Attendees flooded the halls of Surfaces 2006, which was held at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV, from February 1 to 3. In all, a record-breaking 40,588 retailers, manufacturers, distributors, architects, designers, builders and installers from around the world - marking a 6% increase over 2005 - came to see the thousands of new products being introduced at the show.

“From the very beginning, we could see that Surfaces 2006 was going to be a record year,” said Michelle Troop of Hanley-Wood, the Senior Show Director for Surfaces. “Attendees and exhibitors alike were signing up for the show in record numbers, and now we have the largest show to date.”

Exhibitors were also out in record numbers, with 1,070 companies in all, an increase from the record-setting 1,054 in 2005. There was a total of 515,000 net square feet of exhibit space, and over 300 new companies participated in this year's show. Exhibitors also included a number of companies from the stone industry and related trades. Companies showcased a broad range of natural stone products, including tiles, cut-to-size pieces and a broad range of stone mosaics and patterns. Manufacturers of stone installation and maintenance products - such as cleaners, sealers, mortars and grouts - were also present at Surfaces 2006. Of particular note, several manufacturers of stoneworking equipment were also present at the show, and some even brought actual machinery to the event.

Even the Conference Program broke records, as 2,808 sessions were attended at this year's program (up 14% over 2005). The 42 courses in the program covered a wide range of topics, including marketing, business, sales, installation, design and window coverings. “I saw the best attendance at the two seminars I participated in,” said Jonathan Trivers, Floor Covering Weekly Columnist and Industry Analyst. “Literally, both were standing room only.”

This year's Installation Showcase - sponsored by Laticrete and offered by International Certified Floorcovering Installers Association (CFI), Floor Covering Installer and National Floor Trends magazines and the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) -was a hot spot on the show floor again this year. Retailers and installers attended the live demonstrations to get up-close education on some of the latest floor covering installation techniques as well as direct feedback from the instructors.