Many in the industry will be gathering for StonExpo/Marmomac at The International Surface Event (TISE) in January 2020 in Las Vegas. Attendees will notice more natural stone on display than ever before. A new Natural Stone Pavilion will debut in the middle of the show floor. The pavilion is strategically positioned near the Natural Stone Institute and Natural Stone Council (NSC) booths and adjacent to the Marmomac International Pavilion, which will also include a number of natural stone suppliers.

My advice is that you stop by the pavilion and talk to the suppliers who are participating. Those who are unable to secure a booth for the 2020 show are encouraged to attend the show to take part in Natural Stone Institute events during the show, learn about the show’s attendees and meet with show organizers to select booth space for the 2021 show. If the industry bands together, we will see an even larger natural stone presence at this already impressive trade show.

I’m excited about the opportunity to see all of the other exhibitors at the show.  The equipment and tooling industry is well represented, and our friends at the Stone Fabricator’s Alliance (SFA) do a nice job with hands-on demonstrations on the show floor. You can also stop by the Natural Stone Institute booth for short 15- to 20-minute facilitated discussions on a number of natural stone topics in our learning lounge. For more traditional classroom education, don’t forget to review the published seminar listing and take the time to attend a few classes
(visit www.intlsurfaceevent.com).

When walking the exhibit aisles, look up and you’ll notice the Use Natural Stone logo on the aisle banners. This is your constant reminder to get involved in the program and utilize the articles featured on www.usenaturalstone.org in your company’s social media outreach.

Beyond being a great experience for exhibits and education, StonExpo/Marmomac offers some outstanding networking and opportunities to see industry peers recognized. Two of my favorite events include the annual Natural Stone Institute Awards Celebration and After Party. Both events occur on Tuesday, January 28. We will celebrate 22 Pinnacle Award winners, as well as six individual award recipients. Join us and be inspired to submit one of your projects or an industry peer for recognition the following year. After we celebrate these outstanding industry award recipients, we’ll continue the celebration with refreshments at the After Party. You won’t want to miss this networking event.

So while 2019 will soon be coming to a close, we’ll kick-off 2020 in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Please include a stop at the Natural Stone Pavilion and attendance at the Awards Celebration and After Party as part of your overall event experience. See you there!