HICKSVILLE, N.Y.—FCNews has agreed to be the exclusive sponsor of the Surfaces 2011 Educational Conference which will be held Jan. 24 to 27 at the 
Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Featuring 49 flooring-specific courses, many being offered at the show for the first time, the program offers something for everyone.
There is also another first: For the first time since Hanley Wood has owned Surfaces, the classes are free with paid admission to the exhibit hall. The free offer is good for all three components of the educational program—the three-hour pre-show workshops Jan. 24, the 90-minute seminars held before and during the market and the 60-minute mini-sessions held on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“Since its inception, Floor Covering News has heavily promoted and reported on the importance of education in helping to make one a professional and stand out among the competition—be it retailer, salesperson, installer and so on,” said Al Wahnon, editor of FCNews. “While there is never a bad time to further one’s knowledge, during tough economic times such as the present, it is critical to get a leg up on the latest trends, technology and techniques.”
Dana Teague, director of Surfaces, said with the economy still not clicking on all cylinders, attending a trade show can be difficult in and of itself due to limited budgets. So taking advantage of the education being offered is even tougher. “We hope that by offering the education program to registered attendees at no additional expense provides added value and makes the trip out to Las Vegas more worthwhile.”
Along with sponsoring the entire program, FCNews will once again be taking an active part as a number of its columnists will be imparting their knowledge to attendees, including Lew Migliore, author of “The Claims File; Scott Perron, author of “Retailer2Retailer,” and Dave Stafford, frequent contributor to the “Installments” column.