The sponsor of the Grande Pinnacle Award is Marmomacc of Verona, Italy, the world’s largest natural stone show. Designers at Marmomacc are also designing and creating a new and beautiful Grande Pinnacle Award. In addition to the actual award, the winner is also entitled to one round-trip economy air fare, four-night hotel stay, meals and registration to Marmomacc 2009, a show that is held annually in Verona.

Additional perks, such as an invitation to the Gala Dinner at the close of Marmomacc, will also be part of the winner’s package.

“We are extremely excited that Marmomacc is sponsoring the Grande Pinnacle Award for the next three years,” said Gary Distelhorst, executive vice president of the Marble Institute of America. “This truly is a ‘pinnacle’ for an award program that has grown in stature each year.”

The Pinnacle Awards are open to all MIA members. Project teams must include at least one MIA member company. All submitted projects must comply with standards as defined in MIA’s Dimension Stone Design Manual and be completed within the last three years (2005 to 2008). Multiple entries are encouraged and accepted.

Call for Entries for the Pinnacle Awards competition will be issued in the April MIA Cutting Edge Newsletter, and the deadline for entries will be July 10, 2008.

Winners of the Pinnacle Awards and the Grande Pinnacle Award will be announced at StonExpo 2008 in Las Vegas at the MIA Awards Luncheon on Friday, October 17.