The International Surface Event (TISE) returns to Las Vegas January 22 through 25, promising a wealth of industry knowledge, valuable connections and the latest and greatest in floor covering, stone, and tile. And with more than 800 exhibitors expected on Mandalay Bay’s expansive show floor, TISE 2019 will once again be one of the most comprehensive marketplaces for sourcing and purchasing floor covering, stone and tile products, services, tools and equipment.

“We expect another outstanding event for the industry this January,” said Michelle Swayze, senior marketing manager of Informa, organizers of TISE. “The show floor is nearly sold out and is bigger and better than ever, packed with powerhouse brands, attendee favorites, hundreds of new exhibitors, and everything in between. The energy should be electric on the show floor!”

Education and Connection 

Education is a pillar of TISE, each year kicking off the event with the hottest topics and industry experts both on and off the show floor. TISE’s education program has something to offer for everyone in attendance—from learning opportunities to make businesses more profitable to ideas to positively impact the bottom line and boost careers to the next level.

New to this year’s education program are Converge sessions, which will be a complimenting blend of panel discussions, breakout sessions and small group learning. Converge sessions will do away with the old-school, row-upon-row classroom style seating and each room will be designed to produce a conducive learning environment.

Converge will offer three educational tracks: Hammer + Nails, Suits and Creatives. “We understand in today’s industry, a professional wears more than one hat,” said Swayze. “Attendees who are registered for the Converge program can pass freely between these interest groups and sessions enabling them to learn exactly what they want, when they want.”

For installers, fabricators, builders, contractors and remodelers, the Hammer + Nails track is open to those wanting to learn more about how the products they sell or specify are installed to avoid job failures and issues. 

Join Floor Trends Editor, Tanja Kern, and a group of industry professionals to discuss how to hire, train and maintain qualified installers. Hear from companies that do commercial and residential work that have been able to maintain a team of installers.

In a roundtable on moisture mitigation, moderated by Michael Chmielecki, editor of our sister publication, Floor Covering Installer, industry experts will speak about the importance of moisture mitigation and what can happen when moisture issues are not addressed before the flooring is installed.

The Suits track is packed with business related topics and designed with retailers, dealers, distributors, sales associates, business owners and other industry professionals in mind. The Creatives track will cover creative and design-related topics geared towards designers, architects, marketing professionals, and small business owners. This program is open to anyone who wants to learn more on design trends, color forecasting, product photography, social media, or any creative elements that helps industry businesses grow.

Networking is another valuable opportunity for attendees to learn and connected at the event. That’s why organizers are introducing The VIBE @ TISE Program to the 2019 event. The program is a unique networking event which will enable pre-qualified buyers and suppliers to connect with, meet, and do business with each other in an exclusive setting. The VIBE @ TISE program will bridge the gap between buyers and suppliers by providing meaningful business engagements through one-on-one appointments that are sure to deepen business relations.

“TISE is known to be a beautiful design show and a buyer’s and seller’s marketplace for the floor covering, stone, and tile industry,” said Amie Gilmore, director, Informa. “This added layer of new, key executive buyers from all corners of the country and the development of an even deeper element of networking and purchasing will surely broaden the overall TISE experience for exhibitors and attendees.”

Swayze added, “TISE is not only the largest floor covering, stone, and tile marketplace in North America to source and purchase products and equipment, but it is also home for the industry to come together,” Swayze added. “A giant industry family reunion, we look forward to hosting everyone again in Las Vegas this year, seeing friends and familiar faces, and making new connections.”

Women In Stone will present a new half-day workshop that will conclude in a networking happy hour. Through a combination of engaging learning activities focused on unique communication styles, speaker David Mitchell will explain the power of understanding both your own style and the styles of the people you interact with every day.

The Marmomac Academy has revamped its Designing with Natural Stone program, and will offer a one hour session, followed by a two hour guided show floor tour, concluding in a networking reception. “This is an amazing opportunity for architects and designers to discover more on the use of natural stone and meet with industry players that can give them one-on-one guidance for their projects,” said Swayze.

Trend Watch

TISE 2019 will highlight trends and offer a first look at what’s new and on the horizon across all categories of the floorcovering industry. Allow trend experts from forecasting and design firm Scarlet Opus to navigate you across the show floor with the 2019 Trends Audio Tour, located inside of the TISE mobile app. Added to the show this year, the tour will send attendees to the firm’s Top 10 Product Picks on the floor while they listen to why these products are on trend for 2019.

Scarlet Opus has also formulated a new experience for attendees to discover trends and products for 2019 on the design stage at The Design & Installation Showcase Hub (The DISH). Attendees will be able to hear directly from their expert on the trends, how they fit into the market, and utilize virtual reality screens to interact with the design and products.

Installation and Training

Returning to this year’s show is the National Installer of the Year Installation Competition. Back by popular demand, installers across all aspects of the floor covering, stone and tile industry have submitted their carpet, stone, tile and wood installation projects to be reviewed by a panel of judges. The judges have selected the top three finalists in each category, and the finalists will come head to head on the show floor for the live installation competition. In addition to bragging rights, the winner will be crowned the National Installer of the Year and receive a prize package.

“We look forward to what new treats the exhibitors have instore for their customers from beautiful booth spaces, brand new product launches, demonstrations, exciting events and appearances, and so much more,” Swayze said. “You just never know what kind of amazing finds you will discover each year at the event. We are in high anticipation of what we’ll all get to see.”