Retailer wins free trip to Surfaces 2005 (hotel suite and Vegas show too.)
Gary Howard of Gil's Carpet, Martinez, Calif., will travel to Surfaces in first class style courtesy of a new program aimed at encouraging more participation among distributors. Still up for grabs is a $25,000 prize for the distributor that signs up the most attendees.
Howard was selected in a random drawing of retailers who were registered for the show by a distributor. The store's distributor, Butler-Johnson Corp. of San Jose, Calif., was one of 11 distributors that agreed to help retailers sign up to attend the show set for Jan. 26-28 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas.