Attendees will not only have the opportunity to view the broad display of products and equipment, but will also be able to watch as exhibitors perform hands-on demonstrations of the large machinery as well as the new innovations in stone cleaners, sealers and grouts.

Last year's show, which was held at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, FL, drew in a total attendance of 4,065, including 2,789 attendees and 1,276 exhibitors. In total, 201 companies exhibited. This year's exhibition is expected to attract the same number of quality visitors. The show serves as a gathering place for those in the industry, and many times, sales are made on the spot.

According to statistics provided by show organizers, 80% of attendees are authorized by their companies to make purchases, and over half of the visitors place an order with an exhibiting company at the show. Additionally, over half of the attendees are the owners or presidents of their companies, which work in both residential and commercial construction, with many of them fabricating and installing countertops and doing residential and renovation work.

Statistics also illustrate that the majority of exhibitors generate leads for future sales and meet new customers and prospects. And, over 70% of exhibitors take orders for their products and services.

In addition to companies serving the stone industry, the MIA will also have a booth in the exhibition hall, where attendees are encouraged to stop by and meet the association's new staff. The MIA welcomes visitors to utilize its booth as a meeting/gathering place as well as a resource for the newest technical and promotional material for the use of natural stone. Among the material available at the booth will be MIA technical modules, a design manual and a new consumer brochure. The association also is looking for new members. Stone companies who join MIA at the show will receive a special bonus - a compendium of MIA Technical Q&A columns from the past three years.

Another highlight of the MIA booth will be the display of the 2002 Pinnacle Awards, which will be presented at a gala luncheon to take place on Friday, December 6.

Cornerstone Forum Seminars

Thursday, December 5, 2002
Forum 10
8:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
Stone Maintenance for Residential & Commerical Interiors
Confused about which maintenance products & procedures for the proper maintenance of stone? This session will cover: Designing a stone maintenance program; Polishing procedures; General maintenance products; Troubleshooting and preventative maintenance; Writing maintenance specs; Slip fall concerns
Speaker: Frederick M. Hueston, NTC: National Center for Stone & Masonry Trades
AIA Learning Credits: LU 1 hr.

Forum 11
8:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
How to Value your Company for Sale or Merger
Are you considering the sale of your company? Would combining your resources in a merger with another stone company be the direction for your future growth? This session is for business managers and owners who are interested in assessing the value of their company and understanding the proper steps for a sale or merger. Terry Gambill has a 30-year history of buying and selling companies and product lines. His dealmaking experience exceeds to $500 million in deal volume.
Speaker: Terry Gambill, Terry Gambill & Associates

Forum 12
8:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
Sandstone and Limestone Revisited
Due to the resurgence of interest in these stones, this session will be a technical primer on the formation, properties and performance that will discuss some of the geological aspects of these rock types, their mineralogy and various properties that bear on choice, applications and potential problems.
Speaker: Claude C. Rust, Ph.D., Geologist
AIA Learning Units: LU 1 hr.

Forum 13
10:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Safe Design for Wet Areas
This session will cover proper design for showers and other "wet areas," with special emphasis on preventing moisture intrusion and mold contaminants as well as proper design to prevent structural damage in wet installations.
Speakers: Gregory Mowat / Don Halvorson, Forensic Tile Consultants
AIA Learning Units: LU 1 hr.

Forum 14
10:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Stone Countertop Fabrication and Installation
To Rod or not to rod? How do you make a seam invisible? Does my shop really need a radial arm polisher? What is the best way to polish an ogee edge? Some of the industry's top experts in stone fabrication will help answer these questions and more. The forum is designed to let you ask the tough questions, so bring your questions and problems.
Speakers: Keith Graves, H.E. Satterwhite; Vince Migliore, Tech. Director MIA
AIA Learning Units: LU 1 hr.

Forum 15
10:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
U.S. Customs Classification of Building Stone
This seminar will describe the principles that are applied when U.S. Customs determines the applicable provision for imported building stone under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS).
You will learn how stone is classified based on geological definitions and the degree to which the stone has been worked. You will also learn how to obtain a binding ruling on classification of stone, and more information about NAFTA and how it affects the stone industry.
Speaker: Jacob Bunin, National Import Specialist (NIS 226), U.S. Customs

Forum 16
11:30 am - 12:45 p.m.
Installation of Marble & Natural Stone over Thin Load-Bearing Waterproof Membranes
From anti-fracture solutions to waterproof membranes, this installation seminar will discuss "how-to" make the proper selection of setting materials, and grout for specific applications.
Speaker: Richard C. Wood, Director of Sales, MAPEI Corp.
AIA Learning Credits: LU 1 hr.

Forum 17
11:30 am - 12:45 p.m.
Put a Bit of Science in your Business: Understanding Stone from Formation to Facade and Beyond
Dr. Claude Rust will repeat his informative presentation about the origin, age, mineralogy, and charisma of dimension stone. This seminar will consider the identification of the common minerals found in almost all stones. Rudimentary knowledge of stone components is the foundation to understanding behavior and is essential to intelligent stone selection. Learn to impress your clients and colleagues by demonstrating your stone expertise.
Speaker: Claude Rust, Ph.D., Geologist
AIA Learning Credits: LU 1 hr.

Forum 18
11:30 am - 12:45 p.m.
Effective Marketing to Design Professionals
From cold calls to Learning Unit Seminars, communicating effectively with architects and other design professionals can be the decisive factor in making the sale. This session will concentrate on the importance of research, marketing and relationship management that can lead to a successful sales strategy. The session will cover the "how to's" of becoming a CES Provider of educational seminars for the AIA, the CSI, the ASID and the NKBA.
Speakers: (To Be Confirmed)

Forum 19
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
The Phoenix Project - The Rebuilding of the Pentagon and the design build process
The goal of the Phoenix Project (named after the mythological Arabian bird that rose from the ashes) was to have the Pentagon completed by the one-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2002. This seminar will explain the massive undertaking of rebuilding and reoccupying the 500,000 square feet of interior space. The Design Build Process was adopted by the Pentagon in this case and this seminar will go over the scope of the project as well as this new method of contracting with the U.S. Governement.
Speakers: (to be confirmed)
AIA Learning Units: LU 1 hr.

Forum 20
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
The Phoenix Project: The Installation of the Limestone Fa?e on the Pentagon
This seminar will present the design and reconstruction considerations that had to follow strict historical preservation guidelines while at the same time upgrading the cladding system and matching the limestone used in the fa?e. Issues covered will include: stone selection, historical preservation issues & engineering and safety upgrades.
Speakers: Larry D. Jones, H&H Engineering; Roy B. Swindal, Masonry Arts
AIA Learning Units: LU 1 hr.

Friday, December 6, 2002
Forum 30
9:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Designing a Stone Fabrication Shop
This seminar is designed for those who are just starting a stone fabrication shop. How much do you need to start? What equipment do you need? What equipment can you get by without? How should you lay out the shop? This seminar will answer these questions and more.
Speakers: Keith Graves, HE Satterwhite Inc.; Kevin Patten, Granite Division, New Home Interiors

Forum 31
9:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
To Seal or Not to Seal; That is the Question
With the ongoing controversy about the use of sealers on countertops and floors, the time has come for clarification regarding this procedure and the answering of questions for concerned fabricators and installers.
Speaker: Vic Green, President, VIC International
AIA Learning Units: LU 1 hr.

Forum 32
9:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Introduction to Stone Design
This is Stone 101 - a survey course with an overall view of the production and supply in the dimensional stone industry. Discussions will include: stone selection; engineering considerations; ASTM tests; aesthetic considerations; horizontal substrates; horizontal surfaces (reception desk, countertops); wet areas; stair treads; vertical cladding/interior cladding. As usual, this seminar will cover useful "Tips and Techniques" in stone sourcing and installation.
Speakers: Scott Lardner, Rocky Mountain Stone, President; Vince Migliore, Technical Director of the MIA
AIA Learning Credits: LU 1 hr.

Forum 33
10:45 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Growth Trends in the Stone Industry
This session will examine growth trends in the stone market. We will examine the overall state of the stone and ceramic industry and analyze the shift in target groups. Participants will also gain insight into being more successful in selling natural stone and this session will also identify growth markets by product and design, as well as profit potential.
Speakers: Bob Daniels, Tile Council of America; Van Conners, Midwest Products

Forum 34
10:45 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Movement Joints for Stone:
Why, When, How
A discussion of the terminology and definitions used in the tile and stone industry. Discussion will include: cold joints, construction joints, seismic joints and their relationship to expansion and control joints within tile and stone. Other considerations, such as thermal expansion and contraction, within the finishing material and the substrate, will be examined. Where to locate expansion and control joints will be identified, and typical layouts will be shown.
Speaker: Kevin Vaughn, CSI, NAHB, Manager of Architectural Services, Schl?ter Systems
AIA Learning Credits: LU 1 hr / HSW credit

Forum 35
10:45 a.m. - 12 p.m.
How to Manage Commercial Stone Projects
From specification to bidding to on-site management, this session will concentrate on the management concerns for commercial stone projects. Discussion will include: delivery, installation, job site safety, and working with other trades for successful and safe installation.
Speaker: Joe Kapcheck, J. Kapcheck Co.
AIA Learning Credits: LU 1 hr

Friday, December 6, 2002
Forum 36
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Natural Stone from Carrara - How Quarrying Technology Affects the Quality of Processed Stone
The natural stones from the Apuan region near Carrara, Italy, are the largest quarried deposits of marble in the world. This presentation will discuss the basic geological picture of the Apuan region and the typology of available stones from that region. It will also go over the importance of quarrying techniques and technology and their significance in the overall production chain of processed stone.
Speaker: Paola Blasi, Geologist, Internazionale Marmi e Macchine Carrara S.p.A.
AIA Learning Credits: LU 1hr

Forum 37
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Advanced Technological Fabrication
From waterjet cutting to finishing solutions for architectural problems, this presentation will feature innovative fabrication technologies as well as new award-winning projects from the U.S. and Europe that have adopted these fabrications techniques. To see the "cutting edge" in fabrication technology, you should participate in this seminar.
Speaker: Marcantonio Ragone, Architect & Executive Director, Internazionale Marmi e Macchine Carrara S.p.A.
AIA Learning Credits: LU 1 hr

Saturday, December 7, 2002
Forum 40
8:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
Stone Trends 2002
This seminar will give a general statistical overview of the size of the dimensional stone market in the U.S. This session will cover information, sourcing, marketing and application trends in the stone industry during 2002.
Speaker: Vincent Marazita, owner, Marazita & Associates
AIA Learning Credits: LU 1hr

Forum 41
8:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
Diamonds are Fabricators Best Friends
We buy them, we use them, but how much do we know about diamond technology? Join this panel of experts and get the inside scoop on new technologies in the development of applications for industrial diamonds in the stone industry. Products discussed will include: blades, polishing pads, core bits, radial arm disks and diamond wire applications.
Speaker: Panel of Diamond Industry Companies

Forum 42
8:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
Solve your Slurry Problems
The handling of slurry is a big problem for most shops, and will continue to be a problem as EPA, city and county regulators crack down more and more. Additionally, with the cost of water and with drought conditions occurring, the recycling of water is becoming a big issue.
Speaker: Vic Green, President, VIC International

Forum 43
10:00 am - 11:15 am
Adhered Veneers
Discussion of the two primary installation techniques for veneers. Anchored and adhered solutions will be discussed with the pros and cons associated with each.
Speaker: Calvin McGee, Director of Tech. Services, Laticrete International
AIA Learning Credits: LU 1hr

Forum 44
10:00 am - 11:15 am
Stone Flooring Failures: Problems and Solutions
Cracking, delamination, debonding, efflorescence: Learn why these failures occur and how to avoid them in the future as well as how to repair failures that already exist. Specifying safe stone installations to avoid failures.
Speaker: Frederick M. Hueston, NTC: National Center for Stone & Masonry Trades
AIA Learning Credits: LU 1 hr.

Forum 45
10:00 am - 11:15 am
Know your stone and its needs for proper care and maintenance
What's the key to successful installations? Understanding the classification of stone and its characteristics; the strength and limitations of the material; the need for proper specifications of care and maintenance procedures; all these elements combine for successful installations and each point will be covered during this session.
Speaker: Fred Jackson, Stone Business Development Manager; Bill Tran, Director of Technical Service
AIA Learning Credits: LU 1 hr.

Seminars and Speakers are subject to change.

The Marble Institute of America is a Continuing Education System provider registered with the American Institute of Architects. Continuing Education Learning Units for members of AIA are available for the designated seminars.

StonExpo 2002 Schedule of Events

Stone World to present Technological Achievement Award

The award, which is given to a North American stone quarrier or fabricator, is based on the following criteria:

• Cooperativeness in sharing technology with the industry
  
• Willingness to pioneer the use of new technology
  
• Fostering educational programs for the training of stoneworkers in industry methods
  
• Promoting technological progress through association work

StonExpo 2002 Exhibitor List