Each year, Stone World partners with the Natural Stone Institute to organize the Stone Industry Education series, which travels across the U.S. to educate fabricators on issues directly affecting them. Designed to engage attendees, the regional “Town Hall”-style workshops encourage fabricators to ask questions and share their personal experiences on the topics discussed.
The all-day events include a presentation by an industry veteran. Moreover, some have a panel discussion and breakout groups that focus on a specific topic in regards to technical issues or business management/marketing. Tailored specifically to the attendees, the events aim to assist those in the stone industry to expand and develop by increasing shop efficiency, providing training resources and metrics for developing business plans, as well as offering other useful information and advice.
The 2024 series will be hosted by a group of leading stone and tile distributors, including Architectural Surfaces, Arizona Tile, Marble of the World, MSI, Pacific Shore Stones, Triton Stone Group and Universal Granite & Marble. At every event, the host company will be available to answer questions and provide a tour of their facility to show what products are available.
“UGM has always seen a tremendous benefit from hosting events in collaboration with the NSI, as they provide stone distributors with a platform to enhance our network while showcasing new products to trade professionals,” said Nate Steinheimer, vice president of marketing and business development at UGM. “For fabricators, attending these events is essential as they gain from an immersive experience that goes far beyond traditional lectures or training sessions.”
The 2024 roster of events is as follows:
- Date: February 15, 2024; Location: Pompano Beach, FL; Host: Marble of the World; Speaker: Eric Tryon
- Date: March 7, 2024; Location: Los Angeles, CA; Host: Pacific Shore Stones; Speaker: Mark Meriaux
- Date: April 4, 2024; Location: Birmingham, AL; Host: Triton Stone Group; Speaker: GK Naquin
- Date: May 9, 2024; Location: Jamesburg, NJ; Host: Architectural Surfaces; Speaker: Buddy Ontra
- Date: June 6, 2024; Location: Denver, CO; Host: Architectural Surfaces; Speaker: Tony Malisani
- Date: July 11, 2024; Location: Milwaukee, WI; Host: Universal Granite & Marble; Speaker: Blake Christensen
- Date: September 19, 2024; Location: Columbus, OH; Host: MSI; Speaker: Tony Malisani
- Date: October 10, 2024; Location: Seattle, WA; Host: MSI; Speaker: Mark Meriaux
- Date: November 7, 2024; Location: Dallas, TX; Host: Arizona Tile; Speaker: Duane Naquin
