The Trade Show Shuffle
With The International Surface Event recently in our rearview mirror, now seems like a good time to discuss the state of our industry trade shows.
Let’s start with a rundown of the shows that are most relevant to the stone industry. The International Surface Event (TISE) recently wrapped up and was its usual hodgepodge of carpet, wood paneling, and stone vendors with a couple machinery and tooling companies sprinkled in. Nothing about the event screams “This is for stone industry professionals,” and upon walking into the exhibit hall and seeing a massive Mohawk Carpet booth, someone could be forgiven for feeling like they walked into the wrong party.
In addition to the piecemealed feel and layout, there is some fatigue with this show. While there are some excellent stone companies in the Western US doing great work, much of the industry is in the Eastern US (my Midwestern bias may be showing) and the show is always in Vegas. Las Vegas is a long way from Elberton, Barre, and Bedford. Shipping stone or equipment cross country is expensive enough on its own, but that’s merely the start of the expenses associated with this show. Booth fees are extremely high relative to other shows. Factor in travel, accommodations, food, and all the other ingenious ways Vegas has of separating visitors from their cash, and you can rack up a significant tab in short order. Ponying up for this expense every single year is a big commitment. We have done it once in my time at WF Meyers and won’t again, barring significant changes.
A reshuffling of stone industry trade shows seems to be in the cards
Other shows have stepped in to offer their version of a solution. Coverings has bounced around a bit, although it is typically in Orlando. It has been in Atlanta and is in Las Vegas this year. This makes the show easier to get to for many in the Eastern US but has the same issue as TISE in that it’s a mix of different industries. Swap out the carpet on display at TISE for porcelain, and you’ve got Coverings. Additionally, a group of equipment and tooling manufacturers have banded together and formed the Stone Equipment Suppliers Alliance (SESA). SESA was formed in order to leverage the combined power of these exhibitors to bargain for preferential rates on bringing equipment to TISE. In return, SESA members agreed to limit their booth size at Coverings. This has further disincentivized people in the stone industry from checking out Coverings, as there are few, if any, pieces of equipment on display.
Hardscapes in Louisville checks in at a more affordable price point in a location that’s (at least a bit) closer to the center of the country. Like TISE and Coverings, the show is a mix of strange bedfellows. Every lawn care company between Chicago and Atlanta seems to send their crew to this show. This is great if you’re selling lawnmowers, but a bit of a reach if you’re selling stone. Sure, there is some crossover, but the bulk of the attendees seem to be focused on things other than stone.
So, what boxes does a show need to check to really serve our industry? First, it has to be stone exclusive. No pavers, no lawnmowers, no carpet, no porcelain - just stone, stone equipment, stone tools, and other ancillary services that our industry needs. It also has to move around. We need to acknowledge that getting everything in place for an effective show is a significant expense, and moving the show location helps make this more equitable. In light of the fact that we’re a mature industry and transporting the equipment and stone to a show is expensive, I believe the show should not be held every year. The technology is not changing so quickly that it becomes outdated in 2-4 years. And the stone itself doesn’t change on a timeline any of us should be concerned about.
What do we need from our trade show?
People perceive scarcity as a mark of value, whereas an abundance of something signifies the opposite. An analogy for the bourbon connoisseurs - would you expect to pay more for a small batch limited edition bottle of craft bourbon or a fifth of Jim Beam? The cost of the inputs is probably close for the two, but the value is in the scarcity, exclusivity, and quality. A trade show held every four years strikes me as more important and more valuable than a partial show devoted to stone three times a year or more. A show every four years is a can’t miss event, whereas missing one of our current options doesn’t feel like a huge loss since there’s always another one coming up.
Should we crack open a bottle of the good stuff, or is the house pour ok?
Other industries hold shows less frequently and it seems to serve them just fine. The International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) is held in Chicago every two years. This is the premiere show for metalworking and manufacturing technology. MINExpo, the largest mining show in the world, takes place every four years. Both of these are massive industries that dwarf the size of the dimensional stone industry. If they can get by on a show every two or four years, why can’t we?
There is a promising development on the horizon. Surfex is a new show hosted by the Stone Equipment Suppliers Alliance in Indianapolis in November of 2027. The stated focus of the show is on natural stone fabricators. This is a massive improvement in focus compared to the shows I’ve detailed above. My hope is that Surfex takes some lessons from past shows and sticks to this mission and becomes the premiere show for our industry. One small, focused, high-quality, can’t miss show is way more impactful than what we currently have. It’s like we’re trading out three t-shirts that don’t fit for a custom-tailored suit. And just like the occasions where we break out the custom suit, this gathering should be special. I would encourage the Surfex organizers to consider moving the show around and hosting it every 2-4 years.
One other consideration - the current trade show structure provides royalty payments that help fund groups that advocate for our industry. The Indiana Limestone Institute, Elberton Granite Association, and Natural Stone Institute all currently receive royalties that help fund their operations. While our current show setup may not be ideal, ensuring that these organizations have the funding they need to continue is essential in my opinion. If a show realignment is in the cards, we should keep these organizations involved. They can help rally support for a new show and bring their membership to a revived stone show. The current show model is broken, but I would like to see these organizations helped and not harmed by a new show. I am hopeful that everyone involved can align their interests and create an event that is successful and beneficial for our entire industry.
Let’s make it a special occasion that nobody in the industry can afford to miss. I’ll suit up and bring the bourbon.
-Alex