour sessions (60-minute minimum) to their first learning unit. After that, they will earn 0.25 LU for each additional program attended. This year, attendees can scan their badge before and after the session begins to record the 15-minute learning activity. The following is a list of stone-related sessions taking place on the expo floor. New programs are denoted with an asterisk.