"A certain airline said we were going to get out, and then they proceeded to cancel all flights for the next day," said Jason Kamery, managing editor of Stone World. "It feels like a lot of people have shared that same story getting out to TISE this year."

Despite the travel disruptions, exhibitors reported consistent foot traffic throughout the show. Rather than the typical pattern of a heavy first day followed by declining attendance, the storm-related delays appeared to spread attendees more evenly across all three days.

"Day one was good, but day two was also good. Day three wasn't bad," said Kamery. "It probably spread people out a bit more than it has in the past, which is easier and better for a lot of the sales reps to talk and hang out with people."

Fabricator of the Year

Stone World announced its Fabricator of the Year award at TISE, with the honor going to Hershey Margaretten, a New Jersey-based fabricator. Richinelli presented the award during a ceremony held in partnership with the Natural Stone Institute (NSI), which hosted the presentation on its stage during its cocktail reception.

The Stone World team noted that the physical award, crafted by Jon Mitnick of CCS Stone in New Jersey, is no longer shipped to Las Vegas due to its significant weight and the risk of damage during transit. "Hershey received a certificate and we will present the award to him when we return home,” said Richinelli. “We had a really great presentation."

A profile of Margaretten is available on the Stone World website, with a more in-depth feature planned for the near future. This year's Fabricator of the Year program was sponsored by Park Industries and Triton Stone.

Education and Events on the Show Floor

TISE 2026 offered a range of educational sessions and events directly on the show floor, a format that both Kamery and Richinelli praised for its convenience. The International Surface Fabricator’s Association (ISFA) hosted its Learning Lab, the Natural Stone Institute offered its Natural Stone Theater, and the TISE Live Stage featured additional programming. A fabricator forum was also held, and the SFA conducted its roundtable discussion.

"The format that TISE does now is great, and it makes it convenient and easy, especially for us when we're running in many different directions," said Richinelli.

Kamery highlighted a tax optimization seminar held at the ISFA booth, presented by an attorney and tax professional. The session covered strategies for maximizing deductions and refunds. Look for Stone World’s recap of the presentation on its website.

"It was a really fascinating presentation because it felt like there were a lot of things I've never heard before," said Kamery.

Networking and Social Events

The Stone Fabricator’s Alliance (SFA) held its party at Topgolf in the MGM this year, a departure from its traditional venue at the Foundation Room at Mandalay Bay, which was reportedly under renovation. Attendees enjoyed the change of pace and the opportunity to get some fresh air outside the convention center.

"They were saying they were a little nervous at first, because they're so used to having it at the Foundation Room, but I think it all worked out," said Richinelli. "I think people liked getting some fresh air, doing something different."

The NSI also hosted a large reception in the Palm Foyer at Mandalay Bay following its awards ceremony, and Park Industries drew crowds to its booth with a Hot Wings challenge.

Looking Ahead

Stone World noted that a wave of content from TISE 2026 will be rolling out over the coming months, including podcasts, articles and coverage of topics ranging from AI and shop automation to new equipment and machinery.

On the event calendar, Stone World discussed recently heading to Albuquerque, NM for the first Stone Industry Education event of 2026, with a second event planned in Florida. The Coverings show will bring the team back to Las Vegas sooner than expected, as the event falls earlier in the year than usual.

"Going to these live events, the greatest thing for us is connecting with people and meeting new people, getting story ideas and seeing what pressing issues are out there," said Richinelli.

Stone World also extended an open invitation to fabricators interested in sharing their stories on the Stone World Podcast. "Fabricators, we would love to hear from you all because we want to get more fabricators on here to tell your story and let us know what you're all about," said Kamery.