Industry Members Reunite at TISE

The International Surfaces Event (TISE) provided the first opportunity for stone industry members to reconnect after more than a year of virtual events

SW July 2021 TISE2021 Stone Profit Systems — The team from Stone Profit Systems accepted the Best of StonExpo 2021 award in the Innovation category for its Jobsite App Mobile App.

SW July 2021 TISE2021 Comandulli North America — Comandulli North America received the Best of StonExpo 2021 award for its Athena stoneworking machine

SW July 2021 TISE2021 Blick Industries — Blick Industries was the recipient of the Best of StonExpo 2021 award in the Product category for its Suction Cups with advanced top pad.

SW July 2021 TISE2021 Natural Stone Institute Reception — The Natural Stone Institute held a reception at their booth to honor all of its 2020 Pinnacle Award winners.

SW July 2021 TISE2021 Rugo Stone — Rugo Stone of Lorton, VA, was honored with the Grande Pinnacle Award, which is sponsored by Marmomac, for its work on the Trinity Church Wall Street Altar & Chancel Restoration project in New York City.

From June 16 to 18, 2021 the show floor at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center once again came alive as this year’s edition of The International Surface Event (TISE) : SURFACES | StonExpo/Marmomac | TileExpo was finally able to take place. While it was on a smaller scale do to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, the overall vibe was positive. Exhibitors and attendees alike were grateful to reunite with their industry friends and peers.

The StonExpo area of the exhibition was often buzzing with activity. Many machinery manufacturers were on-hand, offering demonstrations of their fabrication equipment. From large CNC stoneworking centers and sawjets to digital templating systems, the latest in technology was on display.

Moreover, manufacturers of management software programs, distributors of tooling and accessories, installation and maintenance products, and material handling equipment had a presence on the show floor. The consensus among exhibitors was that those in attendance came with a purpose and intent to invest in a particular product.

“The people here are here because they need to be,” said Ellie Jensen, marketing manager of CMS North America. “That’s better for us.”

“The first three hours we got several new leads, which is good,” said Michele Ragno, vice president of sales, stone division, at Intermac. “The show is better than we expected.”

In addition, to the nearly 200 exhibiting brands, TISE 2021 also offered three days of educational sessions, conveniently located on the expo floor. The show also sponsored the “Best Of” awards. For StonExpo, the following companies were recognized:

Stone Profit Systems – Jobsite App Mobile App
Comandulli – Athena, a single-head versatile edge-polishing machine
Blick Industries – Suction Cups with advanced top pad

“It was great to connect in-person and StonExpo was a high energy event,” said Jim Hieb, executive vice president and CEO of the Natural Stone Institute. “We are super excited to come back next year. Look for more natural stone suppliers than ever in the Natural Stone Pavilion.”

In addition to the in-person event, TISE implemented a hybrid virtual experience, the TISE Live Virtual Event | Vegas Edition, sponsored by Mannington, offering virtual attendees the same education and demonstration content, connection to the Vegas attendees, exhibitor product sourcing, as well as live updates and interviews from the show floor by the TISE Tv crew.

TISE will return to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center during its regularly scheduled time in 2022. The exhibition is scheduled for February 1 to 3, 2022

As Group Editorial Director of Stone World, Contemporary Stone & Tile Design and TILE, Jennifer Richinelli has been covering the stone and tile industries since she launched her career at BNP Media in 1996. Throughout her tenure, she has visited and reported on numerous national and international quarries, stone fabrication shops, trade shows and other industry events. She has also collaborated with members of the A&D community, including many renowned architects, on articles about designing with stone and tile.

Contact Jennifer at richinellij@bnpmedia.com or (201) 245-5204.