Las Vegas, Nev.—The International Surface Event (TISE) was held in-person here and re–emerged as an event full of connection, innovation and intention for the floor covering, stone and tile industries, show organizers said. The more intimate June event gathered a dense professional crowd whose purpose was to connect with their fellow industry professionals, source products from over 190 exhibiting brands and get back to networking throughout the exhibit hall, according to show organizers.
More than 190 exhibiting companies covered all aspects of the floor covering, stone and tile industries, 18 being first–time exhibitors offering new products and services to the industry. Notable exhibitors for Surfaces were Mohawk Industries—who made the last stop of their Momentum Roadshow at TISE 2021—Karndean Designflooring and Johnson Hardwoods, plus a host of other new SPC and flooring options throughout the exhibit hall.
In addition to the in–person event, the show implemented a hybrid virtual experience: the Live Virtual Event Vegas Edition, sponsored by Mannington. It offered virtual attendees the same education and demonstration content, connection to the Vegas attendees, exhibitor product sourcing as well as live updates and interviews from the show floor by the TISE TV Crew.
Watch soon in the TISE Live Virtual Event as TISE will reveal the winners of the Best of Awards 2021 for Surfaces, sponsored by Floor Covering News.
New and notable
The June experience had several differentiators from previously held events. One key difference was the TISE Live Main Stage and the TISE Live Demo Stage, sponsored by MAPEI and Floor Covering Installer magazine. TISE converted the Converge education and Design and Installation Hub (DISH) programming into 30–minute, hot–topic sessions and demonstrations on the show floor. Attendees received the education as an inclusion with their June exhibits pass. Covered topics included increasing the quality of a workforce to charging the worth of installers, marketing strategies using podcasts and celebrity design stories to technical sessions on producing quality work and meeting standards. Industry professionals interested in watching the Live Main Stage and TISE Live Demo Stage presentations may still request access to the TISE Live Virtual Event Vegas Edition.
Another revision for the June event was the National Installer of the Year Semi–Finals Competition produced in conjunction with CFI and sponsored by Mohawk and ProInstaller magazine. Sixteen finalists in the resilient and carpet categories were selected prior to the event and competed live on the show floor. Eight finalists were chosen at the end of day two and will compete against each other at TISE 2022.
The International Surface Event 2022 is scheduled to be held February 1-3, 2022, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Get notified when registration opens this September.
Attendee reaction
“Surfaces was great! We experienced such a positive feeling from everyone involved. Kudos to Informa for officially opening up our industry! I can’t wait to see what is in store for 2022!” – Scott Humphrey, CEO, World Floor Covering Association
“The National Tile Contractors Association and Ceramic Tile Education booth was very busy and we were so appreciative for the opportunity TISE provided for us to get back together again in person. The value of in-person networking and engagement was on full display!” – Bart Bettiga, executive director, National Tile Contractors Association
“It was great to connect in-person and StonExpo was a high energy event! We are super excited to come back next year! Look for more natural stone suppliers than ever in the Natural Stone Pavilion.” – Jim Hieb, executive vice president & CEO, Natural Stone Institute
(For more on the in-person event held this month, see the June 21/28 print edition of FCNews.)