Next StonExpo: January 2011
The Dallas-based exhibitions divison of Hanley Wood LLC made the official announcement on Dec. 10. Exhibitors at the last StonExpo were notified of the plan during the show in late October.
The next StonExpo will also be held in conjunction with SURFACES 2011, a Hanley Wood-produced flooring show, at the Mandalay Bay facility. The events will be in different halls and marketed separately.
“The decision to co-locate StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas and SURFACES was made for several reasons,” said Dana Teague, SURFACES and StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas Show Director. “Combining the two events will allow the stone industry and the flooring industry unparalleled education and networking opportunities, as well as exposure to the largest product selection of any show of its kind.
“Also, moving the show to late January gives our exhibitors who also take part in Marmomacc in Verona, Italy, the chance to catch their breath before heading to StonExpo.”
The change also met with the approval of the Marble Institute of America (MIA), an official sponsor of StonExpo.
“”We feel this provides an incredible opportunity for StonExpo exhibitors to get exposure to the approximately 25,000 attendees at SURFACES, as well as a great opportunity for StonExpo registrants to visit the SURFACES trade show and meet new suppliers, see new products, and obtain new knowledge.,” said Gary Distelhorst, MIA executive vice president/CEO. “In today’s world of needing to be nimble and innovative, the co-location of StonExpo and SURFACES seems to me to be a home run.”
The 15-month hiatus also means that the MIA, which holds its annual meeting concurrently with StonExpo, will need to meet independently of the event sometime in 2010. Distelhorst,reported on the MIA-affiliated Stone News Channel Fall 2009 broadcast that next year’s annual meeting would possibly be held in tandem with a high-level management conference for the organization’s membership.
Distelhorst added that Hanley Wood agreed to help fund the yet-to-be-scheduled 2010 MIA meeting/conference.
The 2009 version of StonExpo reportedly drew approximately 4,000 attendees, indicating a drop of more than 20 percent from 2008 totals. The 53,000 ft² of exhibit space for this year’s event marked a 50-percent decline from 2008.