The International Surfaces Event (colloquially known as simply Surfaces or TISE) kicked off yesterday at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nev. As I type up notes from my morning sessions—which included, "The State of the Industry Report" and "Can OSHA compliance Really Save You Money?"—I sit on a sunny bench just outside the Shark Reef Aquarium.

The morning has contained plenty of relevant information on housing market and building trends that I'm excited to bring to our readers, including insights into the mindset of the millennial home-buyer and how OSHA compliance can not only protect owner-contractors from costly penalties, but also create profitability for their businesses and how to take advantage of benefits provided by OSHA's compliance division.

With three more days of education and networking, not to mention the exhibition floor, featuring over 800 brands, I can't wait to see what else this year's edition of TISE has in store! Look forward to all our upcoming coverage in Floor Trends and FCI magazine and exclusive online content, including news and new products and web exclusive features.