The Marble Institute of America (MIA) will provide several education sessions at The International Surface Event (TISE West)–SURFACES| StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas |TileExpo, which will take place Jan. 19 through Jan. 22.

MIA education sessions will include:

Wednesday, Jan. 20

9:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.: Women in Stone Discussion Panel

Topics of discussion will include ways that age, gender and other factors impact dynamics in a family business, different management styles and how they are interpreted, and building relationships with customers, colleagues and coworkers. 

9:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.: Benchmarking in the Stone Industry: Measuring the Metrics That Count

This session will define business benchmarking and discuss what metrics should be measured to ensure a company’s success. Resources for finding industry benchmarks so a company can measure its metrics against others will also be discussed.

1:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.: Safety in the Stone Industry: Limiting Risk in Your Workplace

Put your company in a position to mitigate risk and increase safety for employees. This session will discuss tools and resources employers can use to create safety plans, track success and prepare for a possible voluntary or involuntary Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspection.

Thursday, Jan. 21

9:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.: ANSI Dynamic Coefficient of Friction Test for Natural Stone Surfaces

Attend this session to learn how the issue of slip/fall liabilities could be addressed by adopting the ANSI A137 DCOF test method.

2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.: The Art of Specifying Natural Stone

Designed to give architects and designers an overview of specifying natural stone, this session will help attendees get the resources needed to ensure the chosen stone meets the standards and design intent set for the application. 

For more information, visit tisewest.com.