SESA Launches Surfex, a New Trade Show Built for Fabricators
The Supply Equipment and Supply Alliance (SESA) is bringing a new trade show to the stone and surface fabrication industry, with Surfex set to debut November 3 to 5, 2027, at the Indianapolis Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN. SESA Board President Mike Schlough of Park Industries and CEO Jon Lancto of Big Fish Consulting and Artisan Group, discussed the show's origins and vision on the Stone World Podcast, explaining how member demand drove the organization to create an event focused specifically on fabricators.
From Alignment to Action
SESA formed in 2021 to unite major exhibitors at industry trade shows. The original goal was practical: stop competing companies from outspending each other on booth space. "The joke is we could stop playing chicken with each other's marketing checkbook to try to outdo each other at the various show opportunities," said Schlough, who has worked at Park Industries for more than 20 years. "We're just spending money to look more important than each other."
That cooperation worked well enough that members began pushing for something bigger. "As the years went on, our members began to say, “Hey, this is actually working. What would it take to get a show together?" said Schlough.
Coming out of The International Surface Event 2025, the SESA board decided to stop delaying the decision. They hired experienced trade show professionals to guide the process and spent months learning the logistics of venue selection, move-in procedures, catering, security and more. By September, they were ready to commit. SESA announced Surfex at Marmomac in Verona, Italy.
A Fabricator Show, Not a Stone Show
The organizers are clear about their target audience. "Surfex is not a stone show,” said Schlough. “Surfex is a fabricator show. Our goal is to attract everything the fabricator wants to see, to include machines, supplies, tooling, consumables, software, education, networking."
The distinction matters as fabricators increasingly work with diverse materials beyond natural stone. The evolution from quartz to porcelain to other high-density surfaces has left many fabricators asking how to cut and finish materials they have never encountered before.
Lancto, who ran a fabrication business in Charlotte, NC, for 27 years before becoming SESA's CEO, said fabricators have historically felt overlooked at larger shows.
"At TISE/Stone Expo, that was just a small part of a much bigger show," he said. "Fabricators attending that show felt lost, and not a lot of focus was put on them."
Why Indianapolis
The choice of Indianapolis came down to availability and practicality. Trade show venues book years in advance, and SESA needed a mid-market space that fit their requirements.
"We felt really lucky to get that spot," said Schlough. "It's got skyway-connected hotels, an airport that's nearby, a great space that's relatively column-free."
He noted the Indianapolis Convention Center is highly rated for mid-market events and ranks among the most affordable cities for hotels and dining. The Midwest location also addresses a geographic gap in industry trade shows.
"The Midwest is a spot that has been underrepresented for our industry when it comes to trade shows for a long time," said Schlough. "Vegas and Orlando are not drivable for most of the country."
SESA plans to hold Surfex in Indianapolis for 2027 and 2028 before considering other locations based on feedback from attendees and exhibitors.
Nonprofit Structure
SESA operates as a registered 501 nonprofit in Minnesota, and Surfex falls under that same structure. "All of the proceeds that SESA brings in go back to the industry,” said Schlough. “There's no personal gain involved in this at all."
Lancto added that the nonprofit model should reduce costs for exhibitors and attendees alike. "SESA, as a nonprofit, takes that whole extra money out of the equation and gives it back to the members and the industry," he said.
Registration and Attendance
Of the more than 150,000 square feet of available exhibit space, about one-third has already been sold to SESA members. Non-member exhibitor registration opened the first week of January.
Attendee registration has not yet opened. Fabricators interested in attending should watch for announcements, while manufacturers, material producers and distributors can visit surfexshow.com to register as exhibitors.
The exhibit hall runs November 3 to 5, 2027, with move-in beginning October 31st and move-out scheduled for November 6th and 7th.
Surfex is being built by the industry, for the industry — designed to serve the evolving technical, operational, and business realities of modern surface fabrication.
By focusing on fabricators, prioritizing education, reinvesting profits back into the industry, and selecting a geographically accessible location, Surfex aims to become the premier operational trade show for North American surface fabrication.
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Jason Kamery is the Managing Editor and Group Digital Editor of Stone World. With more than a decade of experience covering the stone and countertop industry, he has conducted hundreds of interviews with fabricators, manufacturers, and industry leaders, and hosts the Stone World. podcast. He reports from events worldwide, including TISE, Coverings, and Marmomac, and his coverage extends to worker safety and silicosis, trade policy and tariffs, and fabrication technology. Kamery has also served as a speaker and panel moderator at The International Surface Event (TISE). He graduated from Purdue University with a B.A. in Mass Communication.
email: kameryj@bnpmedia.com | office: (248) 833-7356
