StonExpo 2014: A Place to Learn
LAS VEGAS – If you’re looking to increase your knowledge about stone – and help increase production and profits back at the shop – StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas 2014 is your ticket in Las Vegas next month.
Part of The International Surface Event (TISE), a new multi-show combination, StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas is chock-full of workshop, seminar and hands-on opportunities during its Jan. 27-30 run at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.
The event’s annual education program is stocked with in-depth information and proven strategies to benefit fabricators. Attendance at last year’s program increased by 20%, and many of the sessions went standing-room only with professionals wanting to learn about the latest information and techniques.
StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas also offers a variety of other educational opportunities for fabricators, architects and others allied with the trade, with all designed to fit the needs of different groups.
A new presentation in 2014 is MegaWorkshop: Maximizing Margins on Jan. 29, offered by the Stone Fabricators Alliance (SFA) from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. In the SFA’s non-traditional, straight-from-the-source approach, the mini-event features six fabricators/owner spending a half-hour or so on implementing methods and techniques to maximize margins.
Topics and presenters include:
Branding & Marketing: Joey Marcello, Mario & Sons, Liberty Lake, Wash.
Internet Marketing: Mark Lauzon, Advanced Fabrication Solutions, Woodinville, Wash.
Production Efficiency: Matt Lansing, Stone Innovations, Plover, Wis.
Planning for Business: Ron Hannah, Cadenza Granite & Marble, Concord, N.C.
Diversify and Profit: Dustin Braudway, Blue Water Surfaces, Wilmington, N.C.
The Buying Experience: Dan Riccolo, Morris Granite, Morris, Ill.
The workshop is free and includes scheduled breaks, coffee and lunch, all courtesy of the SFA.
The TISE education program features more than 70 sessions appealing to various audiences attending the three events: StonExpo, Surfaces and the new TileExpo. While the full list is available here, sessions of particular interest to fabricators and other stone professionals include:
Monday, Jan. 27
(All two-hour workshops)
9 a.m.
Countertop Installers Forum: Solutions to the Most Common Problems with Brandon Maldonado, president, Maldonado Tile and Marble Inc., Fullerton, Calif.; Dustin Braudway, Bluewater Surfaces; and Buddy Ontra, Ontra Stone Concepts, Bridgeport, Conn.
Adding Restoration to Your Existing Stone Business with Tom McNall, Great Northern Stone, London, Ont.; and Ted McFadden, Sureshine Care and Restoration Services Inc., Huntington Beach, Calif.
11:10 a.m.
Grout: Your Choice Really Matters with Dave Corey, Flooring Services Ltd., Dallas; Steve Taylor, Custom Building Products (CBP), Seal Beach, Calif.; and Mike Micalizzi, CBP, Seal Beach, Calif.
The Science of Sealing Stone with George O’Regan, DuPont™ StoneTech® Professional, Hayward, Calif.; and David Bonasera, Environmentally Safe Products and Procedures (ESP), San Jose, Calif.
Anchored and Direct Adhered Stone Design and Installation: New Challenges with Rodney Harvey, Curtain Wall Design and Consulting, Dallas
1:20 p.m.
All Things Marble: The Stone, Installation Considerations, and Proper Care and Maintenance with Rod Sigman, CBP, Seal Beach, Calif.; James Woelfel, Artcraft Granite, Marble & Tile Co., Mesa, Ariz.; and Danny McNair, Daltile, Dallas
3:30 p.m.
The Art and Science of Engineered Materials – Quartz, Concrete, and Terrazzo with Fred L. Jackson, Estudio Group LLC, Austin, Texas; Danial Dauchess, Signature Stone Co., Toano, Va.; and Keith Graves, Estudio Group LLC, Clifton, N.J.
The Ins and Outs of Waterproofing and Crack Isolation Membranes with Steve Taylor, CBP.
Team Stone Design: Architects, Designers, and Fabricator/Installers Working Together with Scott Lardner, Rocky Mountain Stone Co., Albuquerque, N.M.; and Lisa Dirk, Syverson Tile and Stone, Fargo, N.D.
