TISE 2016: 10% Increase in Attendees

TISE16 1Click photo for galleryTISE16 2TISE16 3TISE16 4TISE16 5TISE16 6TISE16 7TISE16 8IRVING, Texas – Total attendance for the International Surface Event (TISE) 2016 on Jan. 19-22 grew by 10% from the previous year, show producer/owner Informa Exhibitions announced today.

Attendees at the event, held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, represented all segments of the industry, according to Informa, including distributors, buying groups, retailers, designers, architects, installers and fabricators, with an overall presence from around the globe.

The new IGNITE educational conference program also showed significant growth with standing room only in many sessions.

Attendees found a wide collection of products, services and technologies available in the exhibit hall for Surfaces, StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas and TileExpo, and exhibitors were pleased with excellent traffic during the show.

“A constant buzz of business occurring on the floor could be heard from every corner of the newly expanded, one-floor exhibit hall; the positive energy was contagious,” said Amie Gilmore, TISE director. “72% of the exhibit hall was booked on-site by exhibitors for the 2017 event. We are really looking forward to building on this success of this year for the industry in 2017.”

In addition to the popular show-floor features – the Trends Hub, Cage, International Pavilions and others – TISE launched the Installation Showcase in 2016. This show feature was a huge success for attendees, receiving live demonstrations on dueling stages that presented the latest techniques and tricks for installing carpet, flooring and tile.

“The Informa team did a great job of tackling the challenges of the migration to having everything and everyone on one floor. The WFCA was extremely pleased by the activity at our booth and the buzz throughout the entire convention hall. This was our most productive show since the industry downturn in 2006-2007. As one who has been in the industry my entire life, I have to say that it was great having practically all of the industry under one roof. We can’t wait for 2017!” Scott Humphrey, President/CEO, World Floor Covering Association (WFCA)

“There was a buzz of optimism at the TISE West about the market and the show. It was clear that attendance was up and the educational programming offered was excellent. TISE West was the first major 2016 event for the new joint venture between the Marble Institute of America and the Building Stone Institute which included a member networking reception that broke all previous records for attendance.” Jim Hieb, CEO, MIA+BSI (the Natural Stone Institute)

With nearly 700 exhibiting companies, the show floor was comprised of more than 400,000 net ft² of exhibit space, show floor features, education and training space. The combined facility space surpassed nearly a million square feet for TISE attendees to peruse.

A closer looks shows that 178 were first-time exhibitors, offering new products and services to the industry. Making a splash return onto the show floor were brands such as the Mohawk Industries, Gerflor, Karndean and Armstrong, just to name a few. It was clear the exhibitors spent a lot of time and energy ensuring an incredible exhibit hall experience for the attendees with beautifully designed booth displays and in-booth events and features.

“The overwhelmingly positive vibe surrounding thousands of attendees at Surfaces 2016 speaks volumes about what the show had to offer. Surfaces took on a life of its own packed full of energy and excitement with new products, impressive booths, creative marketing campaigns and a host of innovative industry resources. It’s an amazing time to be a part of the flooring industry. We look forward to the same great experience next year as well as the invaluable opportunity to visit one-on-one with our retailers at another successful Surfaces event in 2017.” David Duncan, Senior Vice President, Mohawk

“The 2016 International Surfaces Event in Vegas was a hit! The attendance, booth traffic and energy was the best we have seen in several years. Not only was the traffic heavier than the last few years at TISE West, but there were many qualified buyers ready to purchase. The building and construction cycle is certainly favorable and the TISE team does an outstanding job of building on that, marketing their show and bringing in quality attendance through the doors. We look forward to the 2017 show.” Ted Skaff, Vice President Marketing, Lackmond Products Inc.

In addition to the popular show-floor features – the Trends Hub, The Stone Fabricators Alliance Cage, International Pavilions and others – TISE launched the Installation Showcase in 2016. This show feature was a huge success for attendees, receiving live demonstrations on dueling stages that presented the latest techniques and tricks for installing carpet, flooring andtile.

“TISE 2016 was a great event for the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation and National Tile Contractors Association. The quality of the attendees was outstanding, and having the exhibits all on one floor added to the overall atmosphere. The installation stages were packed with interested attendees, and led to great leads for both membership and certification.” Bart Bettiga, Executive Director, National Tile Contractors Association

Many unique moments were available while walking the TISE 2016 exhibit floor; a few stand outs were:

  • Mannington’s 100 Year Centennial Celebration complete with historical imagery in their booth of their company growth over the decades;
  • QuickStep’s acrobatic dancers suspended from 30’-high rafters and celebrity appearances by Fix It & Finish It’s Antonio Sabato Jr. and DIY design team;
  • Mohawk Industries mascot dogs “Fetch” (IVC) and “ Pergo“ (Pergo);
  • cutting-edge stone mapping and cutting demonstrations by BACA Systems Kuka Robo Saw Jet;
  • catching a magic show in the Traxx booth; and
  • capturing a stuffed Panda Bear from the American Biltrite display.

The inspiring and engaging show floor did not go unnoticed by the attendees as the show maintained a high level of attendance on the show floor across all three days of the event with the feedback being incredibly positive. See the fuller show experience in the Construct Ed post showvideo.

“Surfaces 2016 was certainly a show to remember for Mannington. It’s always a great event — where else do you get so many customers and so many industry movers and shakers in one place? There’s really nothing else like it. And in 2016, as we are celebrating the company’s Centennial – our 100th year in business – we had our best Surfaces yet, in every way: product sold, connections made, relationships solidified – it really was one for the record books and we’ll be back next year!” Betsy Amoroso, Senior Director, Corporate Communications

Standing room only was found in many sessions in the new IGNITE educational conference, featureing more than 55 new classes, 100 speakers and 282 obtainable CEUs – all of which were developed with the support of a special industry advisory panel.

This educational program truly ignited the minds of the industry with a 2016 participation increase of 7% from 2015. Some of the highly sought after sessions were, but are not limited to, “Business Charisma: How to Engage and Win Customers Again and Again”, “Leadership is a Choice, not a Title: Values-Based Leadership & the Future of Work”, “10 Steps to Ending Moisture-Related Flooring Problems”, “Advertising & Marketing for the Small Business: Limited Dollars = Maximum Results”, “Price Matters to Everyone, Why Pretend it Doesn’t?”, “Negotiation & Conflict Resolution Strategies for Today’s Challenging Business Environment”, and “Design and Color Trends for 2016, 2017 & Beyond!”

“TISE 2016 provided me with the most applicable and up-to-date business leadership educational seminars as compared to any other event I’ve attended. This is a must-attend event for all of our employees!” 2016 TISE Attendee

“The 2016 IGNITE program was incredible, raising the bar and expectations of attendees onthe information they can and will receive through the program. It is our goal to be an unparalleled resource for industry education that is unique and game-changing for industry professionals,” said Jennifer Hughes, TISE Education Manager. “We are really looking forward to seeing the incredible entries submitted for the 2017 program.”

The International Surface Event 2017 is set for next Jan. 18-20 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. The educational conference will be held January 17-20. Get notified when registration opens.

Get the news of the industry with Slab & Sheet, the weekly e-newsletter every Thursday from Stone Update. Sign up for free delivery here.

For the latest industry info, check Stone Update on Twitter and Facebook.